The Riverman (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Bill Eagles

Writers (WGA):

Tom Towler (teleplay)
Robert D. Keppel (book) ...

Release Date:

6 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

To catch a killer. You must understand evil. Or be evil.

Plot:

A series of interviews are conducted with convicted serial killer Ted Bundy in hopes of gaining insight into the Green River Killer who is terrorizing Seattle. |

Plot Keywords:

Green River Killer | Serial Killer | Seattle Washington | Prison | Crime Scene

Cast

Bruce Greenwood	...	Robert Keppel
Sam Jaeger	...	Dave Reichert
Sarah Manninen	...	Georgia Hawkins
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Sande Keppel
Cary Elwes	...	Ted Bundy
David Brown	...	Gary Ridgway (as Dave Brown)
Jeremy Akerman	...	LT. Downing
Cindy Sampson	...	Marisol
Richard Blackburn	...	Warden Owens
Mark Graham	...	Roger
John Dunsworth	...	Haney
Sherry Smith	...	Hazel
Lee J. Campbell	...	Arthur
Leah Ostry	...	Ally Keppel
Colin Rogers	...	John Keppel

Country:

USA

Color:

Color

Certification:

Germany:16 | Australia:MA (2008) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Koch Company

Trivia:

Based on the best-selling book, "The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer" by Robert Keppel

Quotes:

Robert Keppel: If you know someone, someone close to you and you put together all the pieces; all the laughter and the tears and the silences all the deep telling moments of their life then, well then you can inhabit them and feel part of them. But if you've known someone with a soul dark, so terrifying and you've crawled into every foul corner they think they've hidden from you and you've inhabited them... How do you... How do you come back? Can you return to how you used to be?

One of the best TV movies ever

This A&E television movie, based on Robert Keppel's book about the hunt for the Green River Killer is, quite simply, one of the best TV movies ever made. As someone who loves cinema, and also as someone who's read a great deal about serial killers, I was amazed at the quality of this film. In terms of writing, direction, cinematography, and acting, this made-for-cable feature outshines many theatrical releases, and doesn't come across with that "Made-For-TV" vibe that one generally gets from such productions. If I didn't know better, and I happened across this film, I would never assume that it wasn't a theatrical film.

The Riverman is very accurate, sticking close to the facts of both the Green River case and the relationship between Keppel and serial killer Ted Bundy. In fact, it is FAR more accurate than most films which claim a basis in fact...particularly those involving serial murder. There always seems to be a tendency to sensationalize real-life serial killers on film. This is unfortunate, because it defies a very important fact...that serial killers are not raving monsters who stand out from the crowd. As the incarcerated Ted Bundy says in the film, while informing detectives on the nature of the killer they are seeking: "He IS a normal guy. That's the point."

In addition to following the search for the Green River Killer, the film also takes us to Death Row at Florida State Prison, where Ted Bundy, hoping for a stay of execution, acts as an "advisor" to the detectives from his former home in Washington, then finally opens up about his own crimes. An interesting fact is that, in real life, Bundy had read Thomas Harris's novel, Red Dragon, and quite possibly got the idea of "advising" in the investigation of another killer's crimes from the Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter relationship in the book. Bundy acted as Lecter to Keppel's Graham...only Keppel, unlike Graham, had to live with the fact that he had been unable to capture the man he'd hunted. And so, naturally, there are echoes of Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs to be found in the film version of The Riverman.

Bundy is played here by well-known actor Cary Elwes, who gives a phenomenal performance. His Bundy is the "Final Days" Death Row Bundy, slowly unraveling as he realizes that nothing can stop the grinding of the wheels of Justice...until they grind to a halt in the death chamber. And he plays the role like he was born for it. When I'd first heard that he was playing Ted Bundy, I was taken aback, as I simply couldn't picture it. But the performance speaks for itself, and is surely (to this date, at least) the definitive screen portrayal of the infamous killer. The cast, in general, is extremely capable...particularly Bruce Greenwood, whose portrait of Bob Keppel is intense and heartfelt. The acting is, all around, wonderful.

The cinematography is also well handled and very appropriate to the subject matter. It's also nice that it was presented in a widescreen aspect ratio. This, combined with the overall quality of the film-making (and a couple of uses of the "S-word") certainly makes the film seem more like a theatrical release than a TV movie. Generally, even good TV movies feel like just that...good TV MOVIES. The Riverman doesn't. It just feels like a good MOVIE. A great one, in fact, which is not to be missed.

My only complaint is that the film could have been longer. If they'd extended the runtime to two hours (or even two and a half), they could have spent more time on the Green River case. And of course, when you've just seen 90 minutes of something fantastic, it's only natural that you wish it could have gone on longer. It's understandable why this, being a TV movie, would be confined to a two-hour timeslot...and on a basic cable network, that means making time for commercials, as well. Still, I wish it had been longer. It's too good to last only an hour and a half.