Prisoners (2013)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard

Running time: 153 minutes

The Dover family is having Thanksgiving dinner at the home of their neighbors and friends, Franklin and Nancy Birch, when the young daughters of each family disappear while going unsupervised from one house to the other. They are believed to have been abducted, and Detective Loki goes on the case, intent on finding the little girls. Considering that playing by the rules is not getting the job done fast enough, one of the fathers decides to get involved, gravely complicating matters.

With this film, Quebecker Denis Villeneuve truly showed his talent for directing. With a brilliant cast of actors under him, he managed to tell a riveting story that keeps the viewer hooked from beginning to end. The pace is just right and keeps us wanting more.

The cinematography is excellent here, with darkness and minimal lighting playing a huge role. The use of the rainy weather and somber colors for the exterior shots were also a nice touch and fitted nicely with the mood of the characters.

Hugh Jackman was absolutely amazing as Heller Dover, a recovering alcoholic and survivalist having a hard time waiting patiently as the police is looking for his daughter. The intensity Jackman displayed in that role was such that he came right off the screen in every scene. Absolute dedication on his part; kudos. Jake Gyllenhal was also very good. The other actors were also convincing, in their smaller roles.  

Originally, I was really turned off by the ending of this film. Watching it again, I got it a little better, though it still felt a little too artsy and cute for my taste. All things considered, Prisoners is a solid thriller that has to be seen, if only to witness Hugh Jackman’s great acting performance.

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