An amazingly thought provoking film...a commentary on man's inhumanity to one another.

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 2003)

This movie deals with some major, thought provoking, and potentially life changing issues. What causes one person (Dave) to be chosen by predators as a "victim" as a child, and his friends who were with him to walk away? Was Dave's self preservation instinct(read: self love) less finely tuned than his friends? Is that not visible to predators, just as the limping gazelle is sought out by the lion in the wild? After surviving the abduction and growing to manhood, he again became the "victim" when Sean Penn's character demanded a life in return for the murder of his daughter. Dave's young son was already on his way to becoming a victim, his wife also became one. Many of the minor characters in the film were obviously developed to show tendencies of either "victim" or "tough survivor". Is it necessary to have or to hone the type of "strength" portrayed by Jimmy...in order to prevent one's self from becoming a victim? Are there only survivors or victims in life...must we choose one? Is it "eat or be eaten"?