Prisoners

How far would you go to find your kidnapped daughter?

Prisoners would have to be one of the most polished films of the year.  I was completely engrossed in every shot of the movie just loving the unique positioning of the camera, the clarity, the beauty.  Director Denis Villeneuve and his team capture the tone of the dark subject perfectly.

Then combine this with an incredible cast. Hugh Jackman,  Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano amongst others not so well known yet still great actors/actresses.  Jackman is very convincing playing the desperate father who in his own mind is forced to cross the line and take matters into his own hands.  Howard is good as the father of the other victim - acting almost as a voice of reason to the out of control Jackman. 

My favourite performance though was Jake Gyllenhaal playing the obsessed detective Loki.  A man who has solved every case he has been assigned.  Although as the story played out it felt he was always a step or two behind, his persistence never wavered and we can see the reasons for that perfect record.   My only complaint with Loki is we are given very little, if any background on him.  He is obviously a dark and complicated man but any cause or reason for this is left up to our imagination.  I'm sure the name 'Loki' (The father of Hel in Norse mythology) is deliberate... I just would have liked to see a bit more fleshing out here.

Dano is worth a mention as well playing the simpleton Alex Jones.  With an IQ of 10, Jones becomes a very interesting character as you're never quite sure if there is more to him or if he is just a diversion.   Prisoners is one of those thrillers with many suspects and as the movie plays out you will change your mind a number of times.  I wouldn't rave that the ending is going to blow any minds however it very deliberately challenges the previous actions of the characters and further blurs the lines of right and wrong.  Hard to say more on this without giving too much away.

I highly recommend checking this thoughtful drama/thriller out.   For me I don't think the re-watch value is super high but for a first watch it was a damn good ride.

8/10

IMDB Info