BLUE CAPRICE (Mongrel, 2013) D: Alexandre Moors, w/ Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond. Rating: NNN DVD package: NN Rating: NNN
Do you remember the Beltway snipers? A man and a boy who murdered 10 people and injured three more in and around Washington, DC, in October 2002? Blue Caprice takes its title from the car they used during their killing spree.
The movie gives th0se killings little screen time, and the investigation none. It’s concerned instead with the relationship between John (Isaiah Washington) and Lee (Tequan Richmond) and their transformation into ruthless killers.
John is fuelled by resentment over the loss of his family, a touch of paranoia and a half-baked plan to bring down the system. He meets abandoned 16-year-old Lee on a Caribbean vacation, brings him back to the U.S. and begins his training and indoctrination. Blank-eyed and nearly wordless, Lee is an empty vessel starved for a sense of belonging.
Naturalistic performances, documentary-like visuals and a sparse, ominous score make Blue Caprice an edgy mood piece.
In the extras, director Alexandre Moors and writer R.F.I. Porto admit they made up the scenes between John and Lee. Fair enough, but a doc on the real events would have been welcome.
EXTRAS Commentary, press conference, on-location footage. English audio. English, Spanish subtitles.
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