Good acting but bad directing and weak story

Rating: 5/10 (26 September 2013)

First the good points. There is a top notch Oscar nominated cast assembled here and the acting is good. Hugh and Jake are impassioned and calm respectively but equally effective. Hugh has always had intensity and this is no exception. Jake is sympathetically dedicated and carries his role off convincingly. Paul Dano is actually suited to the dim wit. He isn't suited to mainstream roles because of his looks but here he suits the role to a T. Not enough material given to Viola Davis and Terence Howard. Photography is good and they really capture the dreary weather of the area in winter.
Now the weaknesses. The direction is lingering for unnecessary details and rushed for vital plot elements. Doesn't link up the clues and hints clearly enough. I concentrated but still was confused. The ending was badly done. Showing so much detail earlier and then short changing at the end by not showing conclusively what happened and instead just hinting at it was a cheap let down.
The story - the only thing I thought was good was the slightly feel good end. But the the weaknesses in the plot show clearly how it suffers in comparison to a true story. The fact that Paul Dano's character could hold out through all that isn't believable. It's an ugly story and gut wrenching in parts.
Overall this movie has a good cast and is earnestly acted but it doesn't deserve unmitigated praise. You want to see what happens and that keeps you engrossed till the end but after watching it you will have the feeling that the story just isn't that good.