| Blue Caprice | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alexandre Moors |
| Screenplay by | R.F.I. Porto |
| Story by | Alexandre Moors R.F.I. Porto |
| Produced by | Isen Robbins Aimee Schoof Ron Simons Stephen Tedeschi Brian O'Connell Kim Jackson Will Rowbotham |
| Starring | Isaiah Washington Tequan Richmond Joey Lauren Adams Tim Blake Nelson Leo Fitzpatrick Cassandra Freeman |
| Cinematography | Brian O'Carroll |
| Edited by | Gordon Grinberg Alexandre Moors |
| Music by | Colin Stetson Sarah Neufeld |
Production companies | SimonSays Entertainment Stephen Tedeschi Production Aiko Films Intrinsic Value Films |
| Distributed by | Sundance Selects |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $93,995[1] |
Blue Caprice is a 2013 Americanindependentcrime film directed byAlexandre Moors, and based on the 2002D.C. sniper attacks. The film starsIsaiah Washington andTequan Richmond as the perpetrators of the attacks,John Allen Muhammad andLee Malvo, respectively, although the two are only referred to by their first names. It recounts how Lee, a lone teenager, was drawn into the shadow of John, who served as a father figure to him, and how they eventually began their killing spree.
Blue Caprice also starsJoey Lauren Adams,Tim Blake Nelson andLeo Fitzpatrick.[2] It was written by R.F.I. Porto. It debuted at the2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2013.[3]
Lee moves to the United States fromAntigua by himself; his mother cannot move due to her job. As a lone teenager, Lee comes in contact withJohn. John is living with his three children: one daughter and two sons. After spending some time together, John and Lee move toTacoma, Washington, alongside John's girlfriend Angela. John starts introducing Lee as his son.
John meets his old-time friend, Ray, while going for a jog with Lee. Ray introduces Lee to guns. Lee turns out to be a natural marksman. One day, John tries to contact his children inMaryland but is unsuccessful due to arestraining order. Frustrated by this, John comes home and has an argument with Angela over a petty issue; Angela throws John and Lee out of her house. John and Lee move in with Ray, his wife, and their toddler son. Lee discovers a cache of firearms in Ray's basement.
Gradually, John brainwashes an impressionable Lee into committing murders. Lee commits his first murder by shooting a neighbor point-blank in the head. John encourages Lee to commit more murders in order to pay back the favor of bringing Lee to the United States. Lee commits his next murder by shooting a pub owner in the back and robbing him. With the robbery money, John and Lee buy a dark blueChevrolet Caprice Classic. John teaches Lee how to drive and modifies the car's rear, adding a small makeshiftgun port to the trunk.
In October 2002, John and Lee conduct a siege of terror on theWashington, D.C. metropolitan area. Using aBushmaster XM-15 rifle fired from the Caprice's gun port, they commit a series of random shootings in public places for two weeks, plunging the public into fear and hysteria. TheMontgomery County Police Department and theFederal Bureau of Investigation start investigating the attacks. One night, the two park in a no-parking spot to sleep; law enforcement, having caught up to them, surround their car and apprehend them, ending their ten-month-long crime spree, which caused 17 deaths and 10 injuries.
Five months later, Lee is held in prison. He is visited by a lawyer who tries to question him about the motives of the random killings. Lee remains stubborn and asks, "Where is my father?" as police officers escort him back to his cell.
After premiering at Sundance, IFC'sSundance Selects acquired domestic distribution rights.[4]
Blue Caprice received generally positive reviews from critics. The film has a score of 83% onRotten Tomatoes based on 84 reviews, with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The critical consensus states "Smart, sobering, and quietly chilling,Blue Caprice uses its horrible true-life story – and some solid performances – to underscore the dreadfulbanality of evil."[5] The film also has a score of 76 out of 100 onMetacritic based on 25 critics.[6]
The film was given alimited release in North America in 36 theaters and grossed $93,995 in its entire run.[1]
In October 2013, it was announced that publisherRed Giant Entertainment would producePublic Enemies, a graphic novel based on the film, to be written by the film's screenwriter, R.F.I. Porto.[7] The comic was never released.
