It's not what you think. It really isn't. How many times have we seen previews for movies about a kidnapping or an abduction and just assume it's the same old, same old? The scenario really seems to have been made into a cliche within itself. And it has, but once in a long while, a film will come along that will completely turn the genre on its ear. A prime example is David Fincher's Se7en, which took the serial killer premise and totally reinvented it and even displayed a homage to the old cop movies of the 70's a la Serpico and The French Connection.
And that's what happened with Prisoners. It's a film that provides the viewer with a fantastic mystery that has so many puzzle pieces, a second viewing is almost required. The more you look, the more you see. There are things you may have missed the first time, and when seeing it again, not only does everything seem to fall into place, but the tone of the movie changes.
The story involves the disappearance of two young children, and the measures which are taken to find them. That's really it. Not much more of the story can be divulged here without giving away the film's many twists and turns. It's an adult mystery to be sure. Mr. Wolverine himself (Hugh Jackman) puts away his blades and turns to out and out rage and anger as his defense to find his missing daughter. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) steps in as the police detective assigned to the case and knows that this time, he's not looking for a demonic rabbit spouting messages about the end of the world.
What follows contains the purest form of moviemaking I have seen in a long, long time. This ain't the latest Lifetime TV-movie where the acting, editing, direction, and script are more ridiculous than the nuptials at a Kardashian wedding. This is serious stuff. Bryan Singer was originally in the director's chair, and while I respect Singer as a director, but still haven't forgiven him for Superman Returns (To Pull In A Cash Cow For Warner Bros.), I'm glad he didn't take the reins on this one. It would have been a very different film. Instead, Canadian unknown Denis Villeneuve took over and produced a picture of quiet, staggering suspense.
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| "Look, I told you. If you even THINK about doing another X-Men movie, I'm sending Frank after you." |
Every shot in the film is carefully constructed, a technique that Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan also used. Every time a scene starts or stops, there's a reason for it, not just filler to pad the 153 minute running time. The supporting performances are excellent, including Terrence Howard as the father of the other abducted daughter, Maria Bello and Viola Davis as the loving but much-suffering mothers, and Oscar winner Melissa Leo turning in a powerful performance as an aunt who loves her nephew (played to the creepy factor by the always great Paul Dano.)
If this review is starting to sound as vague as a LOST script, it's because it is. Not much can be said about the film. However, most importantly, it's Jackman and Gyllenhaal's show, all the way to the end. Their scenes together boost the film to almost sheer perfection. Without them, it may not have worked. After you see them in each scene together, you realize that nobody else could really have played these characters so well. Gyllenhaal and Jackman both give the performances of their careers, and both should receive Oscar nominations.
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| "Wait, you're NOT Crispin Glover? Sorry, my bad." |
And when we finally get to the end of the film, we might wonder what REALLY happened. But if you're paying attention, it's all there and done with such craftmanship, you can't help but applaud it. It's not an uplifting movie by any means, and it's a very tough film to watch. It's about hardship, it's about struggling families, and most important, it's about chances and choices.
This movie was shot in Georgia where I live, and I have a good friend who worked as a forensics consultant on the film. It certainly adds to the gritty nature of the story, and I can say that more than anything it displays a very documentary-like tone about it. And while the story is fiction, it's definitely true-to-life. Parts of it reminded me of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, which was based on an actual incident. But Prisoners makes the audience feel, think, and question. And that's three things you could never do with the Lifetime movie of the week. It would be like comparing The Sopranos to TLC's Cake Boss. Fugghetaboutit.
Prisoners, (2013) Directed by Denis Villeneuve
153 minutes
Grade: A
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