Prisoners

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2015)

Slow burn thrillers are a dying breed. Most modern suspense films go in for gruesome and violent stories of murder to send chills down spines of the audience. A lot of this pictures offer mysteries that are not too difficult to decipher. So it is a great pleasure to discover that there filmmakers out there adventurous enough to craft a dark, intriguing dialogue driven motion picture that keeps the audience guessing for most its runtime. That director Denis Villeneuve does so with panache and some wonderfully orchestrated darkness is what elevates the material beyond escapist territory. The story is set in a Philadelphia suburb where two families the Dovers; Keller (Hugh Jackman) and Grace (Maria Bello) and the Birches, Franklin (Terence Howard) and Nancy (Viola Davis) are celebrating Thanksgiving together. The parents are enjoying themselves indoors while the two young girls decide to go out and play. After a certain amount of time, the parents realise that the two have not returned. After some frantic reconnoitering it is decided that the police need to be called in and the case is assigned to Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal). A few preliminary investigations lead him to a suspect Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but subsequent interrogations reveal that he lacks the intellect and the malevolence that is expected from one who has committed such a crime. He is eventually released much to the chagrin of Keller who is convinced that Jones is involved in the girls' disappearance. Filled with righteous indignation he decides that he will take matters into his own hands. While an engaging whodunit is all that is expected from a picture like this one, it is quite amazing to see how Prisoners not only aspires to be something more than just a by-the-numbers thriller. The original script by Aaron Guzikowski is an intelligent creation with some really astute observations about human nature. Difficult themes like anger, redemption, guilt, punishment and even religion find a home in this dark and at times depressing story. The film's rather chunky 153 minute runtime and the slow, deliberate pace which the story progresses gives the characters and their emotions a lot of breathing space. Though there were occasions when I found myself questioning the persistence of the director in allowing certain scenes to carry on even when their purpose in the narrative has been realised. To be fair these moments are few and far between which is why they tend to stick out. It is not possible to fully discuss the emotional weight of the story without divulging the specifics of the plot but suffice to say that the script is never guilty of feeding the audience any answers and the resolution is satisfying and I personally could not guess it beforehand. The excellent direction allows the story to be engaging at all times. The cautious building up of suspense, the natural dialogue, and the nuanced presentation are top notch and there are times when I could detect echoes of David Fincher's modern classic Zodiac (2007) that are only amplified by the involvement of Jake Gyllenhaal. That is not to say Prisoners takes cues visual cues from Zodiac. It is its own beast, but is in several ways a spiritual companion of that picture. Prisoners would not have been anywhere close to being as effective, if it wasn't for the stellar cinematography of Roger Deakins. Deakins has long been acknowledged as one of the leading exponents of his craft and here his lens work enriches (if not outright create) the creepy atmosphere that film exudes. The way the camera pans and zooms; it could be argued that Deakins' camera is a character in itself. The music in contrast comes across as merely adequate, but is never overbearing and does not take the viewer out of the moment. The emotional crux is purely dependent on the performances and in that department there is nary a complaint I can make. Five members of the main cast have Academy Award nominations and everyone plays their respective roles with great conviction. Jake Gyllenhaal has built up an impressive resume over the years and this movie adds another feather to his cap. His detective Loki is reserved yet determined and the actor brings the right amount of dedication to his role. Though, he does tend to overplay one conspicuous tick that the character displays. Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the indignant, conflicted father who is willing to do whatever it takes to find his daughter is a highlight of the film. Long has the actor been under the shadow of his famous Superhero avatar. Liberated from formula he displays his talent with incredible force. Terence Howard, Viola Davis and Mario Bello do not have roles that are as hefty but they provide solid support. Paul Dano brings a lot vulnerability to Alex and his mannerisms and dialogue delivery make his mental defects seem believable. A quiet dialogue driven piece such as this one has the potential of falling into indulgence. But, prisoners never falls prey to that. There are times when the script slows down the proceedings but it is only to allow the audience a better view of the characters and their lives. Nevertheless, there is a significant of portion of the mainstream audience that may find this a little too dark and languid. But, for those who are patient enough to follow the director to the places he takes us in this picture the rewards are delectable, providing a cinematic experience that is rich, multi-layered and most of very memorable.