Prisoners

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo, Dylan Minnette
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: When his daughter goes missing, an ordinary father (Hugh Jackman) goes to extreme lengths to find out what happened to her.

Review:

Tim: I did not expect the emotional punch that Prisoners delivers. This is a very hard, cold, dark dramatic thriller. It is not the kind of film that is easy to watch, but it's brutality has a purpose. I know people use the word 'riveted' quite a bit to describe movies, but that word perfectly encapsulates the experience of watching this film. I felt like I wanted to hold my breath through long stretches of it. At 153 minutes, the film might be too long, but it never loses its grip over you. Time flew by because I was so engaged in what I was watching. That is a huge compliment for this film.

We've seen lots of kidnapping films in recent years, but it is rare for a movie to execute on that plot so well. This is an exceptionally crafted thriller, one that keeps you guessing and keeps you in a state of uncomfortable suspension for nearly the entire run time. This is a movie that quite simply will not let go.

The cast is absolutely fantastic. Hugh Jackman gives a remarkable performance as a grieving dad who is willing to embrace the darker side of his humanity in a frantic search for his missing daughter. He showed great emotion and range in this film. I like Jackman, and I can't remember ever being so impressed by one of his performances. He has a terrific costar in Jake Gyllenhaal. I still can't claim to fully understand Gyllenhaal's character, but that just made the movie more interesting. His Detective Loki is this mysterious, oddball character that you somehow connect with. I loved his weird performance (and I wish we would get another film with this character). The pairing of Jackman and Gyllenhaal was dynamite, and I loved seeing these two together on screen. There's something so amazing about seeing two topnotch actors facing off, and this film delivers in that regard.

Maria Bello was fine. She has some very good moments, but overall, she didn't impress me as much as I would have liked. Terrence Howard added a great deal to the film. He has a smaller role, but it's so important to the movie. Viola Davis has a few incredibly powerful scenes. I loved Paul Dano, giving another completely-out-there performance. I really dislike Melissa Leo, but I have to give her credit for disappearing into her character. She did good work in this film. The cast as a whole is so, so strong.

I loved how much ground this film covered. The central story is a man trying to find his daughter, but there is so much else happening in the film. This is a twisting, turning, unexpected story and it throws so much on screen. That means we have to sift through it all, trying to make sense of what is connected and what is truly important. That was a lot of fun and it created some real mystery in the story. That helped keep me so focused, even throughout the long length of the film. This is a dark, disturbing film, but it was memorable working your way through it.

One thing I love about watching movies is that great films can come from anywhere. At the beginning of the year, I would never have expected that this film would make it on my Top 10 list. However, the story is powerful, emotional, and unrelenting, and it easily separates from the rest of the pack. This isn't just on my Top 10 of 2013 list, this is a film that is floating near the top. I was a little disappointed this film was only nominated for 1 Academy Award (Cinematography, which by the way, is excellent). This is an incredible movie and one of favorites of the year.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Enemy, Brothers, Zodiac