Wonderful Movie

Expected more

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

RELEASED IN 1994 and directed by Chris Jones, "White Angel" (aka "Interview with a Serial Killer") stars Harriet Robinson as a writer in England who hasn't written a novel since her abusive husband "went missing." A new tenant (Peter Firth) arouses suspicion that he's the 'White Angel' serial killer, a murderer who's said to be a white blond woman. Catherine Arton plays her friend and Don Henderson a nosey inspector from Scotland Yard.This is a pretty good serial slayer flick with capable acting and a fairly interesting story. You can see where it's going, but there are a couple of surprises. Incredibly, the actors and the writers make you sorta care for the deranged-but-'normal' murderer. It also cogently expounds on the concept of justifiable killing.THE FILM RUNS 96 minutes and was shot in Gloucester & London, England. WRITERS: Geneviève Jolliffe & Jones.GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

Struggling novelist Ellen Carter (a fine portrayal by Harriet Robinson) suspects that her mysterious new tenant Leslie Steckler (an excellent and serenely creepy performance by Peter Firth) is a serial killer who has murdered over a dozen women. Director Chris Jones, who also co-wrote the absorbing script with Genevieve Jollifee, relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, firmly grounds the premise in a totally plausible everyday reality, makes the most out of the claustrophobic flat setting, and spruces things up with several snazzy stylistic flourishes (the frequent use of black and white is especially neat). The top-rate acting by Firth and Robinson holds the picture together; the tense battle of wit and wills between their characters is gripping throughout and culminates in a deliciously ironic surprise ending that packs one hell of a strong punch. Firth makes for a genuinely chilling psycho whose deceptively calm, quiet, and pleasant demeanor masks his scary capacity for extreme brutal violence. Moreover, there are sturdy supporting contributions by Don Henderson as the pesky Inspector Taylor, Catherine Arton as the sweet and chipper Mik, and Caroline Staunton as Steckler's shrill emasculating wife. Jon Walker's slick cinematography gives the movie an impressive glossy look. The rattling score by Harry Gregson-Williams hits the shivery spot. A real sleeper.

When you can feel your heart beating faster while you're watching a thriller, you know it has done its job! Apart from some questionable plot devices (does it really take entire MONTHS for computers in London to get a positive fingerprint match?), "Interview With A Serial Killer" is a compelling thriller that makes the most of its small budget and benefits from unusual storytelling techniques and two excellent performances by Harriet Robinson and Peter Firth; they both (and especially the former) look and sound like real people, not like standard movie creations. To get an idea of how good this movie really is, try comparing it with the somewhat similar American thriller "Where Sleeping Dogs Lie", which was made one year earlier, with a larger budget and much more "name" stars, including Sharon Stone. "Interview..." easily comes out on top. (***)

Sure, the tiny amount of money this film was made for is impressive, but personally once I start watching a film, I forget such considerations and can only judge a film on its merits. And in that respect White Angel works very well. It's claustrophobic, tense, engaging, with a strong sense of realism; and Peter Firth's performance is superb.