Country: USA
Movie Review: “Prisoners” is an admirable thriller without being outstanding. Directed by Canadian helmer Denis Villeneuve, the film never achieved the gripping tones of “Incendies” or the shocking coldness of “Polytechnique”, but I was able to follow its story with attention and curiosity. The plot, written by Aaron Guzikowski (the same author of “Contraband”, directed by Baltasar Kormakur in 2012), follows Keller Dover’s (Hugh Jackman) efforts to find his 6-year-old daughter and her friend, mysteriously vanished in a rainy day during a Thanksgiving celebration in his neighbor’s. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), so far faultless in his assignments, will be in charge of the investigation case whose main suspect is the weird and non-cooperative Alex Jones (Paul Dano), driver of a recreational vehicle that was parked nearby the house. Villeneuve’s direction was superb and above reproach, but the film was more absorbing than breathtaking, with some surprises and tense moments failing to obtain a greater impact. Not all the performances were at the same level; Gyllenhaall and Dano were very good while Jackman and Maria Bello as the grieving couple, didn’t convinced me so much. Regardless the setbacks, the story is followed with pleasantness towards its sudden yet unsettling ending, making me attest that this is not the best Villeneuve, but is still capable of disclose some of his talent, especially if we take into account a screenplay that ended up being not so thrilling.
