Dear Academy Awards, the "cinematography" is not what drew me into this film!

Rating: 8/10 (29 October 2014)

It was the powerful performances coming from Hugh Jackman & Jake Gyllenhaal!!! REALLY, you guys...
(NOTE: I watched this film, simply because I was curious, like any other movie buff. I usually don't like movies with violence or swearing. And I don't like when any favorite celebrity of mine curses or swears, but perhaps that's just me.)
The fact is, it's hard to make a good film. But this... This is officially the best non-X-men-related Hugh Jackman film I've seen! I admit, the man is talented & gifted. (I'm not a fan of the X-Men franchise, for certain reasons. I.E. unscientific Darwinian evolution) (No, I didn't really like "Les Miserables" - I still think Liam Neeson was the better 'Jean Valjean'; this film's also better than "The Prestige").
Back to the subject matter, this is a film that definitely WAS suspenseful!
From BEGINNING to END, I was hooked! Thrilling & mysterious at the same time! The acting, GREAT - Hugh Jackman, WOW. And the tension...oh my word!!
I especially love the story line of black and white families fellow shipping together - I've had quite a bit of that experience myself. I think it's great, cute, charming, worthwhile, & helps anyone develop as a person .
Seriously, this film had me GUESSING and GUESSING. The entire time! Wondering who was where, who did what, what happened, etc,.
I LOVE films that do that! It's a bummer you can't erase your memory of all the revealed plot twists & the ending; that's when you get the desire to watch the film again with a person who hasn't seen it before. REALLY well-directed film, I'm betting it's going to stay in my mind for a long time!
Conclusively, Paul Dano is one actor I really don't like; but it was a smart move to include him in this flick; they turned him into a socially awkward & weird character, to get beat up and all - that kind of relieved my negative feelings toward him. (I mean, he was *annoying* in "The Girl Next Door", "There Will Be Blood" and "12 Years a Slave" - some films of which I don't really like.)
Jake Gyllenhaal's cop character is pretty cool in this film; he and Jackman share great on-screen chemistry together! MUCH BETTER than that horrible "End of Watch" film, a worthless pile of nothing, with rancorous dialogue, & all-round cantankerous characters you didn't even care about! Moving way back, I'm a fan of Gyllenhaal, simply because I've got a soft spot for talented Jewish people; a fan of his since watching "October Sky", which is a true story.
Hugh Jackman's character, even as a father, is so believable (he really rocks the beard! lulz). You could see the intense emotion he develops throughout the film trying to find his daughter & her friend, and the lengths he goes to try to find them! He almost somewhat reminded me of my own Dad! WHY he didn't get nominated for Best Leading Actor, I honestly don't know! Would've been much better than this being Academy-nominated for "Best Achievement in Cinematography" (which went to "Gravity" for whatever strange reason, when the earth was the background the entire time), or rather than the nomination for Best Actor going to Bruce Dern (an actor I don't really like or care about, nor did I find his performance in "Nebraska" the very LEAST interesting, compelling, or memorable!); also, doesn't every film try to have the "best cinematography" there is??? Why Academy??? WHY??? What did this film ever do to you!?? Why did you instead even nominate the cast of that horrible & annoying "American Hustle" flick!??
Hugh Jackam's Oscar nomination should've been for THIS amazing film, instead of "Les Mis".
But to be fair, the downsides to the film are of course the violence, pervasive cursing, drunkenness, and even the shameful religion of Catholicism being depicted as well, with false idols of the Virgin Mary & talking of priests as "father" & all. (Trust me when I say Catholicism is a real dark false religion, but that's another long story. Just Google Search "Man In Black tract" if you want the short story.)
But moving back, technically-speaking... while this movie was suspenseful, at the same time I kept having to move to a different computer & keep installing the players; I was always anxious, CURIOUS to know what would happened next! That just kept building the thrills & suspense even *MORE*.
A lot of people have mixed feelings about the ending to this film; to me, I was not disappointed! The style of the ending was indeed amazing, and I think more films should do it! I always now imagine how the story must have continued after the ending... And I love that - I love movies with endings that leave you guessing!
And WHY on earth do those "negative reviews" about this film exist & where dare they coming from!?? They say this film is "overrated"!?
...Didn't they watch the exact same film I did!??
Seriously, Wow... just wow. The title "Prisoners" was a really creative choice - it made sense & everything paid off in the story!
And I love that quote: "Pray for the Best, Prepare for the Worst." ...Ditto to that!
Just wrote this review because I had some free time, and because this film deserved it!
Definitely one of the best films, I admit, of 2013, right alongside with Man of Steel....
8/10