Prisoners Review Matt Patches A beautiful slog. Submit Tweet Share +1 Share → September 19, 2013 Prisoners has the sheen of a prestige picture and the guts of Law & Orders best episode. A brooding mystery with the ambition of Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac, director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) skillfully maneuvers through a thick swamp of broad characters, exposition, and emotional rage. Its a slog, but a beautiful one. Clocking in at two and a half hours, every reveal is undercut by a lengthy journey to get there, making Prisoners more butt-firmly-planted than edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Hugh Jackman stars as Keller Dover, a blue collar Pennsylvanian whose daughter, Anna, suddenly disappears after wandering off during Thanksgiving dinner. The prime suspect is Alex Jones (Paul Dano), a child-like introvert with an RV that screams “child molester.” Despite a thorough investigation into Jones whereabouts the evening of the crime, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) cant connect the dots. As he continues to search for evidence, Keller goes ballistic, convinced that Alex is the culprit and that “legal” methods of interrogation arent enough to crack the simpleton. Everyones a prisoner, one way or another, in Prisoners. Villeneuve comes out of the gates swinging. His style is methodical and restrained, making the dread of the situation even more chilling. Working with acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall, No Country for Old Men), the director turns a suburban neighborhood stricken with tragedy into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The images are big and bold, shrouded in shadow like the directionless case. This is A-grade cinema on a small scale. It feels like Villeneuves Insomnia, a display of confidence that could put him on a Christopher Nolan path. If only Contraband writer Aaron Guzikowskis script unraveled with the same audacity. After the initial event spirals their worlds out of control, Keller and Loki continue to spin in circles Matt Patches Says Watch These Instead: The Crying Game Zero Effect Zodiac (2007) (Directors Cut) until the end of the picture. Gyllenhaals “unconventional” cop practices the worst snooping since Season One of The Killing. He follows lead after lead, never looking closely enough to actually accomplish anything but gleaning just enough info to push him to the next. When he discovers a local priests dirty secret (and potential connection to the abduction) his fisticuffs detective style helps him miss a major clue, even as the camera ensures that the audience will register it. Gyllenhaal isnt as comfortable in the rough, gruff investigator role as he was the nerdy code breaker in Zodiac, though the material isnt doing him any favors. Were eight steps ahead of Loki at all times and thats aggravating. Jackmans Keller is a bigger problem. After Anna disappears, the charming father goes off the rails. Thats understandable to some extent -- theres a chance his eight-year-old is lying dead in a ditch somewhere. But Keller sees no reason to trust Loki and the police work. When they release Alex from custody, Jackman goes from loose cannon to loose auto-reloading bazooka. How he manages to scream more in Prisoners than in any Wolverine film is quite astonishing. Suspension of disbelief is tested when Keller kidnaps Alex, handcuffs him to the radiator in an abandoned building, and beats the living poo out of him. For days. The angry dad convinces his pal Franklin (Terrence Howard), whose daughter went missing along with Anna, to join him in his violent quest for answers. Theres trepidation to the method, barely. Kellers thirst for blood and absolute madness begin to take over, even when it starts looking like maybe Alex isnt the right guy. Somehow, no one can convince him to stop torturing Alex and Prisoners chaotically -- and almost comically -- propels into melodrama. Like Lokis hunt for answers, Prisoners is a haystack with a few sharp needles tucked inside. Howard and his movie wife Viola Davis react to the kidnappings with more controlled, relatable sadness. If Hollywood could ever take a chance and put a black couple at the forefront of their story, these two would be perfect. Melissa Leo is also quite vibrant as Alexs aunt and caretaker. Known for treading a bit too far into the eccentric, her work in Prisoners captures the oddities of every small town. But the real star of the film is Deakins, who makes every shot a moving work of art. Without the eye candy, Prisoners is a shallow exercise in thriller fiction. As it plods along, the film drops ambiguous backstory and religious iconography into the tale like false evidence. Its a movie that cant solve the mystery of why its story matters. Become a fan of IGN Trending Content The Verdict Prisoners looks and feels like the best of contemporary thrillers, but when it comes to cracking its story, it doesnt have a clue.Prisoners Review User_image Matt Patches A beautiful slog. Submit Tweet Share +1 Share → September 19, 2013 Prisoners has the sheen of a prestige picture and the guts of Law & Orders best episode. A brooding mystery with the ambition of Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac, director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) skillfully maneuvers through a thick swamp of broad characters, exposition, and emotional rage. Its a slog, but a beautiful one. Clocking in at two and a half hours, every reveal is undercut by a lengthy journey to get there, making Prisoners more butt-firmly-planted than edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Hugh Jackman stars as Keller Dover, a blue collar Pennsylvanian whose daughter, Anna, suddenly disappears after wandering off during Thanksgiving dinner. The prime suspect is Alex Jones (Paul Dano), a child-like introvert with an RV that screams “child molester.” Despite a thorough investigation into Jones whereabouts the evening of the crime, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) cant connect the dots. As he continues to search for evidence, Keller goes ballistic, convinced that Alex is the culprit and that “legal” methods of interrogation arent enough to crack the simpleton. Everyones a prisoner, one way or another, in Prisoners. Villeneuve comes out of the gates swinging. His style is methodical and restrained, making the dread of the situation even more chilling. Working with acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall, No Country for Old Men), the director turns a suburban neighborhood stricken with tragedy into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The images are big and bold, shrouded in shadow like the directionless case. This is A-grade cinema on a small scale. It feels like Villeneuves Insomnia, a display of confidence that could put him on a Christopher Nolan path. If only Contraband writer Aaron Guzikowskis script unraveled with the same audacity. After the initial event spirals their worlds out of control, Keller and Loki continue to spin in circles Matt Patches Says Watch These Instead: The Crying Game Zero Effect Zodiac (2007) (Directors Cut) until the end of the picture. Gyllenhaals “unconventional” cop practices the worst snooping since Season One of The Killing. He follows lead after lead, never looking closely enough to actually accomplish anything but gleaning just enough info to push him to the next. When he discovers a local priests dirty secret (and potential connection to the abduction) his fisticuffs detective style helps him miss a major clue, even as the camera ensures that the audience will register it. Gyllenhaal isnt as comfortable in the rough, gruff investigator role as he was the nerdy code breaker in Zodiac, though the material isnt doing him any favors. Were eight steps ahead of Loki at all times and thats aggravating. Jackmans Keller is a bigger problem. After Anna disappears, the charming father goes off the rails. Thats understandable to some extent -- theres a chance his eight-year-old is lying dead in a ditch somewhere. But Keller sees no reason to trust Loki and the police work. When they release Alex from custody, Jackman goes from loose cannon to loose auto-reloading bazooka. How he manages to scream more in Prisoners than in any Wolverine film is quite astonishing. Suspension of disbelief is tested when Keller kidnaps Alex, handcuffs him to the radiator in an abandoned building, and beats the living poo out of him. For days. The angry dad convinces his pal Franklin (Terrence Howard), whose daughter went missing along with Anna, to join him in his violent quest for answers. Theres trepidation to the method, barely. Kellers thirst for blood and absolute madness begin to take over, even when it starts looking like maybe Alex isnt the right guy. Somehow, no one can convince him to stop torturing Alex and Prisoners chaotically -- and almost comically -- propels into melodrama. Like Lokis hunt for answers, Prisoners is a haystack with a few sharp needles tucked inside. Howard and his movie wife Viola Davis react to the kidnappings with more controlled, relatable sadness. If Hollywood could ever take a chance and put a black couple at the forefront of their story, these two would be perfect. Melissa Leo is also quite vibrant as Alexs aunt and caretaker. Known for treading a bit too far into the eccentric, her work in Prisoners captures the oddities of every small town. But the real star of the film is Deakins, who makes every shot a moving work of art. Without the eye candy, Prisoners is a shallow exercise in thriller fiction. As it plods along, the film drops ambiguous backstory and religious iconography into the tale like false evidence. Its a movie that cant solve the mystery of why its story matters. Become a fan of IGN Trending Content The Verdict Prisoners looks and feels like the best of contemporary thrillers, but when it comes to cracking its story, it doesnt have a clue. This trailer by Yassin Elmarzoqi
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 16:51:12 +0000
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