Watching Robert Culp display barely contained anger is mesmerizing. Whether he's playing a murderer who must endure repeated visits from Lt. "Columbo", or, as in the case of this ABC "movie of the week", a decent man pushed to the breaking point by rich sociopaths, it's always thrilling to watch his patience being tested. You see the anger building in the way he clenches his jaw. The slow, deep breaths he takes that indicate how his patience is being tested. And, of course, that unmistakable edge in his tone- a clear warning that if he's pushed...one...inch...further...
Yes, Robert Culp was a perfect choice for the role of Dr. Jim Kiler, a man who finds that the police and court system are ineffective in protecting his family from harassment by a group of privileged young thugs. Some might rightly disapprove that in the end Kiler solves his problem by giving in to his primal urges. As this movie is allegedly based on a true story, one cannot help but wonder if the incidents really did cease after he took his revenge- and if there were really no legal reprisals in response to his vigilantism? But beyond questions of it's accuracy, this is quite an engrossing movie with a memorable performance from it's star, and there's something immensely satisfying in watching the good doctor pay his tormentors a late night visit.
Yes, Robert Culp was a perfect choice for the role of Dr. Jim Kiler, a man who finds that the police and court system are ineffective in protecting his family from harassment by a group of privileged young thugs. Some might rightly disapprove that in the end Kiler solves his problem by giving in to his primal urges. As this movie is allegedly based on a true story, one cannot help but wonder if the incidents really did cease after he took his revenge- and if there were really no legal reprisals in response to his vigilantism? But beyond questions of it's accuracy, this is quite an engrossing movie with a memorable performance from it's star, and there's something immensely satisfying in watching the good doctor pay his tormentors a late night visit.