A little bit of trimming and we would have a masterpiece!!!

Rating: 6/10 (8 February 2014)

153 minutes just seemed a little too long right from the offset and I was not mistaken. Don't get me wrong, this movie is not boring or dragging like stereotype long movies that we all are too painfully aware of. It is engaging and even nail biting at times. But, if the editors had trimmed a few rough edges, we would have been looking at a real gem.
A the performances in this movie are power packed. Hugh Jackman in his determined, hell bent role of a father looking his lost daughter portrays the pain and the loss that a family will face at such trying times. His emotions and the actions he performs, even though it seemed a little over the top at times, was really well brought forth. Jack Gyllehaal in his eccentric detective who is married to his job cliché also produces a performance of note although at times it just felt a little forced than natural. The rest of the cast played around well to the central characters, although in essence had so little to do, to produce a good ensemble performance.
Bottom line, a good movie which had all the potential of being a really fantastic and brilliant one but fell short due to (in my opinion) a screenplay that could have been helped if it was tad bit faster.