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film review
Film: Prisoners
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Release Date (UK): 27th September 2013
IMDb rating: 8.1 out of 10
BigBox rating: 8.5 out of 10
Summary: The Dover's and the Birch's are spending thanksgiving together. The two younger children Joy Birch (Kyla Drew Simmons) and Anna Dover (Erin Gerasimovich) wonder outside alone, despite the parents telling them to take their older siblings along Eliza Birch (Zoe Borde) and Ralph Dover (Dylan Minnette). Joy and Anna are kidnapped, leaving the parents going out of their minds and trying everything they can to find them. The only lead they have is Alex Jones (Paul Dano) who has the IQ of a ten-year-old, believing he knows where they are. The film continues with Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) doing unspeakable things to find his daughter, and Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) working the case - whom has solved every case he has been assigned too.
You will like this film if: You like suspense and intensive films, fan of Hugh Jackman, like crime drama/thriller films.
You will not like this film if: You don't like films that have huge build ups, can't handle torture scenes.
The Review
Lets start with the main actors for me in this film. Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover plays the loving father, who will do anything for his family - as shown in the film due to the extreme measures he goes through to find his daughter. He even kidnaps the first suspect Alex Jones, and keeps him hostage for days, making him go through lots of painful procedures. Jackman was exceptional at making me believe in his character, and proving how good of an actor he is. Now, Jack Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki. In the film, I got the vibe of he feels he is too good for everyone else. When he is having a conversation with the mother of Anna, he is playing around with his phone, zoning out on the conversation. He also came across of annoying for me as he didn't listen to Keller that well, and just seemed to waste time, as he follows Keller around instead of looking for Anna and Joy. Terrence Howard and Viola Davis also play the convincing role of parents willing to do anything to find their children. In comparison to Keller, these two do not go to the extremes he does, but they do support him. They do not want to cause harm from their own hands, but they allow Keller to do what he wants to find Anna and Joy, even though they had the chance to go to the police and stop the torture of Alex Jones. Finally, Paul Dano playing the mentally disabled man, Alex Jones, with the IQ of a ten-year-old. It is believed he kidnapped the children as they were playing on his RV, and then suddenly the RV and children are gone. The police try to question him, but due to his mental state they can not get anything out of him. You can not help but feel sorry for Alex, yet you want him to help Keller and tell him what he knows - but he can't.
Prisoners is a very good suspenseful film. You can not help but grip onto the storyline, and I could not find a dull moment. The plot is a wonderful puzzle, unravelling slowly to reveal hidden layers of depth and complexity. The whole finding the girls in centered around a kidnapper called "The Invisible Man" who stole children and hid them amongst his drawing of a maze - which was never cracked. This is emulated for Anna and Joy, as Detective Loki finds this maze in a book made by a suspect, and believes this is how he will find the girls but can not work it out. This is a very intriguing concept as it makes it even harder to find Anna and Joy, and it makes you wonder if Loki will figure it out and find them. I love thriller films, and this centerainly did not disappoint.
As you probably can gather by this review, I definitely recommend you go and see this film at once if you have not already. Its gripping, exciting, tense and has great actors and storyline. What are you doing with your life? Go and see Prisoners!
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