Great Film: Point of Origin
Hard to believe it was THAT good
At first glance it's just a movie of the week. It's true that it was one
of
HBO's original movies, but to call it a movie of the week would be to
limit
it to a group of movies with hackneyed plots, weak actors, and clueless
directors. Point of Origin is so much more than those terrible excuses for
entertainment.
The story concerns an arson investigator (Ray Liotta) and his protege
(John
Leguizamo) who are investigating a particularly nasty string of arson
fires.
Those of you who remember the news of the incident this film is based on
might see the story coming, but most people will not simply because it is
too outlandish to be true. But it IS.
What grabbed me most in this movie were the two lead performances by
Leguizamo and Liotta as well as a directorial vision that is on the verge
of
brilliance. Every creative decision made in this movie had a very specific
goal. Pay close attention to the palette of colors used. Much of the movie
is made up completely of black, white, and orange. Special effects are
used
to great effect in putting the audience and the characters "inside" the
fires they are investigating. As far as TV movies go, this one was truly
refreshing.
Cast
- Keith Lang played by John Leguizamo
- Clarence Hyde played by Graham Beckel
- Ambria played by Ingrid Rogers
- Mike Matassa played by Colm Feore
- Mike Camello played by Cliff Curtis
- Kate played by Illeana Douglas
- John Orr played by Ray Liotta
