inconclusive and frustrating

Rating: 5/10 (5 January 2014)

I watched this movie with no preconceived thoughts or knowledge about it. As it progressed I felt an increasing sense of being manipulated by the script and plot. The acting is okay, lots of mannerisms, especially from Gillenhall but he's a strong character actor and can pull it off. But the movie is full of unexplained moments and weak linking. The main characters do things without any apparent motivation. Red herrings are presented and then vanish without any explanation. The storyline is full of holes. The immorality of Jackman's character's behavior is a deep concern and this is then swept away by his being incarcerated and lost to his family without any relation to the ending. It's a frustrating film because it had the potential to be so much better but the inconclusive ending and dismissive resolution leaves one feeling cheated after sitting though two and a half hours of a very slowly built tension. The script should have been heavily edited before it went into production. I don't understand why the two lead actors agreed to make this movie. Neither of them can be short of job offers.