The morning of 8 February, 1977, Anthony G. 'Tony' Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a 'dead man’s wire' from the trigger to the Hall’s head. This is the true story of the stand off that took the world by storm as Tony demanded $5 million, no charges or prosecution, and a personal apology from the Halls for cheating him out of what he was 'owed'.
The Garden Cinema View:
There's a lot of fun to be had with this well-crafted riff on Dog Day Afternoon. Based on a bewildering true story, it's a quintessential David vs. Goliath tale of an eccentric, exploited borrower who kidnaps a mortgage company owner's son at gunpoint. Despite the gravity of the situation, the film never becomes truly high-stakes - largely due to Bill Skarsgård's darkly humorous yet deeply truthful performance.
Where the film really thrives is in its evocation of late-70s Indianapolis: the rising social inequalities, local DJ culture, and old-school police methods all feel authentic. Unapologetically inspired by 70s moral thrillers like The Conversation and Network, it holds its own without becoming mere homage, aided by top-level filmmaking craft and a fantastic jazz soundtrack that perfectly captures the era's mood.
Gus Van Sant and his cast - including a hilarious Al Pacino cameo, an excellent Dacre Montgomery as the entrapped hostage, and a spirited Myha'la as an ambitious reporter - are truly on top form. This is a thoroughly enjoyable watch!
