Saddled with stodgy direction and a lackluster screenplay, THE STAND OFF takes volatile material about a hostage crisis and dulls it down. The entire film seems to be one unending establishing shot for a drama that never really begins.
Disguised as a priest, ex-convict David Maltby (Stephen Shellen) seizes control of the Bahamian Consul's office. He has a dual purpose: to ensure the release of his former cellmate Tom Ennis (Martin Julien); and to shame his city into opening a homeless shelter.
As the media and police descend on the building's perimeter, levelheaded Consul Jane Briscoe (Djanet Sears) dickers with her troubled captor, whose desperate act is the...
Released:
1994
Rated:
NR
Length:
92 mins