Review of Keane (2004) by Logan G — 17 Oct 2010

Every once in a while a film comes along that sticks with you long after it is over. Everyone who loves a good film experiences this phenomenon, and all good filmmakers strive to create a film that provides said experience. Being able to create something wholly memorable rather than something fleeting or easily forgettable is perhaps the single most important element of art.

One may ask, "What causes a film to be memorable?" Well, there are many different ways in which a film can achieve such a status. Sometimes a film sticks with you because it made you cry. Sometimes films leave you with a big smile on your face. Others may make you laugh so hard that you end up crying! Sometimes a film manages to rattle the very depths of your soul to the point where you are in absolute awe of what you just experienced. Films that manage to evoke a genuine emotional response from the viewer tend to be memorable; and the truly great films end up becoming classics because they manage to bring forth emotion on a consistent basis.

Keane is one of those "shake your soul" kind of films, though it is far from uplifting. In fact, its ending is more of an escape than anything else. Not that it being an "escape" is a bad thing, however. Keane is a film that manages to evoke a wide range of emotions from the viewer, but many of these emotions are not happy ones.

The title character William Keane (Damian Lewis) is a mentally disturbed man teetering on a brink of absolute insanity. So disturbed, in fact, and it would not be out of the question for the faint of heart to turn off this film in its early stages. Of course, this is largely thanks to Lewis in his fantastically nuanced and even downright terrifying performance as the father who is beyond obsessed over finding his lost daughter. The first emotion that appears is sympathy as we watch Keane in his sorry state of looking endlessly for the daughter he will probably never find. However, as the film progresses a surprising emotion arises: empathy. Keane finds a reprieve from his madness in Kira (Abigail Breslin), the seven-year-old daughter of a woman (Amy Ryan) he met at the hotel in which he currently resides. As Keane's attachment to Kira grows stronger and stronger, we begin to understand what drove Keane to near madness. Later on the emotions one may feel range from happiness to sadness to even fear as the film nears its climax and abrupt, but fitting ending.

Lodge Kerrigan's excellent direction includes the brilliant choice to utilize claustrophobic camera angles that primarily focus on Keane's face. Kerrigan directs Lewis to use varying body language and facial expressions in order to keep the audience guessing when it comes to what Keane is thinking. There are many moments of several seconds of Keane looking around haphazardly and muttering to himself in which you may have an idea of what he is thinking but then he does something completely opposite. Especially during the moments when he has "lost it." The pacing of the film is deliberate and there is no musical score whatsoever as well. All of this adds up to a fascinating film that enables the viewer to get a glimpse into the essence of mental illness -- and also into the less comely sides of life.

Keane is such an intense examination of the human mind that one may breathe a sigh of relief when the end credits roll. They as the viewer have escaped from a very unsettling, yet extremely bewitching film. A film that will they will (hopefully) remember for the rest of their life. Hats off to Lodge Kerrigan and especially to Damian Lewis for his phenomenal performance.