I think it lost something as soon as we saw him on the phone saying things and then trying not to laugh. He just looked like the old dork that he was and was much less intimidating than when he was just a voice.
I'm happiest...in the saddle.
I agree; the film lost so much power when Daniels was revealed, although I guess the director wanted to examine the story less theatrically and more clinically.
shareagreed for me the film's biggest mistake was the great liberties it took with the true plot where becky was begging to be freed.
shareI wonder if the film is supposed to be the story told from the Manager's POV? Because at the end when the interviewer is talking about the footage he said that Becky was begging and pleading for the Manager to stop, when that wasn't in the movie.
shareI have to agree that the film loses a lot of momentum after we see the "real" officer. He appears benign then, and his voice loses a lot of power for the viewer. It removes us from the perspective of the victims. It also doesn't help when the film somewhat clumsily tries to wrap up details with his apprehension, the interrogation of Sandra, and the note about real cases before the credits.
This film works best when we focus on the voices, not the images. Still, I found the voices compelling enough to give this 8/10 stars, despite a few lapses in the visuals.
I think it lost something as soon as we saw him on the phone saying things and then trying not to laugh. He just looked like the old dork that he was and was much less intimidating than when he was just a voice.
I'm happiest...in the saddle.
"but do you really want to limit the movie to one location?"
I would have no problem with that, actually. Why should it matter?
I'm happiest...in the saddle.
Then we would have people on this board saying "this piece of crap low budget movie was filmed in one place". I think Phone Booth was the only thing that did this successfully but it had split screens to help. Episodes of shows that do this are sometimes crap too.
shareHave to agree on that. It did take the mystery away from the guy.
shareNow in my case it made it better (worse) because I was so enraged at this evil, cruel, twisted, vicious little man with the tight face and that smirk!
Oh that smirk!
I wanted to break his teeth every time.
So when it switched back to the other actors, and they kept falling for what he did, well for me, it made the situation really dreadful.
The actor did a great job. He was scary while making one want to reach through the screen and tear his throat out.
The real life guy looks more physically frightening because of his bulk.
At the end when one sees him arrested, there's that moment of him speaking authoritatively to someone he's trying to sell something to...credit protection?
He's threatening then.
He has his technique down.
Add to this in real life he was a wanna be with all the lingo carefully learned...
Another thing, as the gullible people became more drawn in/traumatized, he began to say those outrageous things...
Not enough to hurt, he had to show contempt as well.
Sure wish we had constant tabs on his whereabouts. Someone like that does not get better, or stop.
I think it would have been more effective by not only never seeing 'Officer Daniels' until he gets arrested, but also not revealing that the call was a prank right away. I know its a true story so it might lost some punch for people that know of the incident, but I think the film could have played very well by portraying it as if the call was legit at first. Sort of letting the audience realize it was a hoax instead of telling us from the start.
There was this fire, and I had to save it from a baby...