Karla Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
The Barbie and Ken of serial killers.
North America's most notorious serial killers.
Evil has a beautiful face
Evil has a beautiful face.
Until death do us partake
The perfect couple.
Based on real events, Paul Bernardo (Collins) and his wife, Karla Homolka (Prepon), kidnap, sexually abuse, and murder three young girls.
| Laura Prepon | Karla Homolka |
| Misha Collins | Paul Bernardo |
| Patrick Bauchau | Dr. Arnold |
| Emilie Jacobs | Debbie |
| Alex Boyd | Nick |
| Carole Ita White | Waitress |
| Fiona Manners | Rape Victim #1 |
| Shawn Hoffman | Detective Steve Kirby |
| Adam Lieberman | Detective Morgan |
| Cherilyn Hayres | Tammy Homolka |
| William Duffy | Detective Porter |
| Tanya Lemelle | Rape Victim #2 |
| Tony Shawkat | Border Guard #1 |
| Kristen Swieconek | Tina McCarthy |
| Cole James | Tina's Friend |
| Joel Bender |
5.30 out of 10 (776 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Disturbing but important to see ...
posted on 31 Jul 2009... I found this to be a compelling cautionary tale about the moral climate of out times. The portraits of psychopathy and sociopathic behavior given us by Prepon and Collins provide an insight into the dangers of our modern values. These portraits serve as a warning about the various moral slippery slopes we confront daily. It is not to be considered just as entertainment, but rather a barometer by which we can measure our own states of sanity or depravity.The movie obviously suffers from budgetary limitations but very often these are the very films which do not suffer from limitations of conscience. "Karla" most definitely has a conscience. Without making moral claims it guides us through the examination of conscience and battle with self deception of character that "there but for the grace of God" too many of us could all too easily become.The film is an indictment of the poverty of healthy values of the society we have all created for ourselves.
Very disappointing
posted on 17 Jul 2009Not being a native of Canada, I had never heard about this serial killer 'Karla'. So having a strong interest in crime stories and the like, I was looking forward to actually seeing what everyone seemed to be so horrified about. This film was certainly no where near as awful as anyone had made out. The opening scene was not 'like a lesbian porn flick' in fact there was no 'lesbian' moments at all.. nor were any of the 'murder' and 'gratuitous violence' scenes explicit or even realistic. Whilst the male lead was averagely convincing, the female lead was wooden and without any real depth, and the psychiatrist was just dreadful. The whole show was simply like a poorly acted and directed "made for TV" piece, which could have been shown at an 8.30pm time slot. If you want to see a real slice of life, one that happens (unfortunately) on a daily basis in parts of New Zealand, watch "Once Were Warriors". That will make your blood curdle and make you thank God that you have a nice family.
A View Into The Mind of a Narcissistic Psychopath
posted on 09 Jun 2009Karla is an interesting portrait of someone who lacks empathy. Events which normally would have dire emotional consequences for most people have little if any effect for a narcissist, and this movie portrays how someone can do and continue to do horrible things to others without really feeling much sorrow about it. For these people, they can feel emotion very strongly, but only if directly related to themselves. Karla makes half-hearted attempts to appear sincerely apologetic to psychiatrist about the goings on of her past...she knows what she did was wrong...but the sincere heart-wrending sorrow that someone should feel when truly repenting for horrible crimes is missing in this girl. The average viewer of this movie will be amazed, asking, "how can she do that" because they simply cannot understand what it is like to just not really care about another human unless you have shared a lot with that person...and even then, the pain of losing them is fairly minor and not life-changing. As one of those narcissistic people, i would say this movie is astonishingly accurate in that portrayal that shows the strong sadness and passion a person may feel while not feeling at all for others in general. The crimes are terrible, and acted out in such a day-to-day non-dramatic manner that it's as "real as you can get". Despite a few tiny technical spots where one might ask, "would that have really happened at this point", i would say this movie is wholly realistic and disturbing as such...and even more disturbing if we can look into ourselves and see a little bit more insight; a little bit of Karla.
Surpringly good acting; toned-down version of sickening events
posted on 03 Jun 2009Paul Bernardo - probably one of the cruellest serial killers that ever existed. Around 50% of the votes cast so far are 1 and this is understandable, as the subject matter in the movie is probably the darkest and most disturbing that any movie could possibly be- and to make matters worse, its all true. There is a relentless hate for this movie and people are going to vote 1 just to try to discourage other from seeing it, to try and teach Hollywood to stay out of producing tragic events, but where were the 1's for other movies profiting off tragedies, like Schindler's List, Titanic or Monster? Before seeing it, I read from others that the acting in the movie was great, I didn't take the comments seriously, but after seeing it, I am totally impressed with Laura Preppon's talent- I never thought of her as a good actor. She IS Karla Homolka, and although she won't win any Oscars for this role, she has undoubtedly impressed many other critics who may have never suspected she had this talent within her. The only major difference between Karla and Laura is that Homolka was a very small woman- 5'2 or so, while Laura is very tall, 5'11. When watching the introducing scene, I had doubts about how good Misha Collins would be, but by the time we reached the first perversion, he turns out to be quite a good actor, although I'd say Preppon definitely gives a better performance. People object to this movie for many reasons, and one is that some believe it's too sympathetic to Karla, but I would disagree. True, it is narrated from real life transcripts that Karla gave to her pscyhiatrist,and many see that as a reason to distrust the movie, but what she tells and what we see are sometimes different and the movie does NOT omit ANY of the evil deeds she committed. However, A LOT of the sadistic things that Paul did were omitted in this brief 81 minute movie- and that is why I called it a 'toned-down' version of the gruesome events, more toned-down that most people would suspect it would be. In this way, the violence is not gratuitous, but there are *surprise!* many cringe-inducing moments. One flaw I see in this movie is the improper allocation of time to various events. The movie covers 90% of the key events, but there was no mention of the videotapes being found, (which completely turned the case upside-down) nor was there any time giving us background information about Bernardo or Holmolka, which we see in other serial killer movies like Monster (we see Aileen as a teenager). I may be wrong, but I think the chronological order between various events may have been shuffled in one case, but probably for editing reasons. I doubt any reviews that IMDb can offer will make a difference in whether one sees it or not, as either you can tolerate watching difficult things or you cannot. However, I agree with CBC's review that is 'an above-average' movie and while being tough to watch, it can also be a tool to reinforce the message that appearances can be deceiving.
Failed attempt to portray participant as a victim
posted on 28 Apr 2009Having a serial killer strike close to home is something that is so terrifying, so strenuously tense, that words cannot express the wide range of emotions affecting all those in the community.Back in 1987 in Southern Ontario, a serial rapist dubbed the Scarborough Rapist (named after the city to which the majority of the attacks occurred), brought havoc to the streets just outside of Toronto. Over 12 rapes escalating in their intensity and their brutality occurred between 1987-1991. Police had little to work with and although a composite sketch in the local papers brought police to interview and receive a DNA sample from a Scarborough resident by the name of Paul Bernardo, no arrests were made.In 1987, Paul Bernardo met Karla Homolka, a 17-year-old bleached blonde beauty. The two became quickly became a couple and their legend became far more gruesome than Bonnie & Clyde.Karla, the film, is Karla's story. Based on truth and told through her eyes and depicting her as a victim of a controlling serial rapist and killer. Details since her incarceration have come concluding otherwise (more on that later), but one thing was certain, if Bernardo was the C4, Karla was the detonator.The film starts with their meeting in Toronto and follows through their perilous and criminal lives leading to their eventual arrest and court appearance. The two actors, Laura Prepon (That 70's Show) and Misha Collins as Karla and Bernardo, do an intriguing job of portraying the two killers even if they don't relay onto the screen a sense of true evil or sinister intentions.Plagued by controversy during its production, director Joel Bender takes his time with the story and tries desperately to develop the characters rather than focus on any of the heinous crimes the two committed during their reign of terror.Although the attempt to focus in on character should be applauded, the execution is flawed and the result is a movie that is neither interesting nor involving.I think where the film first went astray was during the first killing. Karla and Bernardo accidentally kill Karla's sister Tammy while attempting just to drug her for Bernardo's sexual fetish. The act itself and the details as were read by all those in Canada were deplorable. But the scenes in which reenact these events seem rushed and forced. As if the director wanted to continue on his character development, but had to add some elements of their criminal activity so he quickly edits in the killing leaving behind the stronger platform elements of the story that preceded it.The names of the two young schoolchildren which were abducted, tortured, raped and eventually killed and cut into pieces was also mishandled. What should have been portrayed as a horror of sexual deviant and gratification perversity is instead just a point in their history thrown on screen without remorse or further character advance. And although the film itself is watched with expectations (not explanations) as a serial killer film, you long for more of the simpler scenes like Bernardo's smuggling of cigarettes across the border or Karla's consistent forgiveness of the many beatings she endured at the hands of her husband.By the time the film is over and countless screens read out how Karla testified against her ex-husband and how Karla served her 12 year prison term, you feel betrayed. Betrayed for not being able to better understand either the people or the situations to which were headline news for much of the 1990's.I am able to step aside and comment that I may not be the best person to write a review regarding the issue. I lived mere miles from where bodies were found and people were raped and abducted and the fear to which the surrounding communities felt during this time was nothing that can be properly descripted in print.However, as a movie – as a serial killer movie – Karla just doesn't add up to the story that backed the events.www.robertsreviews.com
A difficult film to watch...
posted on 12 Apr 2009Being Canadian and the fact this film isn't widely available up here I feel compelled to offer some comment on what many consider a tragic story exploited for financial gain to no end.Those of us that lived this story back in the early 1990's and the subsequent trial of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka can attest to the degree of disgust many felt at the crimes these two committed. The film is accurate in many respects as to details of the story, but make no mistake that the details were far more sadistic and brutal than what has been portrayed in this movie. At least to those of us that have read the transcripts of the videotapes that Bernardo took of his victims, and one can hardly blame the director from omitting those details or forcing an actor to play such a role out.My only beef with this movie however is that it does attempt to paint a picture of Karla Homolka being just as much a victim here as Bernardo, and although no one can deny she was under his influence and subject to this violent outbursts, to suggest she had no control over this situation and simply tagged along for the ride is to suggest that she was just as much a victim of Bernardo as the two murder victims. Those versed in this case know much better and the role she may have played in the death of Kristen French (aka Kaitlyn Ross) is something we'll likely never know as there are those that suggest she was directly responsible for killing the second victim.The acting in this film is nothing notable, but given the nature of the roles played here it's wonder they found anyone to play these two to begin with. Because of the difficult subject matter I'll let the mediocre acting pass because for it to be much better would almost be like saying the actors immersed themselves perhaps a little too much in characters that most would find revolting and if not downright sickening.In the final analysis, 'Karla' is a film you'll only watch once and personally I don't think this was necessarily ever meant to be a movie for mass consumption either at the theatre or your local videostore. That being said, Canadians should have the right to see this movie for those so inclined vs. having the state tell us what is suitable or unsuitable for our viewing pleasure as there are movies out on the market FAR more disturbing about real life events than this flick could ever hope to be.
Karla's story.
posted on 25 Mar 2009Some of the people writing comments here are so ignorant!! Your saying "leave theses families alone" or "whoever made this movie should be ashamed" or "i will not give money to people who exploit this" Just answer this: Have you ever seen.. Titanic? Wolf Creek? The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? House of 1000 Corpses? Murder by Numbers? Zodiac? Notorious? Victory? The Strangers? Schindler's List? etc etc All of those movies are based on true stories. Most of them about people who have died. Did you think about their families before you saw those movies?Just because it's a Canadian story doesn't make it an exception to the rule. I'm not offended that this movie was made. If anything it shows us that we should always be careful no matter where we live. Think before you speak.
Moving and well made
posted on 23 Mar 2009An 8 only because this movie didn't need to be made. The world doesn't need another serial killer movie, true or not, but I am Canadian and remember this trial well, so I watched this movie (somewhat reluctantly).In the end I was impressed with Prepon's ability to show two very different and intensely complicated people (the wife consumed by the love she feels for an abusive monster of a husband and the parolee reliving her worst experiences) throughout this film. Collins was equally impressive in portraying the charming guy that everyone loves and then turning into a monster in an instant. In watching this film one can understand why it took such a toll on the actors. Whether this film is true to the actual crimes or not, at the very least it presents a powerful impression of Karla's side of the story.The film captures just a hint of the terror wrought upon the women Bernardo abused, in particular the girls he and Karla abducted, without resorting to conventional horror movie tactics. Not graphic, but infinitely more disturbing.
Respect the families.
posted on 17 Feb 2009I heard about this movie when it first came out, and decided that I would never pay money to see it, because no one should profit from what these monsters did to those girls. I was born in raised in the "sleepy" town where these girls were brutally murdered, and played literately steps away form the house they lived in... It's unsettling to hear people praising this movie. These things never should have happened, and they should never have been published for people to watch as entertainment. My heart is with the families of Leslie Mahaffy, Kristen French and Tammy Homolka. Karla should never have gotten to experience the warmth of her child's embrace, the families of the girls she helped murder will never have the same pleasure again.
A bad straight-to-DVD worthy film
posted on 11 Feb 2009Sadly, after all the hype, the finished product came off like a bad straight-to-DVD movie. The acting and direction is awful, and although I like Prepon, she was miscast here. She looks nothing like the real Homolka (the guy playing Bernardo looked like him a lot, but could not act). The script is pretty bad; it's another one of these "telling the stories and getting flashbacks of what we've just said" films. So we see her say "I met him at a diner" and then we see her meeting him at the diner. Pacing is not a trait the director is familiar with. The rest of the cast is really bad in this movie.And sadly, this movie paints Homolka more as a victim, which she wasn't. She did get a beating from Bernardo here and there, but she was part of the murders just as much as he was and deserves to rot in prison. This movie doesn't give you that impression, which is bad.I would love to see a real director like Fincher (who was great with Zodiac) do this story.
A chilling film, and not as gratuitous as some make it out to be
posted on 01 Dec 2008Paul Bernardo is a monster. There is no other way to look at it. He is sadistic, inhumane, despicable, demented and someone who should be tortured every day of his life for what he did to his victims, the ones we know about and the ones we don't. His sidekick Karla Holmolka, is just as evil. According to her, she was a willing participant in the crimes, but did not kill anyone. That doesn't make her much better of a person, but one can look at her circumstance and at least say that she wasn't quite as cold as he was.For those who don't know, Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka were two beautiful, young Canadians from the Niagara Falls area who were convicted of raping, torturing and dismembering two of their three victims in the early 90's. Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy are the two young high school girls that they kidnapped and dehumanized and then Tammy Holmolka was Karla's little sister who was drugged and then raped and then died of an apparent overdose. This story gripped Ontario and the rest of Canada for months in the early part of the 1990's. Paul Bernardo also became known as the Scarborough rapist and was convicted of some of those crimes as well. Holmolka finally turned on Bernardo when he beat her one too many times and she cut herself a nice little deal to serve only twelve years for her part of the crime. That is the Bernardo/Holmolka case in a nutshell.Here in Canada, this film has been protested and considered blasphemous towards the memories of French and Mahaffy. While I agree that it must be difficult for the families to relive the memories, I have to say that I believe in freedom of speech and that this film is important in it's own right. It is a sanitized but accurate retelling of the story that shocked Canadians and others around the world that followed it. I have followed the case with great interest since it happened and to see it on big screen was not only disturbing, it was like reliving a nightmare all over again. Does that mean it should be banned because the families don't want it on screen? The answer to that is a resounding NO! The strength of the film is the performance by Laura Prepon as Karla Holmolka. She seems to embody what Holmolka could have been like. She is attractive and evil all rolled into a salacious yet deviously disgusting débutante. The weakness of the film is that this is told from Holmolka's point of view. She begins to tell her story to the prison psychiatrist and of course what we get is her recollection of what happened. Is this the truth or is it just a fabrication to protect her already destroyed reputation? I look at it as being a 100% and unequivocal lie and a unforgivable plea for forgiveness. Holmolka a victim here? Hardly to the extent that she perpetuates herself to be. The evidence dictates that some of the crimes against the victims were crimes of jealousy, such as hair being cut off and so on. This was premeditated, psychosomatic, disturbing and most of all violent.I guess I shouldn't be here to digress into the case, this is after all a movie review, but it is hard to review the film without a passionate response to memories of the past.The film makers do a very commendable job of not going into soft core kiddie porn by keeping the killings off screen and the rapes to the youngsters also off screen. I give them full marks for not showing what truly happened as the Bernardo you see on screen is monster enough without showing what he truly did (google his name and his true crimes and actions will surface).I am glad a film that tells this story is out there. Like we say about Remembrance Day, Lest We Forget. I know these crimes will never be forgotten here in Canada, but now we have a film that shows us that monsters are not just in fantasy and horror films, they live right next door to you and you might just say hi to them every day. And because this is a landmark case in Canadian judicial history, a film like this doesn't come across as sensational, it comes across as necessary.8/10
a riveting true crime story
posted on 02 Oct 2008I've seen many true crime stories and read lots of books. i saw this film at the AFM late last year.i think what impressed me the most about this film was how real it seemed. the characters didn't seem like actors you were watching perform. it was like looking at the situation through a peep hole. It was creepy.the crimes were so senseless. the canadians went into shock over this crime...there were killings and many rapes.Paul Bernardo was already an active rapist when he met his wife-to-be, Karla Homolka. immediately upon meeting, they become involved in kinky sex fantasies. to the extent that karla will do anything in this area to please her fiancé Paul.It is one of the best and most believable true crime films i've seen.
i haven't seen the movie yet, BUT...
posted on 31 Aug 2008i came here to see what others thought, first... it continues to amaze me how people cannot distinguish between their feelings about an event and a well told story depicting this event... this has bothered me my whole life...how people will attribute the value 'good' to what they like and, of course, 'bad' to that which they don't... in the end, i'm sorry to relate, there IS no such thing as good or bad. aside from the subjective. which is, actually, arguing against my point. almost... lots (not all) of the people who argue against this movie seem to be commenting more about the event, itself, than the telling of the event's story... and, judging by how MOVED some of these people were(OK, so they were reVOLTED. but that means the movie was evocative. and that MUST be part of the movie makers/any storyteller's goal), i'd say the movie would seem to succeed on that level... i, of course, am not judging the actions committed. i'm commenting on storytelling... and that's what i want from the rest of the people who submit an opinion here. not that many of you will care or change your way of doing this... i know how much those people just need to see their words in print. like that's some sort of accomplishment these days... this isn't even TANgible 'ink'. i guess i can lead the horse to water but not make them ink... not at least to MY satisfaction... so, the summation...express feeling related to the movie and it's construction. not your feelings about the event itself. in case that wasn't clear from the preceding paragraphs... thanks.
Very compelling
posted on 13 Aug 2008this is a film that has exceptional acting. THe story tells us thru the activities of the young couple what made these deviants click. WHen I saw it, I couldn't believe how insightful and meaningful it was for a story about serial killers. There is NO gratuitous violence. Instead we see a very intelligent picture of this sick couple. There is a lot to learn from the film makers. As of today there has been a tremendous amount of publicity and much resistance. I don't see why. After seeing the film I think all of that is ridiculous. THis is a true life event...it happened and it should be filmed. I heartily applaud those who have bucked the system in Canada to get this film out there.
Disturbing, And A Real Departure For Prepon.
posted on 11 Aug 2008"Karla" centers around a young Canadian couple who meet and very quickly fall in love with each other: Paul Bernardo (Misha Collins) and Karla Homolka (Laura Prepon, of TV's "That '70s Show"). Unfortunately, Paul is mentally unstable, and finds pleasure in raping and sexually abusing women - something Karla wasn't aware of in the beginning. It begins on Christmas Eve when Karla and Paul end up accidentally killing Karla's younger sister while trying to make a sex video. While she is disturbed by the entire thing, she is still desperate for love (which she believes she has truly found), so Karla goes along with her husband's insatiable hunger for sexual violence and power, and takes part in it as well, as he kidnaps young women, makes sex tapes with them, tortures them, and ultimately murders them. Based on the real-life murders that occurred back in the early '90s, I found this true-crime flick a fairly disturbing film. I had read a little about the real crimes that happened before, finding that Homolka and Bernardo have been labeled Canada's most notorious murderers. While I know the basic details of the case, I'm still not all too familiar with the real Karla's involvement in the murders. In the film she is depicted as an abused woman, weakened by her husband's manipulative and violent personality. In fear of him, she does as he says, even if that means participating in horrific acts. The main reason she is seen as guilty in the murders is because of her "lack of empathy for the victims", and this is clearly shown throughout the film. The problem that I had here though is that I was confused as to how this film was trying to portray her - was it attempting to tell us that Karla was simply an abused, beaten-down person who was coaxed into these crimes? Or was she mentally unstable as well, and participated in the crimes by her own free will? To me it appeared the film was sympathetic towards her, but that's how I interpreted it. Whatever the real events may have consisted of, the storyline revolving around her character is fairly well constructed, whether it is fictionalized in the real Karla's favor or not. Good writing is present, and the story is told from Karla's point of view as she retells the events to a parole officer in hopes of making her way out of prison into the real world.The acting in the film was surprisingly good. Laura Prepon, who gained her fame playing the friendly red-headed girl-next-door in the television sitcom "That '70s Show", makes a large departure from her comedy roots, in a powerhouse performance as an extremely dark, and obscure character. She plays the character surprisingly well, and anyone who is immune to seeing her as the spunky, good-hearted Donna on "That '70s Show" will be quite surprised with this disturbing performance she delivers. The audience can sympathize with her to a certain extent (which is sometimes almost fully). Again, I am not sure if the real Karla was as innocent as the film portrays her. In the film however, she seems relatively normal, and clearly not as mad as her husband. Her neglect for human life though (and her passive following of her husband) is a sure sign of mental illness. Misha Collins is menacing as well as her abusive and murderous husband - he's a scary guy. The violence in the film is mostly implicated and not shown, but it's just as equally effective - the abuse and torture endured by these innocent girls is awful, and stomach churning when projected on screen. I can't imagine what the real victims endured, and in respect I'd like to send out my condolences to the families of the real victims. Overall, "Karla" is a disturbing film. Regardless of the real Karla Homolka's innocence or guilt in the actual crimes, this is still a really good crime film that holds itself up well. If you go into see this movie, expect a disturbing and uneasy experience. The story is fairly well told (even if the real facts may be distorted or changed for storytelling purposes), and it is an interesting film to watch, plus there are really good performances to be found. One thing I can say for sure is that it is much better than most of the straight-to-video true crime junk that you can find at your video store. 7/10.
A notorious crime case in Canada is filmed and released in Canada despite the Canaduan opposition
posted on 01 Aug 2008Of all the films I've seen on true crimes and serial killings, this one is one of the best. Not only does it tell the story of a sexually demented couple who embark on a course that will lead to accidental tragedy and then deliberate sexual torture and death, but there is also a very good psychological profile of the young couple, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. The couple are well known in Canada where Paul Bernardo is serving a life sentence in prison and his accomplice, Karla has been released last summer after serving 12 years in prison. The film tells the story so well, depicting the all of the events that lead to the couple on their destructive course. The actors were really quite good...I recognized Laura Prepon. The actor playing Paul Bernardo, I haven't seen before...but he was extremely impressively in a very difficult role. The direction and editing was top notch. Much care ands sensitivity has been given to this production.I recommend this film to everyone and especially the Canadians who might have resisted the idea of seeing the film.
Very Good
posted on 26 Jul 2008Couldn't be better...this is a dynamic and well made movie. The acting was good and the production very well done.I think the filmmakers took time to make this a very sensitive portrayal of a rough episode in Canadian history.Two young criminals...one was actually a long time rapist...meet and develop a kinky relationship right away. Karla Homolka, 18yrs old, will do anything for Paul Bernardo, 21 years old. This liaison eventually leads to some sad situations where the couple commit some horrific crimes and are in complete denial about it. The amazing part of the story is that the couple are young, beautiful and healthy.....and are complete psychopaths.I think the film is very well balanced in presenting the true story of what happened in this cozy 'burb of Toronto.
Even amateurs could have made a better film
posted on 24 Jun 2008If you were expecting some insight into the mind of Canada's most notorious female murderer, don't expect much from this film. This isn't like watching Charlize Theron eerily transform into Aileen Wuornos. Although Laura Prepon does her best, she lacks a proper script, a competent director, and a sufficient budget. After seeing credible news documentaries and that creepy interview Homolka gave to Radio-Canada in the summer of 2005 upon her release, Prepon seems to be playing someone completely different, a victim of circumstance and abuse rather than someone who willingly made some very poor choices and destroyed many lives. Where are the accounts of the real Homolka complaining about her father's grief over the death of her sister Tammy (who died as a result of Homolka's involvement) and the brief return she made shortly after her arrest to her St. Catharine's home wearing a schoolgirl's uniform, when she was more concerned about having the police divvy up her belongings from her husband Paul's than the fact that she was entering the same house where the rapes and murders occurred. By painting an obviously inaccurate portrait of Homolka, Joel Bender discredits his own film. At least in Monster, we see Wuornos' difficulty in escaping her environment, but we also see her responsibility in making some terrible decisions. By softening Homolka, we don't struggle with the public's perception of her as evil because her portrait just seems false.The look of the film reminds me of a standard '80s television crime drama, which is a little tired, but not unattractive. However, the transitions between scenes appear clumsy. Misha Collins also tries his best as Paul Bernardo, but the script lets him descend too easily and quickly to raving lunatic. Collins' Bernardo screams "player" and "creep" from his first appearance. The real Bernardo is baby-faced and has a blank, innocent stare.I was warned against seeing this film, so of course, I had to see it. I went in having only read a brief interview with Bender stating that the story would stick to recorded events and that the ultimate verdict regarding Homolka's guilt or innocence would be left up to viewers. Trust me, this film does take a stance and points the finger of blame squarely on Bernardo. Sanctifying Homolka reminds of that episode of "The Simpsons" where Mr. Burns writes his autobiography and paints himself not as Machiavelli's successor but as the world's hero.
An Inaccurate and Poorly Produced Film
posted on 29 May 2008Having lived and followed this case in Toronto, I am disappointed with this film which is both inaccurate and dull. What is a film supposed to do? Inform? Entertain? This film does neither; the case of Karla Homolka and her accomplice, Paul Bernardo, is a fascinating series of events that exposed the incompetence of the provincial police and justice system. For years Bernardo raped and killed without coming close to being caught. The only reason he was finally charged for the murders was due to Karla's testimony and that came at the price of a plea bargain that infuriated a normally subdued nation. The film decides to focus instead on the misplaced suggestion that Karla, as an abused spouse, was compelled to participate in the torture and murders. How this can be plausible stretches the imagination considering she appeared to enjoy herself in the videos (entered into evidence) and then continued this behaviour for years and with 3 different girls. There is a reason why no one in Canada would touch this film; the nation sympathizes with the victims' families and the reasons for making this film remain dubious. American Psycho (based on a book that allegedly inspired these acts) is a fictional account that made a social commentary on the yuppie decadence of the 80s with Christian Bale giving a strong performance. This film says nothing of importance on perhaps the most notorious case in that nation's history. As far as entertainment, well, you have to be careful, these are true events and must be handled differently – one must be responsible, otherwise it comes across as simply cheap exploitation. As far as the technical aspects, it is a poorly produced work with lower standards than a regular HBO offering; Director Joel Bender captures nothing of the horror that this home must have been as a place of torture and death day after day. The acting by Laura Prepon is simply uninteresting, if not absent; through the latter part of the film she is almost like a zombie resigned to her life. I want to know what she was thinking when she was in the washroom doing her hair and make up speaking in a friendly manner with the victim that she had just kidnapped and assaulted. But, alas, this scene does not appear in the film. It would have been an interesting character study. A scene from the court transcripts that does make it to the screen is the moment that one of the victims finally defies Bernardo and fights back refusing to acquiesce to his demands. "There are some things worth dying for", she says and then, according to the court testimony, she is murdered. However, the film depicts her as actually retracting her courageous statement. A despicable artistic license that insults the victim. This is a film that should be viewed as a cautionary tale of how not to make films.
One cute couple...one really sick combo
posted on 14 Aug 2009It was one of those films that once you start watching it you can't leave, even if you want to, even if you know the end of the story. even if what they did is so repulsive it has shaken a country to it's core and continues to do so.I couldn't believe that the producers would make a decent film version of this story. But they really did. Laura Prepon is so good as the conflicted Karla. Misha Collins is absolutely astonishing as Paul Bernardo. I commend them both. I don't want to give the plot away, but I think most people know what happened to this couple....but if not...see the film. You'll agree that it is so well done.By the way, I noticed on the credits: Brandon Routh? Isn't he the new superman? KSH