By Robert Sims, Special to Hollywood.com
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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
1. An American Crime
Cast: Ellen Page, Catherine Keener, James Franco
This isn’t the first film to depict the 1965 torture and murder of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens in the basement of Gertrude Baniszewski’s Indiana home. The Girl Next Door was based on Jack Ketchum’s fictionalized novel, whereas director Tommy O'Haver’s version follows court transcripts from Baniszewski’s trial. While not as brutal as Girl, O’Haver’s gripping account doesn’t flinch from recreating the sickening way Baniszewski and her kids punished their boarder for her perceived sinful behavior. It’s this viciousness that likely kept this away from theaters, resulting in its Showtime premiere and a well-deserved Emmy nomination for a chilling Keener. And Page shows such great strength and dignity under the most horrific of circumstances that her brave performance should silence her Juno detractors.
DVD Features: None.
Stars: 4 out of 5