Slowly, but surely, I am catching up on writing these reviews! Below is the review of
Prisoners, soon to be followed by a review of
Don Jon. And look for reviews of
Gravity and
Captain Phillips coming soon as well!
September 20th
Prisoners
Box Office:
$21 million opening wknd
$59 million domestic total
$102 million worldwide total
Review: How far would you go to save someone you love? It is a common question explored throughout cinema. Often the subsequent discussion is exciting, like in the thriller
Taken. Sometimes, though, answering such a question allows us to truly explore the desperation of loss and blurred lines of morality, like in the thriller
Prisoners. It's not a fun exploration by any means, but the film is two and a half hours of riveting drama that mostly flies by so quickly you hardly realize how long you've been tensely sitting on the edge of your seat, clutching the armrests.
In
Prisoners,
Hugh Jackman (
Les Miserables) plays a father, Keller Dover, who proves he is willing to do most anything to find his kidnapped daughter. He's a tortured soul, obsessed with saving his child regardless of the bureaucracy of the law or the doubts of his family and friends. Dover, driven to the edge of his sanity, abducts a seemingly mentally-handicapped man (
Paul Dano [
Ruby Sparks]) whom he believes took his daughter. The extent to which Dover is willing to go to make his captive talk is a plotline running parallel to the investigation of Detective Loki, portrayed by
Jake Gyllenhaal (
End of Watch), which continues to discover contradicting evidence as to the guilt of Dover's prisoner.
Prisoners is a harrowing and enrapturing film, particularly for the brilliant story from
Aaron Guzikowski (
Contraband), but also because of the acting prowess of Jackman, Dano, and Gyllenhaal. Jackman's Dover is in true despair, while Dano's character is at times chillingly detached and at other times in tragic fear and agony. The film is filled with other stars who contribute as well, including Oscar-winner
Melissa Leo (
The Fighter), Oscar nominees
Viola Davis (
The Help) and
Terrence Howard (
Hustle & Flow), and Golden Globe nominee
Maria Bello (
A History of Violence).
Overall, director
Denis Villeneuve (
Incendies) has crafted a powerhouse film for his U.S. debut, blending gripping drama with engaging mystery and creeping dread. As I said earlier, the film was relatively quick-paced, but does hit somewhat of a momentum bump towards the end before reaching its gut-wrenching climax. But
Prisoners is really a dark, yet interesting and thought-provoking movie; definitely one of the best of the year.
The Final Word: 4/4 - Go buy a ticket, the poster, & the DVD.
September 27th
Don Jon
Box Office:
$8.6 million opening wknd
$24 million domestic total
$29.6 million worldwide total
Review: Coming Soon!
The Final Word: 3.5/4 - Go buy a ticket (if you're okay with some pretty graphic moments [it's about a guy with a porn addiction, so...]).
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