A Twisted Descent

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2014)

Underneath grey skies, Director Denis Villeneuve examines the lengths people will go to for their young ones, and the rationale that might be used to justify what can only be seen as reprehensible acts. Be forewarned this movie contains scenes of brutal violence that should leave you wincing.Gyllenhaal's logical and professional Detective Loki provides an excellent foil for the irrational and illogical behaviour that comes to pass around him as he struggles to solve a missing persons case. And even as he succeeds, those with blind right wing views continue to support their own evil actions through various means including religion. Blindly they cling to their original views with twisted logic and a refusal to accept facts. Inside a situation where bad actions are compounded by more bad actions, Villeneuve also explores the depths and importance of a person's own children. In particular Villeneuve seems interested in how much of a person's life fulfilment is linked to their children's lives. Throughout the film the childless Detective Loki's history and life is never really filled in. Brilliantly though, he is still engaging to the audience, and the subject of children as always increases our emotional involvement. The atmosphere is taut in this film, and punctuated by violence that is made all the more brutal by that tautness. The full 2 1/2 hours is required to follow such a complex descent into people's emotions and the illogical and prejudiced acts that follow when a child's life may be threatened. The plot is as twisting and unpredictable as people's emotions can be, and you may be surprised by the ending.