Point Of Origin Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
When fire becomes an obsession... truth becomes stranger than fiction.
Based on a true story, this twisting psychological thriller focuses on a serial arsonist whose terrifying six-year crime spree is juxtaposed with the increasingly desperate efforts of investigators to bring him to justice. Charged with investigating many of these fires is Captain John Orr (Ray Liotta), a legendary figure in the Glendale Fire Department, possessed with an uncanny ability to pinpoint the origins of a fire, as well as the devices by which an arsonist may have carried out the crime. Through a fingerprint left at the scene of one crime and a series of surprise revelations focusing on arsons set in several towns, the task force is able to close in on an unlikely suspect. . . and ultimately crack the case.
| Ray Liotta | John Orr/Aaron |
| John Leguizamo | Keith Lang |
| Colm Feore | Mike Matassa |
| Cliff Curtis | Mike Camello |
| Ling Bai | Wanda Orr |
| Illeana Douglas | Kate |
| Ronny Cox | Chief Gray |
| Trent Gill | Marty |
| Ingrid Rubio | Ambria |
| Ryan B. Adams | ATF Agent Ryan |
| Graham Beckel | Clarence Hyde |
| Mike Camello | Glen Lucero |
| Joe Colligan | Lawyer |
| Shashawnee Hall | Lt. Tom Hines |
| Marshall Manesh | Store Manager |
| Newton Thomas Sigel |
5.80 out of 10 (537 votes)
Visitor Reviews
The Ultimate TV Movie
posted on 15 Jul 2009Well the IMDB crowd didn't seem to think much of it but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel that in many ways this HBO production based on a stranger-than-fiction arson investigation is the best that small screen productions can be. However, beware aspiring filmmakers, it doesn't follow the classic Sid Field story arc.The movie was directed by one of the finest cinematographers in recent times; just check his IMDB profile-- http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sigel,+Newton+Thomas. I look forward to seeing his future works.If the story catches your interest, you might want to track down a NOVA special entitled "Hunt for the Serial Arsonist", and compare the screenplay to the facts of the case including interviews with investigator John Orr.
somewhat disappointing from the book
posted on 09 Jan 2009Having read the book first, I was a bit disappointed in the film. However, I gave it a 3 because I thought the photography and story were well done.
This is a TRUE story of man who dreamed of being a police officer, which the film did not touch on. When he failed the police exams, he became a firefighter, but his super-ego was such that he was never satisfied "only" fighting a fire. When a job came available for an arson investigator, he applied, and thus began his career of starting sensational fires up and down the coast of California, resulting in the death of at least 7 people.
The film shows various fires attribututed to John Orr, his interactions in the fire department, and the task team that was formed to catch him. It was scary to see how those who viewed this Man as a friend and asset had a difficult time believing he was guilty of these horrendous crimes.
There were only minor scenes of the two court cases, with the verdits shown on TV shows. The amount of fires linked to him, and the extent of property damage, etc was never mentioned.
Although interestering enough, the book was so rich, and the film lacked the basic problem - that John could not deal with being rejected from the police force, then created an environment where he would be seen as the "hero." I really didn't get the feel of "being there" that I would have liked to have in this kind of film. Not a total disappointment, but not recommended if you've read the book.
Interesting
posted on 12 Sep 2008Fairly diverting procedural based on a real arson investigation. A terrible score and some awfully strange direction that doesn't really suit the story is kept from ruining the film by a compelling performance by Ray Liotta. A veritable cornicopia of actors who should be more famous than they are, it also features John Leguizamo and Cliff Curtis. Don't adjust your schedule to see it, but if its ever on, give it a c
Well acted and directed, with a plot twist
posted on 21 Aug 2008This film was interesting to watch on a few levels. It was well acted and directed, with a plot twist. The direction is unique in style and conveys the plots ideas well. The director uses bright and dull colors to show what the characters are thinking. He also uses sound to bring the audience into an arsonist's mind. I did miss the first ten minutes of the movie, but from what I saw this movie will keep the viewer interested and curious.Ray Liotta also shines as a highly intelligent and shady Arson detective. The supporting cast does a good job keeping the tension and the enigmatic qualities of Point of Origin going. This movie could have made the theaters if there was just one more big actor in it. It is a lot better than many "theater worthy" films that I have seen in the past. Overall I'd say watch it, over all of those carbon copy movies that you see at the video store.
It drags
posted on 28 Jun 2008Rented this movie expecting a thriller. At the outset, I knew the possibility that the arsonist could be either of the 2 firemen, and in that respect, the film did its job, not revealing the reality of the situation until the very end. So I won't give it away either.But the special effects cinematography where the fires burn in fast-motion reverse while John Orr tries to locate the "point of origin" was overused. I mean, it would be quite interesting to figure out how an arson investigator actually can figure this out, you know? Instead, we get Hollywood special effects in place of detective work.The acting is serviceable. Liotta is not one of my favorites--he's a monochromatic actor. Leguizamo, on the other hand, is entirely convincing and his energy is infectious. Liotta never really looks too intelligent in any of his roles, and he has a whiny voice and desperate looking appearance. He's better at bad guys.The first half of the movie is watchable, since we don't have a clue who the mysterious "arsonist" is. But the second half drags quite a bit, with no arson-specific details, just an unfaithful husband, to bring our suspicions to bear. What we get is one little detail, and for a week, that seems to be enough to hang some guy over. But that detail is brought in too early, and so the rest of the movie is downhill.The worst part of this movie is the trick it played by introducing the "real" arsonist--showing his face and everything--and even showing him commit a particularly murderous act, only for the "plot twist" in the end to say "fooled ya!" It was cheap and inconsistent. There was no accounting for the apartment fire with the woman who was tied up--we never see the "real" arsonist with her, or why he would do that--what we see is a fictional young red-headed man, who would have every reason to do that. So that didn't make sense, but worked enough to fool me into thinking that they still didn't catch their guy. But that was cheap writing.Skip it. Unless you are an arsonist.
Very well done!!
posted on 17 May 2008This was a very good movie. The filming techniques were very cool. The ending sort of left you guessing....was John Orr(Ray Liotta) guilty? Some of us thought so, others said he was definitely "set up." We highly recommend this movie to those who enjoy reading a great mystery novel. It's laid out like that only better because you also get all the awesome visual effects!
Stretches credibility .......
posted on 22 Sep 2007"Point of Origin" may or may not take liberties with the facts. It is supposedly based on a true story, however it definitely takes liberties with the audience. What is shown to be real, is then flip flopped in the audiences mind to justify an ending that was not quite satisfying. Ray Liotta gives a good performance as do the supporting cast, and as entertainment the film succeeds. It does leave some questions that nag at the viewer, which drags the total movie down a notch. The rapid fire effects are another negative as they become redundant after awhile. My conclusion is that this could have been a better movie if it played on a more level field with the audience, and the fire effects were toned down. Marginally recommended. - MERK
Surprisingly Good
posted on 06 Jul 2007This one took me by surprise.. I didn't have high expectations but since Ray Liotta was in it, I thought I'd give it a look. This was a very well done film with some great acting & inspired direction. I think this is based on a true incident which made it even more compelling. Anyway, you should try to catch this one if you can. You won't be disappointed.
Fire cop or fire bug?
posted on 22 Jun 2007"Point of Origin" takes the viewer into the life of a workaholic top Los Angeles arson investigator (Liotta) who is married with children, having some extracurricular activity on the side, writing a book, and investigating a serial arson case. Jeesh, talk about burning the candle at both ends! On the upside, this HBO product has a promising plot with some twisty-turny stuff. However, pinched at the end, fraught with plot holes, and cluttered with surreal visual effects, "Point of Origin" is likely to ignite little interest beyond that of the wayward channel surfer.
Stlyzed entertaining thriller that is based on a real incident.
posted on 10 Mar 2007John Orr (Ray Liotta) is a veteran arson investigator, who's completely professional at his job and he has an sixth sense for placing the origin of suspecting fires. His loyal partner Keith Lang (John Leguizamo) learns from the best from Orr and Lang has joined the task force in the search of the killer. But some of Orr's colleagues and others thinks that Orr knows too much of these crimes... all too-well. To his friends, family members and colleagues that Orr might be the arsonist.Directed by Newton Thomas Sigel made an terrific, fast paced thriller that is based loosely on a true story. Liotta and Leguizamo gives strong performances in their roles. This movie has an top supporting cast like Colm Feore, Cliff Curtis, Bai Ling, Illeana Douglas, Ronny Cox, Sophia Bush and Rachel Bilson. This movie was made for TV at HBO Films. Sigel's picture is very stylized and it looks like an theatrical movie as well.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also includes an fairly interesting running commentary track by the director and cast & crew information. Sigel's film is very entertaining.... he keeps everything tight, over the top and short. Certainly worth seeing. (****/*****).
Hard to believe it was THAT good
posted on 27 Jan 2007At first glance it's just a movie of the week. It's true that it was one of HBO's original movies, but to call it a movie of the week would be to limit it to a group of movies with hackneyed plots, weak actors, and clueless directors. Point of Origin is so much more than those terrible excuses for entertainment.The story concerns an arson investigator (Ray Liotta) and his protege (John Leguizamo) who are investigating a particularly nasty string of arson fires. Those of you who remember the news of the incident this film is based on might see the story coming, but most people will not simply because it is too outlandish to be true. But it IS.What grabbed me most in this movie were the two lead performances by Leguizamo and Liotta as well as a directorial vision that is on the verge of brilliance. Every creative decision made in this movie had a very specific goal. Pay close attention to the palette of colors used. Much of the movie is made up completely of black, white, and orange. Special effects are used to great effect in putting the audience and the characters "inside" the fires they are investigating. As far as TV movies go, this one was truly refreshing.
Very different....(in a good way)
posted on 11 Jan 2007Very unique! I liked the idea of the main charachter writing a book about the true events. Obviously he was slightly PSHYCO....(Ray Liotta was of course awesome in this part) It held my interest to the very end. The two young actors that played his daughter and her boyfriend were very good. One of HBO's better flicks.
One of HBO's worst films but still a good time filler.
posted on 16 Dec 2006Point of Origin is about a man who starts fires. Ray Liotta is a arcinost and we see some wierd but great visuals of him imagining how the fires start. However, he the other arcinosts believe he started the fires. John Leguizamo plays his partner who tries to prove John (Liotta) did not start the fires. Thats about the whole story. Nothing too exciting. The characters are undeveloped. Ray Liotta's character, we only get a glimpse of his home life and it is so briefly shown that you wonder why they bothered with even those scenes. The music score was aweful, the worst I have ever heard. It made me cringe at times hearing such aweful sounds. THe cinematography is so overdone that at times it is unwatchable. Also, what was up with Illeana Douglas? She has a fairly small part but she is in it enough where we should know who she is but we never know. OK plot, bad characters, BAD cimematography, and BAD BAD BAD score but for some reason it is still watchable but very forgettable. It is suprising to see a movie like this join the list of HBO movies. For sure, this will be on the bottom of the HBO list of movies.
The movie is based on a true story
posted on 04 Nov 2006(Slight Spoilers) Deep and penetrating film about the mind of a serial arsonist and how it works with a really great and controlled performance by Ray Liotta as LAFD top arson inspector John Orr.Checking out a number of arson's in and around the L.A metropolitan area inspector Orr comes to the conclusion that the fires are the work of a single arsonist who's playing deadly a cat and mouse game with the fire and police departments to feed his enormous ego. As the fires get more and more out of hand with not only burning down stores and houses but also causing fatalities the ATF gets involved in the search for the elusive firebug. This cause friction with the L.A Fire Department who feel that the ATF is nothing but a bunch of Federal bureaucrats who will only get in the way and hamper their investigation in capturing the arsonist. It slowly comes to mind with the finding of a long forgotten seven year old fingerprint, found at a crime/arson scene, that the arsonist is non other then one of those men in the L.A Fire Department. The LAFD and police as well as the ATF have to do now is not tip off the fireman arsonist to the knowledge that they have a tail on him and are planing to catch him in the act the next time he goes into action. Very good psychological study that's based on a true story with, besides Ray Liotta, John Leguizamo as Keith Lang extremely effective as Orr's assistant who helps unearth the evidence that put the elusive firebug out in the open. This leads to one of the most unbelievable surrealistic shoot outs ever put on film even though that entire action was just a figment of the crazed arsonists imagination.The arsonist who, in disguise, is always at the scene of his crime and takes great pleasure in what he did so much so that his huge ego causes him to give the authorities all the evidence that they need to put him away for life. Writing the "Great American Novel" about the fires that he caused, a work of fiction of course, reveals to the ATF and his fellow members of the L.A Fire Department just who he is and convicts him later in court by proving that he knew things about the fires he wrote in his book that only the arsonist could have possibly known. The arsonist is also a heel when it comes to his marriage with him constantly cheating on his wife by having an affair with a fellow Fire Department worker which in the end has both, wife and lover, see just what an unfeeling selfish and unstable, as well as criminal, person he is. Very unusual movie that has a lot of dream-like sequences in it to make it's point and even though your kept in the dark at first to who the arsonist is he's revealed with more then half of the movie still left. It's for that reason that makes the film "Point of Origin" that much more interesting. You don't have to figure who he is but you get to see what makes him tick and how he's trapped into tripping himself up by his fellow firefighters.
Disappointing
posted on 07 Jul 2006**** Spoilers **** This movie started out well and was enjoyable until the final 15 minutes. They were convinced John Orr was the arsonist but didn't fill the audience in on exactly how they knew that. And, this other character who was also a fireman was never explained. Another reviewer said all the fires were done via a time delay device but that wasn't what was portrayed when 'the fireman' broke in and tied up the woman in her bathroom. He started the fire then left while the supposed arsonist was making out with his mistress. I was totally confused and the final scene was really crazy. It was if John Orr had a psychic moment where he knew they were coming and imagined how he'd handle it. Yet he did nothing when they actually showed up. There were good parts to this movie but if you are bothered by huge, gaping plot holes, you'll struggle to enjoy the jail scene because your brain will be trying to fill in the holes.
Well Done look at true story of the Glendale Arsonist.
posted on 30 May 2006Much better than most TV and Cable-TV produced movies, with some very nice cinematic stylings.If you know nothing about the actual events, this will be more enjoyable and more interesting than if you already know the story. There are certain plot points that obscure some of the fire-setting activities and create suspense and drama that won't exist if you already know the story.Even if you know basically what happened, it's interesting to see the events unfold and how those involved discovered the truth about the multitude of arson fires set around the Glendale and Los Angeles areas.No spoilers here to ruin it for you, and it is recommended highly by this viewer.
if anyone can help me out ???
posted on 26 Apr 2006just asking does anyone know where i can get a copy of this movie at???if anyone can give me a link or other ???would be totally appreciated and helpful???cause wants to see this movie,but not sure of where i can get a copy of it?one of my relatives is in this movie and I'm curious on what she did in this movie and how she did as well..she has done some other movies...just not a lot of them. i guess it be curiosity on how things went in this movie for her???i was shocked to find her name out on this site...and saw name of this movie..so know i want to find it,so i can see it and give her a opinion on how she did and looked in it???
fire bad
posted on 22 Nov 2005mesmerizing and great. I fell for this movie because the story was interesting, people, arsonists, setting fires and Liotta and Leguizamo have to find out who is doing this. from start to finish its grand and well directed. for fans of the 2 stars or who like fire movies. based on actual events
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Good Story that caught me off guard
posted on 27 Jul 2009Reviewer: Edward M. Smith from Glen Burnie, md United States I knew absolutely nothing about this story before seeing the movie. The film began and when it said that it was based off true events, I almost turned it off. What caught my attention was the visual portrayer of the arson investigation... after that it was the story and the performances of the actors themselves. Ray Liotta stars as arson investigator John Orr. He, along with John Leguizamo, are trying to figure out who is starting all these arson-based fires. John Orr is well regarded as the chief arson inspector and if anyone can find out, he can. So the film plays out like a cat and mouse game. You are trying to figure out what is motivating the person who is setting these fires. What makes the story a bit more compelling is that, during the 90's, at least three firefighters were arrested for arson. After watching the DVD, I found myself going over the film again. I figured, since it was based on a true story the DVD would have some interesting extras. I was disappointed, therefore could not give it a 5. Nevertheless I did find the story fascinating.