Prisoners (Blu-ray+DVD)

One of the best thriller/crime films ever made, if not the best. Acting, 10/10. Storyline, 9/10. Cinematography, 9/10. Pacing, 8/10. If you enjoy a dark film about crime and uneasy concepts, this is a pretty unique one. Give it a try!

Dark and emotional, it keeps you guessing the whole time. Hugh Jackman is amazing in it — you really feel his desperation. Jake Gyllenhaal’s great too, super focused and mysterious. It’s not a light movie, but if you’re into suspense and thrillers that actually make you think, this one’s worth your time.

My rating is more of a 4.5Thanks for reading!𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆.Prisoners is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay written by Aaron Guzikowski. The film has an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. It is Villeneuve's first English-language feature film.The plot focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the subsequent search for the suspected abductor by the police. After police (Notably: Loki) arrest a young suspect (Alex) and release him, the father (Keller) of one of the daughters takes matters into his own hands.It’s only fair I guess that I start with disclosures:For reasons that I will elaborate on further, as part of my research here I did something I’m not usually compelled to do:I read the screenplay for 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔. All 137 pages of it.In addition to this, I watched an interview done by Guzikowski that was designed to loosely document what adapting his writing into a full-length film took from a procedural standpoint.So: I’m going in to this review with a basic understanding of how the roots of 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 compares to the fruit it bears and the criticism it cultivates.Up first for the dredging: My finest compliments to the chef (AKA: Roger Deakins, the cinematographer).The earliest of many occasions where Deakins and Villeneuve would join forces, the darkness of 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔’s subject matter is emphasized through an aesthetic that favors harsh lighting and the decision to shoot use a lens that is most suitable for the most dim of conditions. Almost all of the scenes occurring outside were shot on days where the sun was actively hiding - with rain and snow almost being active participants - with items such as headlights, flashlights, and candles sometimes being the only source of light on set. Consequently, audience members are often forced to perceive and make their own observations amongst motion and a collection of interactions that are both highlighted and concealed by literal shadows in tandem: and what better way to follow a cohort of characters that seem perpetually in possession of something (Or even someone) to hide?Speaking of which - on paper Loki remains vaguely contained: He’s a cop (so, he has some sense of duty as it involves justice), he’s mostly a loner, and he’s forced to contend with an abounding anti-hero as a point of reference throughout.(P.S. Shout out to High Jackman for absolutely nailing the personification of familial rage)Interestingly enough, what aren’t found in Guzikowski’s screenplay are qualities that make Loki distinguishable; courtesy of Gyllenhall (As these specific ideas were all his), Loki is affixed with a number of attributes (tattoos, and a perfectly executed eye twitch) meant to suggest that his character has a past of his own that is potentially dubious and some underlying solace of melancholy that could break out at any given moment.(P.S. Whoever decided on the slicked back undercoat for the hair style Gyllenhall sports here….please just….keep making choices. You're obviously good at that)What 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 excels most as is an ongoing example of the power of precedence; moreover, complications that lend to nuance are successfully conjured using situations or qualities that are willingly receive through a biased viewpoint as opposed to a needlessly convoluted or narrow-minded one.Conflict revolving around impunity and complicity are snuck in like sweets that audience members may find themselves chewing on: further championing individual causes while maintaining a divisive (but authentic) atmosphere throughout.What this all contributes to is quite simple, really, as it makes some leeway for empathy that would otherwise be stubbornly withheld. We see this in how openly Keller’s actions (as a parent searching desperately for their endangered child) are both accepted and rebuked. We see this in deaths and significant events that force Loki (As someone with a penchant for perfectionism) headfirst into situations that allow little margin for error. We - although to a dimensioned extent, mind you - also see this in how easily the prime villain could be understood if given the chance after their grand reveal: fixated on some spiritually endowed retribution following their own experience with the bitter taste of bereavement, themselves.More of a footnote than a full blown complaint: I can’t help but feel the commitment to possibly fractured characters isn’t as equally applied to Alex.Almost predictably, Alex is written as both predacious and innocuous, as misdirection is one of 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔’s primary ingredients, and much of Alex’s presence is defined by an inability to disclose meaningful information; it’s what makes him vastly separable from other suspects in the larger context of 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 (as the pressure to even interrogate him is dissipated by a larger majority of the characters well towards the end of the first act), and makes the moments where he utters mere syllables all the more important.And I can’t help but think more deeply about how Guzikowski thought best to achieve this when thought of in conjunction with the cruelty he is subsequently exposed to; quips are sprinkled throughout as commentary involving his handicap (“He has the intelligence of a 10 year”) and viewers are left with no genuine reason to believe that he is even remarkably shady (this is relevant in light of my previous point as some people may find themselves feeling sorry for Alex 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 of his disability as opposed to because of his immediate actions) amongst a collage of “truth bombs” and some level of intricate comprehension that he clearly 𝒊𝒔 capable of conveying when given a fair chance.And, again: Not as big of a complaint as it sounds, I promise. What I mean to emphasize here is a lack of 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 to Alex that is worth challenging and could perhaps be more thoughtfully delivered through characteristics that could be more believably manipulated (Like, just throwing it out there as a suggestion, the amount of doubt that characters could have as it how Alex 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 things) that don’t seem static or presumably inherent.(P.S. This is where I remind my audience that I subscribe wholeheartedly to #PaulDano supremacy. No, I will not speak more on that. In all seriousness, though , would love to have a discussion about this specifically in the comment section if Amazon even had one)If obscurity is a filter that dilutes the truth than 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 is as sleek as it is slippery: thriving as an assemblage of selectively loose ends and forced coherency amongst the rubble. Ambiguous and perplexing (For some, frustratingly so) while structurally robust, its baffling brilliance resembles that of a musician who has been forced to hone their craft using an instrument of their choosing that has been saturated beyond the point of recognition.There’s an intermittence of noise that could be described as unintelligible, but there’s no denying the facts:It manages, for the most part, to hit all of the right notes.P.S. I haven’t seen a single review of this film using the word A-MAZE-ING as a pun to describe it, so HERE IT IS.Thanks for reading, as usual.Hope you all are having a great day!

Sacrifice is a common theme in Prisoners from the opening scene in the forest Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) recites a prayer while his son Ralph Dover (Dylan Minnette) kills his first deer to the climax where the kidnapper explains that god is the reason why he or she is doing what they are doing and the reasoning behind all the violence her or she has committed, and it both benefits and hurts Prisoners making it a gripping yet an overly long and flawed mystery thriller.As with any good mystery thriller there has to be tension to keep the viewer guessing what will happen next, and suspense as to keep the viewer guessing as whom the murderer is, but first we must take a step back. Keller Dover is down on his luck carpenter whom is struggling, but still able to provide for his family. Keller a deeply spiritual man and his family head to his friend Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) home for Thanksgiving. The two families eat, drink and have fun until their daughters Anna Dover (Erin Gerasimovich) and Joy Birch (Kyla Drew Simmons) head off on their own, and never return to the Birch's home. With the tension rising as the parents call the police and search the neighborhood for the strange RV Ralph had spotted earlier, and this is where Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) makes his appearance when he gets the call about the RV arresting Alex Jones (Paul Dano).The tension and suspense really ratchets up in Prisoners from this point on as Loki and the CSI's find no evidence that Alex took the two girls, and is forced to let Alex go free yet Keller after a confrontation with Alex is sure the man knows where his daughter is and takes matters into his own hand. Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Aaron Guzikowski do a good job keeping up the drama and suspense as they keep hinting that Alex might be the kidnapper yet at the same time throwing in more suspects along the way to keep the viewer guessing until close to the end of the film. Besides the theme of sacrifice another theme Villeneuve and Guzikowski throw in a moral one as well, and try to get the viewer to understand Keller's decisions he has made like how far would you go to find your daughter, what sacrifices would you make to find your daughter, and for the majority of the film director Villeneuve and writer Guzikowiski succeed in doing so.While I really enjoyed Prisoners I had some issues with the story, and the characters as well with the biggest issue being the climax of the film. You wanted to see if the parents were worth of god's love? I know I can't read the minds of serial killers and kidnappers, but the reasoning just didn't match the tone of the film, and where the story was headed. I expected a better thought out payoff than the one I got in Prisoners. Along with the reasoning behind the kidnapping leads to another issue I had with the final act of Prisoners in that the kidnapper could have easily gotten away with it if he or she had just answered the door for Loki. They had plenty of time to hide the evidence, and Loki had no reason or a warrant to search the home. That scene just took me out of what was supposed to be a tension filled scene. Finally there is the scene with Grace Dover (Maria Bello) and detective Loki where she explains that everything her husband did was justified and without him doing what he did Loki wouldn't have found their daughter, which is just crap. I can't believe the writers trying to justify what Keller did forced the character Grace to say that, and I know she's Keller's wife, but Grace can't honestly believe that even if she won't voice it out loud. It was simply laughable moment, because what Keller did was all for nothing. Nothing he did helped find his daughter in fact he was hindering the investigation as Loki had to look into the disappearance of Alex taking time away from searching for the missing children. Director Villeneuve and writer Guzikowiski nearly let everything they achieved in Prisoners fall apart in the final act with plot holes, poorly written dialogue, and out of character decisions made by certain characters. The other problem I had with the Prisoners was the length of the film. The film I watched didn't justify a length of two hours and a half. With some smart editing the film could have been cut down to around two hours and fifteen minutes, and I believe those cuts would have added to the tension and suspense of the film.While the final act of Prisoners faltered the performances by the actors didn't. Hugh Jackman gives his best performance since the Prestige if not his career as Keller. The emotion Jackman gives to Keller brings to life the character and the decisions he has made, and the price Keller has paid making theme. Jake Gyllenhaal also gives an outstanding performance as Detective Loki who has chosen the job over having a family. Gyllenhaal really should stay away from the blockbuster films like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the Day After Tomorrow, because Gyllenhall is a far better actor in dramatic roles than action roles as he has proven in Donnie Darko, End of Watch, and Brokeback Mountain. Maria Bello doesn't have much to do in Prisoners as the distraught Grace Dover, but she gives a believable performance as a mother who has lost her daughter cutting herself off from the outside world. Like Mario Bello, Terrence Howard doesn't have much to do in his role as Franklin Birch as he is relegated to Keller's accomplice, but the experienced actor Howard gives his all in the role displaying the conflicting emotions when is morality is tested as he helps Keller in his quest to find their daughters.If not for the faulty final act, and climax Prisoners would go down as one of the great mystery thrillers like Memento, The Silence of the Lambs, and L.A. Confidential, but even with its flaws Prisoners is a riveting engrossing thriller with a quality moral story that will keep you guessing nearly to the end, outstanding performances by Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the rest of the cast that helps to turn Prisoners into enthralling, nerve-racking and thoughtful thriller, and one of the better films of the year.

After viewing so many duds This week, this one was amazingly good. I simply bought it because I saw the actors. I thought the movie name Prisoners was about something else. Hugh Jackson was superbly better acting than he is in Wolverine. The entire cast and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. Great film. It's a Keeper!