Review of Chained (2012) by Alex B — 29 May 2013

This film was a big surprise for the first two and a half thirds. It was very enthralling and I actually cared about Rabbit. The actor isn't great, but he still gives a very vulnerable and emotional performance.

Vincent D'Onofrio gives a amazing performance. He is so believable and realistic. He isn't over-the-top crazy. He seems like a normal guy until you go into the house. He has great intensity and deliveries and you have no idea what he will do next.

I was very enthralled by him. Jennifer Lynch directs this film with a very peeping tom kind of feel. It is shot like you are a fly on the wall and watching something you shouldn't be. She doesn't cut away.

That is a little bit of a problem. Sometimes shots go on a little too long, but no shot is too short. The cinematography is fantastic. The grittiness of the house is great. It is beautiful in it's own sort of way.

I love the color palate. The darkness of it is great. There are very few instances of the camera moving. It is usually a still camera shot. I did like it a lot. I was really surprised by her directing and can't wait for her next film.

Lynch also wrote a very good script, for the most part. The film doesn't really have plot after the beginning. It is just scenes of the life of Rabbit in captivity. Normally, this would be bad and repetitive.

The case here is that Lynch lures us in with what will happen next. What happens is so interesting and weird that I don't notice there's no real plot. As I said earlier, the first two and a half thirds are really good.

Where the film really falls is the ending. There is a very, very, very, very, very unnecessary twist. There was no need at all for it. The ending also seems to forget about Angie. She's the whole reason why Rabbit turns against Bob.

What should have happened is that he goes back into the normal world, with Angie, and reunites with his father, who did care about him the whole time. That would have been a more satisfying ending. What we get doesn't ruin the film, but it really hurts it.

The characters are well written. We actually get a backstory to Bob and we feel a little sympathetic for him. Rabbit is well written and you understand why he doesn't fight back for the most part.

The dialogue is good. It shows the relationship between Rabbit and Bob. Overall, the film is just okay. The ending really did turn this from a really good film, to just an okay one. The first two and a half thirds would be one of the best thriller films in the past years.

That ending really does hurt it though. In the end, I give it a B-.