Prisoners film review

If this film is to be believed, small town America is a frightening place.  The unspecified setting is non-descript, poor, rural and there is no shortage of creepy villagers.  Prisoners examines justice and injustice through the stories of families who lose their young children.  Hugh Jackman is our central figure, who takes justice into his own hands.  This pits him directly against a hard-working police officer who believes following the law is the only way to salvation.  No wait, that's Les Miserables.  No wait, it is Prisoners too!  In this case, though, Jake Gyllenhaal provides the foil to Jackman's loose cannon.  Gyllenhaal's performance is engrossing, helped by his thuggish appearance, which hints at a dark past we are not privy to.  I guess it is easier to make such a stickler for the rules interesting when no singing is involved.

In Prisoners, these two men employ different methods - but ultimately they want the same thing.  For when it comes to the lives of children, don't we all want the same thing?  Every child deserves a warm home and a family who loves them and nourishes their growth.  In Prisoners we see the outcome of children growing up without such positive influences.

The story is very cleverly constructed, and it retains a sense of mystery through to the end.  There are many brutal elements, though, and the tone is generally quite raw.

See this film to enjoy an intriguing, if disturbing, yarn.