Review of Prisoners (2013) by Askewglasses — 25 Sep 2013

The film opens with Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) hunting with his son Ralph (Dylan Minnette). He utters a prayer as the deer wanders into the audience's vision. They say amen and Ralph shoots the deer. They drive home in heavy rain, while Keller gives his son a lecture about being prepared in life. They then return to home and the family goes to their neighbours for Thanksgiving dinner. He we are introduced to the very well written characters such as Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) and his wife Nancy (Viola Davis). Both Keller and Terrence have young daughters around the same age, and they go outside to play. Keller's daughter Anna (Erin Gerasimovich) asks her parents if she can go with Eliza (Zoe Soul), Terrence's daughter, back to her house to find her red whistle. But the family finds later she never asked her brother to come with her. They don't hear from the girls, and panic sets on.

The girls are declared missing and it is Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is put on the case. He finds a man who was near girls last known location and brings him in. His name is Alex (Paul Dano) but unfortunately isn't able to tell them much else. Without evidence he is released, but Keller is certain Alex took his daughter, and he won't stop until he can find his daughter by any means necessary.

The movie may be slow for people, but it takes its time to develop strong characters and creates a sense of realism from the performances. Hugh Jackman's character is so well done I was reminded of the desperate man performances of the past like James Stewart in Vertigo (1958) or Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven (1992). It's a very enduring character that I believe will be remembered fondly in the years to come. Another interesting performance is by Jake Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki. He's a Detective who cares about the case but is open to all possibilities as film goes on. Even his image with the slicked back hair and tattoos are rather different from the strong moral sense he exhibits.

But aside from the performances the cinematography stands out. The director of photography, Roger Deakins, uses slow zooms and out focus backgrounds with great editing to create a unique visual experience. Visually it compares to Deakins' other work like Skyfall (2012) and No Country for Old Men (2007). In the end Prisoners work on multiple levels and is a great film to see in theatres.