Jackman reaches new heights in the depths of hell

Rating: 10/10 (22 September 2013)

It would be easy to compare this film to many classics that came before. Maybe they served as inspiration to produce something that would make any of the masters proud. Polanski, De Palma, Hitchcock, and Demme come to mind. Here is a director who has availed himself of what could rank with the best scripts ever written: a piece so tightly constructed is almost impossible to look away. We are grabbed right away when the children are abducted, and slowly the grip tightens until it's almost unbearable. We want to know the truth, we want to relax and hope for the best, but this is not going to be a smooth ride by any means.
Two daughters disappear during the holidays. We have obvious suspects, but as we soon learn, the investigation will not be short or simple. The trail grows cold, and we have many frustrated parties. The police hits a dead end. One of the parents goes absolutely mad with rage and despair. Another succumbs when she is unable to look at evil on the face. The other couple feels helpless, and the younger siblings are also undergoing their own torment.
One of the suspects appears unable to communicate what he might know, and this leads him to become an abducted of sorts. Before we notice, we have another possible criminal darting and out of the picture. In less capable hands, we would feel like we're being cheated, but this is a valid move by the writers, and it pays off handsomely in the end. A maze becomes an essential key to solving the problem, but this maze is a hell of a challenge.
As we reach the last third of the film, we begin to reach the conclusion, but instead of losing steam, the film becomes even more gripping, giving us satisfaction unlike nothing seen in recent movies. The last time I sat at the edge of my chair was in 1991 when Clarisse wandered into hell at the end of her quest. There is an obvious tribute to that film here, and it will be talked about for ages because it at the forefront in this film's conclusion, a moment that is bound to become a classic.
Jackman, Davis, Howard, Leo, Bello, and Gyllenthal do some of the best work in decades, but if we are to single out a performance, we have Jackman as the tortured father who might not like what he discovers as he searches for his daughter. It is a devastating performance, one to be studied and discussed because it shows what an actor is able to do with the right support: a beautiful script, a director who values and understand what is important in the making of a movie and doesn't rely on technology or gimmicks, and an actor who knows that in order to play any role, he must dig deep and not hold back. Jackman does just this and we are in awe.
Just remember these words: THE END. The way you see any other conclusion this year will never be the same.