The Investigation

A compelling production. "The Investigation" showed how unprepared Canada and the R.C.M.P. were to handle a serial killer and rapist. True to their motto, the Mounties did get their man. Nicholas Lea is brilliant as always and Lochlyn Munro plays Corporal Darryll Kettles brilliantly. 10/10, here's hoping we see more of this great Canadian,home grown specials.

Winning this award is kind of like winning a participation ribbon in elementary school track & field day. Typical lame Canadian production with weak acting, foreboding music, and poorly scripted plot. The RCMP uniforms look like something out of an army surplus store.

This is the investigation leading to the capture of serial killer Clifford Olson in 1981 (forty years ago!).

It demonstrates how the investigation was botched by bureaucratic bungling, by the red tape of jurisdictional disputes, by the common excuse of insufficient manpower and the like. It also demonstrates that it is never one superhero detective who does all the work and then captures the suspect. It took a large group of people to get Olson - and if they would have paid more attention they could have got him much sooner - with less innocent lives being lost.

Overall good and suspenseful Don't look to this for insights on Olson - its much more about the investigation.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Throughout 1981,in Fraser Valley,British Columbia,a man went on the loose luring vulnerable young people into his car,making false promises of getting them jobs in a construction site,plying them with alcohol and drugs,then abusing and killing them.This film follows the investigation into the killings starting with a tip-off from small town cop Kettles (Lochlyn Monroe) onto a state-wide investigation by Agent Forsythe (Nicholas Lea) that lead to the capture and conviction of the killer and the bungling incompetence and red-tape that marred it throughout.

The Investigation certainly makes for an interesting real-life story,but that's just how it feels:real life.It certainly doesn't succeed much in the way of fun.

As for the film's actual quality in itself,it benefits chiefly from a nice soundtrack (which,when you consider the many other ways it could have succeeded,isn't much to say!)The central protagonist (the killer) is an interesting character,but there's a disappointing lack of depth invested in him,although it is neat how his face is always covered up until the end.On the other fronts,Munro has a whiny lead presence that's a little annoying and he doesn't let rip and come out of his shell until right at the very end.Lea is a bit more dynamic and commanding,so it's disappointing that he doesn't come into the proceedings until a bit later on in the film.

The film's very obviously a video production.Some might say it's home's more at Channel 5 than BBC 1,but,there you go...

It isn't a film to veg out in front of,it's one of those ones where you have to use your brain and pay close attention to everything that is being said and inferred.It's a true film,very real,very human,but,unfortunately,that doesn't always make it very much fun.***

This Canadian TVM is based on a real life case where the mounties couldn`t get their man due to foul ups and red tape and this led to a child rapist and murderer to carry on with his obscene crimes . This is a TVM with a lot of potential but the script and performances aren`t as well developed as they should have been . Despite these flaws the one major problem that did jump out of the screen and grab me by the throat was the direction by Anne Wheeler which is totally inconsistent . Sometimes you feel you`re watching a fly on the wall documentary , sometimes you feel you`re watching a stage play , but worst of all sometimes you feel you`re watching a MTV trailer.

Like I said this had potential but everyone in general and the director in particular had to go and ruin it