Prisoners

                                                                       

RUNNING TIME:  153 minutes

LEAD CAST:  Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Danao

DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve

SCREENWRITER:  Aaron Guzikowski           

PRODUCER:  Broderick Johnson, Kira Davis, Andrew A. Kosove, Adam Guzikowski

EDITOR:  Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach

MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Johann Johannsson
GENRE:  Drama, Crime & Thriller
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Roger A. Deakins
DISTRIBUTOR:  Warner Bros.
LOCATION:  US

TECHNICAL:  4

MORAL:  2.5

MTRCB RATING:  R13

CINEMA RATING:  R18

Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is a deeply religious man who prides himself in being ready for any eventuality. They live in a small town and with his wife Grace (Maria Bello) and two children, they celebrate Thanksgiving with the Birches, Franklin and Nancy (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis), who have two children of the same age. The two girls, Anna Dover and Joy Birch, asked permission to go out for a walk but didn’t call their elder siblings to accompany them as instructed. While the rest of the families stayed inside, Anna and Joy disappeared. A frantic search ensued, and the only clue is a van parked on the side street on which the girls wanted to play earlier. Alex Jones (Paul Dano), the van’s driver, is apprehended by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), but is found to be a mentally challenged drifter with an IQ of a 10-year old, and is soon released for lack of evidence. Alex was raised by his aunt Holly Jones (Melissa Leo). He rarely speaks. Impatient with how the police are handling the case and desperate to rescue his little girl Anna, Dover kidnaps Alex who told him earlier that, “They (the girls) only cried when I left them.” He uses torture to interrogate Alex to get out everything he can from him. Will he have enough time to learn his daughter’s whereabouts and save her?

Prisoners brings together an ensemble cast where almost every actor has been awarded or nominated for awards. Each of them gives an incredible performance, thanks to the masterful handling and direction of Denis Villeneuve. Jackman and Gyllenhaal portray their multi-faceted characters with relentless intensity and believability. From the first scene in the forest to the cramped room where Alex was tortured, Roger A. Deakins’ cinematography is poetic, broody, and masterful. Aaron Guzikowski turns a simple story of abduction into a complex thriller, suspense and drama where unexpected plot twists, the inner struggles of characters and surrounding circumstances are well intertwined, keeping the viewers at the edge of their seats for 153 minutes! It would have been better if it was 10-20 minutes less, though. Johann Johannsson’s music adds to the anxiety, conflict and overall darkness. Prisoners, Villeneuve’s first English language film is simply a technical masterpiece.

Prisoners draws you to relate intimately with the story – long after the credits roll. It invites you to look at the gray and complex areas of life and makes you question:

·       What is my worst fear?

·       What am I willing to do for the sake of people I love?

·       How far can parents protect their children from danger?

·       Is torture and murder ever justified, no matter what the circumstances? Can I take the law in my hand?

·       What imprisons me? What can push me to the edge? What do I run away from?

·       What choices do I make? How do they impact the life of others?

·       Does my faith inform my actions and behavior?

The film begins with Dover telling his young son, “Be ready. All that stands between you and being dead is you.” A few minutes later, he finds out for himself it was not so. No one can truly feel safe, in spite of a basement full of supplies for survival. And violence, for whatever compels a person to it, demeans the aggressor and victim. Prisoners not only invites us to look at the paranoia and violence in our world but also at the pain and barricades we make to shield ourselves from uncertainty. It also encourages us too, to make peace with our prisons and make choices not from fear but out of compassion.

Religious imagery appears significantly in the film – crosses, a Masonic ring, an alcoholic priest… A preacher is heard on the radio as Keller turns it on: “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). Plus the Our Father is prayed not once but twice. When was the last time you heard a Hollywood movie do these? Is this Villeneuve’s way of confronting America and the world to look beyond ourselves to a God who is Father? Because of the intense and frequent violence and emotional stress, some vulgar language, and the moral dilemmas in it, CINEMA encourages ethical and moral discussions about the movie among adults, and gives this film an R 18 rating.