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- The Barber - US DVD -

Tagline: "Darkness can do strange things to a man"

Synopsis: It takes place in Revelstoke, Alaska, population 253 which has winter
long periods of continuous darkness. The long durations of darkness can cause 
'Seasonal Affective Disorder' (major symptom is depression) in many people. 
Two guys are watching a cougar in the woods and one shoots it. One doesn't like 
to kill animals and they start fighting. They fall onto the snow and accidentally 
find a dead girl, 'Lucy,' the town taxi-driver/prostitute, under the snow. She 
was strangled to death, bitten, and raped. 'Lucy's' friend, 'Hawkins,' whom 
was expected to been having an affair with her, was found dead also. The town 
suspects various people. An FBI agent, 'Agent Crawley,' played by Garwin Sanford, 
is sent in to lead the investigation, along with the town police, led by the inept 
'Chief Vance Corgan,' played by Jeremy Ratchford. The FBI suspects the 'Green River 
Killer,' suspected of at least 49 victims all over. More girls die and no one has
a clue who did it. McDowell plays 'Dexter Miles,' the town barber, who gets to 
talk to a lot of people and remember a lot of details about his customers. He 
gives great social commentary about media and serial killing. He's also a town 
mediator and is respected.

Story/plot: The story is pretty basic but that's the charm in this movie. We know 
who the killer is from the outset so the movie relies on the killer's interaction 
with the townspeople and his playing them like a deck of cards. It's all character
driven. The ending all comes down to bad timing or if you're the killer, perfectly.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is one of a small town, laid back and relaxed. It reminds 
me of "Northern Exposure."  There's never really a rush kind of feel to it. 

Cast/characters: McDowell steals the show as a cunning, calculating, and polite 
serial killer. Jeremy Ratchford, as the seemingly inept 'Chief Vance Corgan,' does 
a fine job as well. McDowell did such a good job that he could be the next 'Hannibal
Lector.'

Cinematography: The scenery is all beautiful. Great clear vibrant colors. The camera 
angles are all straight on.

FX, sound, etc: None of the actual killings are shown, just the end results. So, it's 
all psychological as opposed to visual. It does a great job without showing the violence 
itself, thus portraying a more calm and calculated atmosphere like that of the serial
killer of McDowell. Music is calm most of the time, contrasting greatly to the violent 
acts that are perpetuated on the town, and making it more real.

Final Thoughts: A great surprise of a movie. McDowell is great as the killer. His voice 
overs are good as well. There isn't much gore at all. I recommend it to anyone. It shows
a glimpse into a serial killer's mind and how normal they can appear to us. I'll leave
you with a great quote from the movie, "Like it or not, the psychopath has become the 
most fascinating folk figure of our time. They're by no means confined to the places we
expect to find them. They're masterminding leveraged by bouts on Wall Street, making films 
in Hollywood, running for Congress, even preaching in our churches. If you think you know 
a psychopath, you're probably right. Maybe even sitting next to one right now."

4/5

Reviewed By Wolf By Night

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