Review of Prisoners (2013) by Alonso A — 07 Jan 2017

Canadian arthouse landmark director Denis Villeneuve decided to finally breakthrough into U.S. market with is mainstream debut "Prisoners". In spite of the big names on the cast, Villeneuve maintains all the aspects that conform the integrity of his directing. Shots that show the tension of the situation, and clear details that impact you immediately.

The story is slowly paced, and has many twists along side it, some working better than others, but what really prevents the running time from being a bothering aspect, is the greatly constructed characters and the respecting solid acting's from the cast. Jackman's troubled and agressive father demands your attention, but it's Gyllenhaal's meditative cop who really stands out for me.

The grimy and bleak tone of the story is portrayed with expertise by the masterful hand of cinematographer Roger Deakins, and this really adds to the constant atmosphere of suspense. For this reason, and Villeneuve's style of direction, one might draw comparations with David Fincher's style, something that isn't actually bad per se.

The main problem with the film is its heavy-handed religious symbolism, which never really adds anything to the actual story line, and is deeply under-used. Aside from that, there are some points in the story that seem somewhat out of place, but still, these don't really ruin the viewing experience.

Overall, Prisoners is a greatly crafted Thriller, with outstanding acting's, award-worthy photography and an interesting story that keeps you hooked for its somewhat overlong running time.