plot holes that could swallow Nevada

Rating: 3/10 (19 October 2013)

Some ground rules. Legend has it that the first-time scriptwriter for this oddity was paid a million dollars, and then the project was shelved because they could not figure out what to do with it. Then they had a brainstorm. Just make it. And here we are with an almost-Hitchcockian pseudo-thriller that occasional resembles a police story and even sometimes a horror film. The story gives new life to the cliché, "plot holes you could drive a truck through." Hugh Jackman gives the performance of his life, but his character is so lacking in empathy that this might not be enough. Jake Gyllenhaal plays himself which ironically is more than enough to carry the role. Maria Bello is lost. Dennis Villeneuve is a great director who can make even the rain interesting and one would like to see him try his hand at something better written. Like the phone book.