Lost In the Maze

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2013)

The sleepy town of Conyers, Pennsylvania is transformed into a cold, bleak world submerged in misery in Denis Villeneuve's dark crime thriller "Prisoners," released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 17th. The film entrenches viewers in a maze of hazy moral boundaries and pushes the limits of desperation in its characters, made up by an all-star line-up of accomplished actors. Rife with obscure religious symbolism and cryptic reoccurring motifs, the tangled mystery of Prisoners gives enough substance to satisfy but leaves enough unanswered questions to tantalize, reaching a Goldilocks-like equilibrium for a whodunit film.
Hugh Jackman plays the rugged God-fearing survivalist Keller Dover, who is thrust to the brink of despair when his daughter and her best friend disappear on Thanksgiving Day, despite his obsessive precautions and preparations for the worst. Dover's helpless desperation drives him to kidnap and brutally torture the main suspect in the case who was released, the unnervingly enigmatic Alex Jones (Paul Dano). Jake Ghyllenhaal plays the suave and poised Detective Loki heading the case, whose analytical investigation is the counterpart to Dover's vigilante revenge, resulting in explosive scenes on screen when the two alpha males face off, like "the cowboy versus the sheriff," according to Villeneuve.
Unlike Liam Neeson's over-the-top ass-kicking in Taken, Jackman's portrayal as the unstable grieving father is believable and heartbreaking: his rampant violent rages convey a bottomless sadness just under the surface threatening to consume him, and one scene in particular one-on-one with Ghyllenhaal shows the actor's immense ability to bare a character's soul with utter conviction. The grisly torture scenes prove cringe-worthy, but Jackman is stellar at toeing the line between keeping viewers' confidence or losing it altogether with his frightening, ugly, yet all-too-human performance. Whether Dover is a monster or a martyr is left up to the viewers.
Detective Loki's character doesn't achieve the same depths as Dover or even Jones: little character development and back-story in the script leaves Loki hanging as a blank slate, but Ghyllenhaal compensates with spot-on character tics and a reassuring composure on screen. His character's stylish wardrobe, sleek hairstyle, and mysterious zodiac-like tattoos make him a more visually stimulating figure than the no-nonsense Dover, adding another dimension to the character, if only aesthetically.
Supporting actors Terrence Howard and Viola Davis anchor the film as the Birchs, the neighbors whose daughter also goes missing. Their refusal to condone Dover's actions help keep the film grounded as realistic, and Howard's performance as the broken father paralyzed by grief is a welcome contrast to the crusading Dover. The viewpoints of the older siblings in the story however, along with Dover's wife, are sidelined in favor of pushing the plot forward with Dover's grappling with morality and Loki's determined search for answers. Melissa Leo and Paul Dano are highly memorable in their supporting roles as Holly and Alex Jones: the two are adept at keeping their characters in the neutral zone of suspicion, a difficult place to remain for long in a mystery film.
Composer J贸hann J贸hannsson's brooding score exemplifies the film's weariness and growing tension, keeping the pressure simmering throughout and only surging in release for the film's climax with the song "Through Falling Snow." Cinematographer Roger Deakins beautifully composes every frame, and doesn't shy away from peering through opaque filters of rain-soaked windows and shadows in the noir tradition. He often uses an expressionistic icy color temperature laced with deep blacks to manifest the characters' isolation and dread.
As his first Hollywood (and English-language) film, Villeneuve has earned his place among the Hollywood elite with the star-studded thriller Prisoners. While the film may be too hard to digest for some, fleshing out every parent's nightmare for a nerve-wracking two and a half hours, it is an overall worthwhile captivating experience, with moving performances and a compelling mystery. This is one maze you'll love to get lost in.