by Joseph Rossi
Prisoners is many things. A drama, a thriller, a police procedural and above all else, for any parent, a true horror film. Denis Villeneuve, the great Quebec director, has made a stunning film. He shakes up this specific genre and taps into the dark pit of the human soul, grabs it by the throat and rips it open, leaving the audience thrilled by the first hour and devastated by the end of the second.
Hugh Jackman stars as Keller Dover, a small town carpenter who faces the terrible reality of having his daughter Anna taken from him and his wife (Maria Bello). Anna, along with her friend Joy, is abducted on Thanksgiving as Keller and his family is spending the day with their neighbors (Terrance Howard and Viola Davis). After searching the neighborhood, the terrified parents call the police. In comes detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) who zeros’s in on a potential suspect, the childlike Alex Jones (Paul Dano). But seeing that there is no real evidence, Jones is let go, back into the custody of his aunt Holly (an amazingly effective Melissa Leo). For Keller this is an atrocity. He believes Alex Jones is the kidnapper and on his own, abducts him and ties him up in an abandoned apartment building and tortures the boy over several days.
There are so many layers to Keller. Early on we figure this deeply religious man has a different view of the world. With a basement full of survival gear and canned goods, we feel that he is waiting for some sort of rapture. Never would he think that his very own apocalypse would be one that he has not prepared for. The film is positively biblical in its eye for an eye revenge theme and director Villeneuve finds a wounded animal within his lead actor. Jackman has never been better. There is a moment during one of his scenes with Dano where he begins to believe that he may have the wrong man. But it’s too late; he has crossed a line and cannot go back and Jackman plays it heartbreakingly sinciere. As good as Jackman is, Gyllenhaal is equally captivating. His detective is a staple in movies of this genre. But here he is no cliché. We never get into who this man really is. We’d usually get a form of backstory; a look into his family life, etc. Nope. Not here. He’s a cop with a mission. But he instills Loki with such determination and purpose that he, even more so then Keller, drives the movie forward and into the dark abyss that no one else wants to enter.
This is a great film with many twisty reveals. It is a touch on the long side with the last half hour being somewhat of a letdown but not enough for me to dismiss the greatness that comes before it. This is one of the year’s best films.
On a side note, remember the name Roger Deakins. His is the cinematographer of the film. He is one of the worlds great DOP’s. The film would not exist without him. Much attention must be paid to the look of the movie because more then any this year, this one is cinematically rich. Its visuals are first rate. Deakins gives us a bleak, shadowy world that is all too familiar.
