Prisoners
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard,
Maria
Bello, and Viola Davis
There was a scene in Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners” where a
grieving father sat helplessly inside his pick-up truck. The reflection of a
maze of tree branches blurs his image enough to hide the emotion displayed on
his face. This subtle, though riveting, picture portrays a man seemingly in control
of his life that is upended and thrown into chaos by the abduction of his child. "Prisoners" capably portrays the consequence of desperate choice and crafts an enthralling
and meticulously paced film.
It’s Thanksgiving afternoon and Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman)
and his family are walking through the neighborhood to spend some time with
friends. As Keller, an over prepared survivalist, looks for his daughter Anna
and her friend Joy, he realizes after searching that they are missing. A detective named Loki, an
overzealous type, leads the investigation and is directed towards a mysterious RV
that was lingering around the community. A young man (Paul Dano), who was
driving the RV, is the primary suspect but is released after lack of evidence
is found. Keller, knowing wholeheartedly that his daughter is alive, kidnaps
the young man and tortures him for information. Investigating every tip and person
of interest, including Keller, Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) uncovers a mystery that
holds more past secrets than expected.
There was an unsettling quality established early on in this
film. The opening scene was a slow camera pull away in the middle of the
thicket that revealed a deer being hunted by Keller and his son. The “stalking”
perspective was utilized subtly throughout the film with the same dominating
presence. In one disturbing instance the two young girls climbed onto the
parked RV only to be watched from a small window in the same ominous manner.
Cinematographer Roger A. Deakins emphasized the gloom of winter, accentuating
the grey and blue colors that compliment the somber and mysterious layers of the dread filled narrative.
The script, written by Aaron Guzikowski, was a crime investigation tale but also a character
study. The mysterious qualities were artfully balanced, giving the viewer
enough clues but also kept certain elements hidden without any hint of
explanation. This aspect of the narrative was where Deakins’s photography
shined, framing objects and characters with meticulous form. The character
study, that of which tries to detail pain, sorrow, despair, anger, and numerous
other emotions, was successful in moments but also complaisant. While Jackman
and Gyllenhaal both gave solid, persuasive performances the capable skills of
the remaining cast, some of whom were also experiencing a wide range of
emotions, were only touched upon. Though the minor lack of development was only realized in the final
act when the narrative shifts from character perspective to the discovering
conclusion of the unknown.
“Prisoners” was the
kind of film one could get lost in. Denis Villeneuve is a talented director
and proves it throughout this film. The pacing of the film was in an almost
time halted state, allowing the search for the two missing girls to feel
desperate and hopelessly inevitable. Villeneuve displayed the powerless effect
of the situation while showing the consequence of impetuous choice and
deliberate indecision those inundated with emotions can make. There were
some predictable moments and the slow moving style of the story made the film run just a little long,
however the film was still engrossing and will keep your attention captured till the
end.
Monte’s Rating
4.00 out of 5.00
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