Kevin Lea Davies
There are very few redeeming points in this 'made for T.V' drama about a high school senior who was kidnapped from a parking lot in Nebraska back in 2001.Although the topic of this film is a fairly serious one, it is a huge disappointment in terms of writing, direction and acting. The movie starts out as a teenage high school drama, and ever so slowly and painfully gets worse and worse as it goes along. The dialogue is unbelievably and at best, poorly delivered. The most intense scene was a mind boggling cluster of bad lines, and inane acting, that it ruins any drama that should have been part of such a horrendous act.Every part of this movie dissolves into your typical 'straight to video' movie.2/10
Dean Goulev
I don't want to sound like an amateur film critic like most of the above, so I'll just say that this film is god-awful, with weak, unconvincing performances all round (particularly the captor). It's like watching a long-winded reconstruction on a crime phone-in show. Avoid at all costs. Clean the oven or something. Dear o dear. There really isn't anything else I can add. I could try but I'd just be waffling. OK, OK, Sarah Canning is half decent I suppose. But it ends there. It really does. Maybe give the oven a miss. wipe the tops of the cupboards or something. Or maybe watch another film altogether if you're that desperate. It really is bad.
Woodyanders
Clever and resourceful 17-year-old teenager Anne Sluti (a fine and appealing performance by the attractive Sara Canning) gets kidnapped by the unstable and dangerous Tony Zappa (well played with frightening intensity by James Van Der Beek). Anne uses her considerable smarts to manipulate her captor into keeping her alive throughout her harrowing six day ordeal. Director Gary Yates, working from a compact script by Charlene Blaine and Kim Delgado, relates the gripping story at a steady pace, wisely avoids lurid sensationalism, and grounds the narrative in a believable everyday world. Anne's bold game of wits with her captor creates a substantial amount of drama and tension (the climax with Anne and Tony holed up in a house surrounded by a SWAT team in particular is quite taut and suspenseful). The sound acting rates as another definite plus: Levar Burton as the compassionate Detective Mike Timbrook, Diana Reis and Tom Anniko as Anne's worried parents, Brian Edward Roach as Anne's equally concerned brother Tom, and Alexandra Castillo as determined FBI agent Reynolds. Brenton Spencer's crisp cinematography makes galvanizing use of a constantly moving camera. Jeff Toyne's spare moody score likewise does the trick. A worthwhile telefilm.
edwagreen
Although this is a true story and the victim showed her mettle, there is really nothing basically outstanding in this film which seems to drag on and on.A much older LeVar Burton does shine as the police officer, a friend of the victim's family, who helps lead the way to her eventual freedom.A nightmare begins when a recently accepted to college young lady is kidnapped at random in a parking lot by a lunatic, abused by his father, living with a fanatically religious grandmother, and arrested over 20 times for a variety of offenses. The guy is totally off the wall and kidnapped our unfortunate girl as he was lonely.Ready to kill her several times, she was able to talk her way out of it and you see that the guy may be falling for her until the very last scene-the usual come out and put your hands up.When you think of it, as difficult as this movie is, it is really routine.
AD
