More often than not it's the true stories that really shock and mystify. Something about the fact that said events did indeed happen in cases where one might be inclined to reply "You can't make this shit up!" Or can you? Walter Stokman's documentary, 'Based On A True Story' is an interesting endeavor to say the least. Stokman attempts to chronicle the true to life events that inspired Sidney Lumet's Oscar-winning 1975 film, Dog Day Afternoon. Whether or not 'Based On A True Story' turned out the way Stokman had intended is debatable, however, in the end, it's a quick, to the point entertaining piece of filmmaking, if not a great documentary unto itself.

The man behind the crime? John Wojtowitz. The crime? Robbery of a Chase bank in Brooklyn, 1972. Wojtowitz and his accomplice (Sal, a young man he had apparently met just prior) botched robbery caused a hostage driven 14-hour stand off that resulted in Sal's death. The motive for the crime? Wojtowitz wanted enough money to pay for a sex change operation for his newly wedded wife/husband.

(Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Film Society)

You can't make this shit up.

A good portion of Stokman's piece is made up of interviews with Wojtowitz's ex-wife, bank tellers who were on duty the day of the stand off, along with police and FBI. Most remarkable are the in depth accounts that these subjects convey. Stokman's attempt at lining up the actual events next to those in the film is mostly successful. However, the lack of participation of Wojtowitz himself stands to be the real missing piece of the puzzle. Stokman spends a large amount of time trying to gain Wojtowitz's favor through phone calls and a few in person visits, however recollections (live or otherwise) from Wojtowitz prove to be sparse to none. What we do have however are some entertaining phone calls in which Wojtowitz pretends to be multiple characters and makes increasingly more ridiculous demands (money is of course at the top of his list). A choice montage of stills of Wojtowitz at a science museum provides an uncomfortable chuckle or two.

As Stokman says in the documentary, he felt like he was negotiating for hostages himself with Wojtowitz and that's exactly how it comes across. A good deal of the film becomes the cat and mouse between Stokman and Wojtowitz and at times, it feels like we're watching two films. Still, with vintage interview and movie footage mixed in with current interviews and anecdotes, Stokman has crafted an immensely entertaining piece that never overstays its welcome.