Finally saw the movie, PRISONERS, with Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhall, Terence Howard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, and Melissa Leo. Dont know how the Academy slept on this one last year. Its one of the best modern crime stories and certainly one of the best films of 2013. Besides the acting being top notch, the script has a lot to say about Christian fanaticism and secret societies based on logic. It shows how a person can be emotionally undone and try to use their faith to justify their actions and some times get so angry at that faith they rail against it. The movie is rated R more so because of the sophisticated, philosophical questions it poses rather than the torture sequences which are tame compared to your average horror story. Its terror is more in the state of mind the person is in when they torture someone. I can see why Viola Davis and Terence Howard took these roles. These are working class black folk whose issues are not overtly about race but about grief and moral ambiguity. This kind of intelligent film making is even rare for most anglo actors. The pacing is very sharp and I hardly noticed that the movie was 2 and a half hours. The cinematography perfectly captures the duality of eastern suburban life. On one hand its peaceful, serene and post-card perfect. On the other hand, its dreary and foreboding. The writing reminded me of my favorite show, HOMICIDE, LIFE ON THE STREET. The ending is subtle, yet very satisfying.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:35:48 +0000
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