MOVIE REVIEW - Prisoners

Here comes a huge bright star-studded cast in a very dark movie, Prisoners.

Listen to this cast.   Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, and Viola Davis  Most of these are Oscar nominees and Leo is an Oscar winner.  So this is all lines up to be a very good movie.  And overall it is.  But, this is certainly not for everyone.

Prisoners is exceptionally dark, bleak, and heavy.  It deals with young child abduction which sadly, is too much a part of the world today.  As skillfully as this movie is crafted, this may in some cases be simply too much harsh and real subject matter for some to see. Especially if you have young children and young daughters specifically.  So be advised going in.

This is the story of two families in lower-middle class Pennsylvania who live in a very average neighborhood who share Thanksgiving dinner together.   After the dinner, the two young girls (about 10), one from each family, leave the house under very average circumstances. They then disappear in broad daylight by someone driving an old beat up RV.  No one sees them and no one has any idea where they are.  Panic sets in.

The police are notified and they send out a lone wolf, dedicated detective (Gyllenhaal) to investigate the case.  He is determined to bring the girls home.   So the search begins, and frustration sets in with the two families over the slowness, and the bureaucracy of the system.  After a few days, the two fathers from each family  (Jackman and Howard) decide to take a vigilante approach to this. They kidnap the young man who was caught driving the said RV, who has the IQ of a 10 year old.  And begin torturing him after the police release him for no real evidence.  Will the find the girls alive?  And what will this event do to all of them?  That is Prisoners.

Yes, this is very harsh.  You have to deal with child abduction and all the feelings that go with that.  You have to witness torture of this young man, and you have to deal with two and half hours of immense mental anguish these families go through.  Plus the pain that the detective feels, as time seems to be slipping away.  Who kidnapped these girls and where are they?  Rough stuff.

But with all of that said, and accepting it if you can, this is a very well done movie that is daring enough to look at this all to often reported crime and make it real.  This movie does not sugar coat one thing.  It also makes you feel the terrible anguish all are feeling.  And it doesn't error in turning this into Taken, which is a completely different kind of movie with a very different vibe and feel.

Jackman is sensational in this huge role as a conservative, God fearing. hard working laborer who does the only thing he knows to do to try to find his young girl.  But Gyllenhaal may give the best performance of his career as the solitary detective who is only on this earth to do his job.  I thought he was strength of this movie as he is amazingly believable in this role.  The supporting cast is great, but may be a bit over-casted as there wasn't enough movie to go around at times.   As tough as this is for many, this is a pretty good and bold movie.

Prisoners.  Not for everyone, but quite good.