Prisoners

Rating: 8/10 (29 October 2013)

I wasn't sure about this film when I heard of it, despite the two great leading actors, but I was made keener as I read about the plot, and in the news it was reported as being number one at the box office, with positive reviews, so I was definitely up for trying it. Basically deeply religious Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), who runs a struggling carpentry business, and his wife Grace (Coyote Ugly's Maria Bello) and their children attend Thanksgiving dinner with their neighbours the Birches, husband Franklin (Terrence Howard) and wife Nancy (Viola Davis) and their children. After this dinner both families' young daughters, Anna Dover (Erin Gerasimovich) and Joy Birch (Kyla Drew Simmons), go missing, the police are called to search, an RV was reported parked in the neighbourhood, and it is found, the driver Alex Jones (Paul Dano) is interrogated by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), but there is no clear evidence he did anything, and he has the intelligence of a ten year old. Keller is angry that Alex was released, as he sure he knows the whereabouts of the girls, he abducts him and imprisons him in a partially dilapidated house he owns, and with the reluctant help of Franklin he brutally beats and interrogates him repeatedly without getting anywhere. Feeling really guilty Franklin tells his wife Nancy what is going on, she comes to the house to see Alex and how severely battered he is, the Birches decide not to interfere or help and to allow Keller to continue torturing him, having suffered for a few days he does speak out, mentioning a maze, with this information Keller visits Alex's aunt Holly Jones (The Fighter's Melissa Leo) to see her reaction at mentioning mazes. Bob Taylor (David Dastmalchian) is named a suspect, and at his home the walls are covered with intricate maze drawings, and in a back room locked crates filled with maze books, snakes and blood covered clothing are covered, he is taken into custody, but he manages to commit suicide grabbing a gun, he was not involved with the crime, the blood on the clothes is pig's blood, and the clothing was stolen after the abduction. Joy Birch is found drugged and taken to hospital days later, Anna is still missing, rambling the found girl says in her prison she heard Keller's voice, Loki follows Keller, finding the abandoned house and Alex imprisoned, Keller meanwhile goes back to Holly's house realising Joy heard his voice there, she holds him at gunpoint and drugs him, revealing she was the one who abducted the girls. Holly explains that she had abducted many others before, including Bob Taylor, "waging a war on God" making parents lose their religion as revenge for the death of her child from cancer, the first child abducted was Alex, she then shoots Keller in the leg and puts him in a pit outside hidden under a car, this was where the girls was imprisoned. Loki turns up at the house to tell Holly that Alex has been found, and he catches her about to kill Anna, trying to make her raise her hands she shoots him, he shoots and kills Holly, Anna is rushed to hospital, her mother thanks the detective, the little girl mentions her red whistle that she lost whilst abducted, and back at the Jones house Loki hears the faint sound of a whistle as the film ends. Also starring Dylan Minnette as Ralph Dover, Zoe Borde as Eliza Birch, Wayne Duvall as Captain Richard O'Malley, Len Cariou as Father Patrick Dunn and Brad James as Officer Carter. Jackman gives a great provocative performance as the father will do anything to get his daughter back, Gyllenhaal is also exceptional as the police officer trying to help him unaware of the disturbing events unfolding, supporting stars Howard and Davis are good support as well. The story works as both a kidnap mystery and a desperate search for the evidence and truth behind the crime, you may need a strong stomach to watch all the violence and torture that unfolds, it also makes you question how far you would go in a situation as portrayed in this, a controversial but satisfyingly engaging crime drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Very good!