Profile of a Killer (2012)

Once in awhile, a movie comes along from an independent film maker that just makes your breath catch in your throat with how skillful they are.  One such movie was sent to me recently by Jasmine Reid- the Producer of Caspian Tredwell-Owen's "Profile of a Killer"

Saul, an ex-FBI profiler is called in to consult on a case, only to find himself the target of the killer.  Soon, he finds himself face to face with the ruthless murderer, and engaged in a game of wits as he is forced by his captor to profile him.  If he's wrong, people die... and if he's right?

I was really impressed by "Profile of a Killer".  The story is tight and flows smoothly throughout.  It's not intense, but certainly enough to engage you in what is happening on the screen.  There is hardly any wasted puzzle pieces in this plot.  The story is more character driven than action driven- which is something I really liked about it.

The characters really helped propel the story.  I liked Saul, and found his quite believable, and relatable.  The same could be said for David- the killer.  But only because we all ask ourselves the same thing as he does at the end.  Rachel, while a cold, emotionally distant character (her expression hardly EVER changes throughout the course of the movie), was still interesting.  I would've liked to have seen the relationship between her and David (the prey/hunter relationship) fleshed out as much as the relationship between Saul and David.  I think it would've added more depth to her, and made her a little more sympathetic and less flat.

All I can say about the acting was that it was fantastic.  I was pleasantly surprised, and quite pleased with the quality of it.  Gabriele Angieri as Saul really brought warmth, desperation, and poise to the character.  His face was so expressive, and his voice just a great match for the role.  I liked Emily Fradenburgh as Rachel- even if the character herself didn't feel completely formed.  You could tell though from her acting that her character had some serious issues in her past- and made you want to learn more about her.  Teamed up nicely against Angieri's character, Joey Pollari as David was just amamazing.  He covered the gamut from uncertain and scared to chilling delight in what he was doing.  Few actors can make their eyes look dead and bottomless, but Pollari did it wonderfully.  His acting balanced nicely with Angieri's more understated style.  Just a great cast.

I was also quite pleased with the camera work.  Director Tredwell-Owen would make for a great TV director, as his shooting and editing style is very much in that vein.  I didn't feel like I was watching a two your movie.  Instead I felt like I was watching a high quality TV show, and didn't even notice the time passing by.  The lighting is very natural and subtle- unlike the rather glossy look that so many big budget Hollywood films have.  The editing flowed nicely and smoothly, with some nice examples of creative cutting, angles and even visual effects.  It is a beautifully shot movie.

I had a hard time finding negatives in "Profile of a Killer", because I got sucked into it nicely.  I would certainly watch it again- AND I recommend watching it to everybody.  I want to thank Jasmine Reid for sending me this movie so I could put it in The Good!