Riveting, but misdirection of clues is the reason

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2013)

The daughters of the Dovers and the Birches go missing after a Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) fears the police have to release Alex (Paul Dano) for lack of evidence but something Alex said to Keller leads Keller to believe Alex knows about the abduction and may have had a hand in it. He is livid. The Police are not convinced. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) vows to find the girls.
Loki? That name reminds me of the Norse God, Loki. Why use that name in here; and while we are at it the name Keller Dover doesn't exactly roll off the lips. Okay, it's out of my system.
This is a good movie and it's 2 ½ hours long. Why so long? You will discover why when you are finished with the movie and you look back and then understand that many of the clues were a misdirection and had nothing to do with solving the case. Of course, there are good clues too, but you will decide which ones were good or bad after you walk away from this. I cannot tell you which ones were entirely used to confuse the audience. That would be telling. But, in the meantime, you are riveted to your seat because you also are trying to figure out who kidnapped the girls and where they are either dead or alive.
There is some torture in here when Keller Dover kidnaps Alex because Keller is convinced Alex knows all. Keller Dover is driven and this comes out easily by Jackman as he is good at this. Detective Loki - that name again – (thought it was out of your system) goes about his business in a methodical/logical way tracking down clues as they arise. We keep waiting for that look Gyllenhaal gives when he puts a puzzle together. You know that look: his eyes widen really wide. We wait, and wait, and wait.
The supporting cast of Viola Davis as Nancy Birch, Terrance Howard as Franklin Berch, Maria Bello as Grace Dover do credible jobs. Of course, Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal give outstanding performances. That's to be expected. Kudos.
A shout-out must go to the make-up person who worked on Paul Dano as Alex showing the results of torture. Really scary. We cringed and felt the pain just looking at him. Good job.
Again, this is still a good movie and you are ready to give it an "A" rating until you realize you were also kidnapped and held prisoner for 2 ½ hours all because of a magician's - now a director's - trick of misdirection. (7/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Torture: Yes. Language: Yes, at times.