Prisoners directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrance Howard, Maria Bello, and Paul Dano.
One of the more surprising movies I've seen in a long time and one of the better of those movies as well. I honestly had no idea where the screenplay was going half time and for me to be kind of clueless about that is an amazing feat. Nothing that happened with the screenplay felt cheap or fake, I thought it earned all the twists and emotions within it, they felt genuine. The movie does a great job of keeping all the characters in character throughout and definitely creates a story where the title of the movie weaves throughout the story. This theme of prisoners can be linked to every character as it takes on more of presence and a sense of character, than just a story about two missing girls, which is the catalyst that starts everything off. Every character in this movie is a prisoner of something, whether literal or metaphorical, something is keeping them captured.
A great production really helped to convey a sense of reality that blended well with the story. This movie didn't feel like it was made on a Hollywood set. It had the feeling of being shot on location in the town where it was set that gave it an authentic quality to it that a lot of movies lack. Then the director Denis Villeneuve moved his camera around,, created shots, and scenes that were some of the better ones I've seen in a movie in a long time. Definitely a director to keep your one as his future movies come out. There was just an assurance to this direction that was devoid of gimmicks and had a firm foundation in the directing styles of the past, where the directors actually directed without getting caught up in gimmicks or fads.
The acting in this movie from the two leads Jackman and Gyllenhaal to every secondary characters wholly through themselves into their roles. Not a person was miscast and everyone earned every emotion they conveyed.
