4 out of 5

Director: Yves Simoneau

An interesting “documentary” representation of a true story regarding a 44-minute shootout between two heavily armed gunmen and the many non-heavily armed police. What was great about this movie was that, despite knowing how it ended (due to it being based on fact) – without anyone dying, and with the good guys winning – it still created a great amount of suspense. Also, for a cable movie, it was also very patient in doling out its action, and very respectful to everyone involved (even the robbers) in that it gave them full roles to play, instead of sketches of “hero cops” or “creepy villains.” We get an inkling of motivation and realism for everyone. The interesting aspect is that we don’t just get an account of the day, but also one-on-one moments where the actors (in their roles as the real participants in the shooting) talk to the camera about what they were thinking or feeling. This was a very strange blurring between documentary and entertainment, and although off-putting at first, it, again, added to the fleshed out nature of the all the roles. The production and shooting was also high quality, with the events at the bank captured powerfully and engagingly.