Movie Review: PRISONERS

PRISONERS
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo

This twisty ethical child abduction mystery thriller will have people pretty divided. I can tell you that I was engrossed from the very first frame and did not check the watch in the entire two and a half hour run-time. No, this is not even my Jake Gyllenhaal bias showing through. Thanksgiving should be this joyful day spent with family and friends stuffing your face and having a peaceful time. For the Dover and Birch families, it will go down as the Thanksgiving they will never forget.

After their joint celebration Keller and Grace Dover (Jackman and Bello) and Nancy and Franklin Birch (Davis and Howard) settle down for a little wine and music only to realize their daughters are missing. The girls’ older teenage siblings have not seen them since dinner when they went to play outside. Earlier in the day, the girls came across a mysterious van parked on the street that they wanted to play on. Keller’s son informs them about the van and the search begins for the owner and the girls. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) quickly discovers the van outside a gas station and arrests the disturbed driver, Alex Jones (Dano). Alex is a quiet, almost mute, man who seems to have severe mental issues. Detective Loki rules him out as a suspect after discovering he has the IQ of a ten year old and his van is completely clear of prints, blood, and other evidence.

Loki continues on with the case by following various leads and theories. He is not about to let this go away as the girls’ parents grow more and more concerned. Keller is adamant that Alex is guilty and that the police have let the wrong guy go free. He decides to take matters into his own hands. His drastic measures could have severe consequences for his family and for the Birchs. If you have seen the trailers or think I may be giving away too much, just you wait! This all happens within the first thirty minutes or so and the mystery twists and turns as the days pass by and the girls remain missing.

I knew by the opening shots and the distinct care put into capturing the weather, nature, and atmosphere that a master cinematographer was behind the camera. Ten time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins (Skyfall, Fargo, The Shawshank Redemption) works his magic by framing so many of the shots into stunning visuals that tell their own stories as well as shape the story we are watching before us. Can we get this genius an Oscar already? What does it take? It is a shame that these artists are typically left unnoticed and very under appreciated.

The film centers around mazes which play a big part into the investigation and the journey Loki takes to solving the crime and the one Keller takes in dealing with the disappearance of his little girl. When you start adding in twists and turns into any mystery, you will inevitably leave the audience divided. I know some people are giving the film flack for having said twists and debate the logistics and reality of them, but I think they work. They are the roadblocks and walls in this maze Loki and Keller are dealing with throughout the story. The Detective Loki character remains a bit of a mystery as well. He is seen with a fully buttoned shirt, slicked back hair, neck and knuckle tattoos, and remains fairly stoic throughout. He never shows a deep empathy or emotion toward the parents, but you know he is determined to find the girls. Much of his inner thoughts and discoveries are kept bottled up inside. Gyllenhaal excels at keeping much of this character unknown.

Gyllenhaal is just one part of the strong ensemble that make the core of the film work so well. Viola Davis is always touching and strong. I’ll watch her cry her eyes out any day of the week. Maria Bello redeems herself from the lackluster “Prime Suspect” remake that aired two seasons ago. Howard and Jackman are very hit or miss for me. Often times, they are a bit over-the-top and showy, but here they show such restraint and control knowing when to unleash their inner anger. I seem to be in a minority with Jackman in Les Miserables. I thought he just screamed and shouted far too much for the character of Jean Valjean. He does quite a bit of that here, but it is far more appropriate and comes when needed for the character. This is by far the best performance of his career. Then we have Paul Dano. We have seen him in numerous indie hits, but he is absolutely stunning here. His physicality speaks volumes and adds so many complex layers to this mysterious character. He does this all with the very minor dialogue he is given. I would LOVE to see him acknowledged by the Academy or other critics, but will most likely go unnoticed with Jackman and Gyllenhaal doing captivating work in the starring roles.

This is a heavy hitter that will not sit well with many moviegoers. It asks those ethical and moral questions of what you would do if you were in the same situation. Would you stop at nothing like Jackman's character when it comes to the safety of your child? The twists and turns will divide the audience and so will the ending. I am obviously not going to spoil that here, but I do not see what the fuss is all about. I think it fits in perfectly with the style and tone of the rest of the film. Director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski try to cover quite a bit ground by taking the story on numerous routes much like an investigator would. I was left with some minor questions afterwards, but none that outweighed the emotional punch I was given throughout by this strong ensemble of actors many of which give some of their best performances.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER

LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Terrence Howard

Director Lee Daniels has lined up one hell of an ensemble for his latest movie. The movie is a who’s who of Oscar winners and heavy hitters. Do not let the trailer fool you; the story is more about the butler’s family than all the presidents the butler worked for. As a young boy, Cecil Gaines (Whitaker) grew up working as a field servant and a house servant on a cotton field. When he is old enough to leave that volatile environment, he gets taken in by a restaurant manager who realizes he is in need of help. He takes him under his wing and teaches him the proper etiquette to be a waiter and butler. After twenty years of serving the guests of the Excelsior Hotel, Cecil’s extraordinary service gets noticed. He gets a call from the White House to work as a butler under President Eisenhower (Robin Williams). For someone from his background, this was an opportunity that only dreams were made of. Cecil would go on to work for each president from the Eisenhower administration through Ronald Reagan (Alan Rickman).

The film centers around the Gaines family and how they deal with the shift in equality for an African American family from the years of the Civil Rights Movement to the eventual run of the first African American president. Cecil’s work in the White House provides support for his wife Gloria (Winfrey) and sons Louis (Oyelowo) and Charlie (Elijah Kelly). Louis grows up to take his life into a different direction by fighting for equality. Much to his parents dismay for his safety, he joins the Freedom Riders, becomes a member of Martin Luther King’s inner circle, and later joins the Black Panthers. Charlie decides to head into battle in Vietnam. Gloria has trouble coping and dealing with the fact her husband is never home and the lives of her sons are always in jeopardy. Cecil remains devoted and faithful to her throughout the years despite some of the choices she makes in dealing with her depression.

Whenever I see “inspired by a true story” in the credits, I translate that to mean that the idea for the film may be based on a real person, but the majority of the story and its characters are fictitious and made-up for dramatic purposes. The screenplay by Emmy winner Danny Strong (Game Change) is adapted from a Washington Post article called, “A Butler Well Served by This Election” by Wil Haygood. The character of Cecil Gaines is based on Eugene Allen who served under eight presidents from Truman to Reagan. He had a wife, one son, and the ending of the movie is similar to the events in Allen’s life, but other than that, the majority of the film is fictional. Some may feel like the film is a choppy Cliff Notes storyline of the history of each of these presidents. I disagree as Strong’s idea to turn the movie into a family story grounds the film and makes it more humane in tone without feeling like a boring special on the History Channel.

Some of the casting may seem a bit gimmicky like having Robin Williams play Eisenhower or John Cusack play Richard Nixon. Surprisingly enough, the majority of the casting works pretty well. The trailer makes it look like they have supporting roles, but many are glorified cameos in one or two scenes. Cusack may not look like Nixon, but he does have the voice down. Many of these actors (Gooding, Kravitz, Carey, Cusack, and Oyelowo) have appeared in Daniels’ other films. If only Jane Fonda could have been in more of the movie as Nancy Reagan. She is quite good in the five minutes we see her. The real standouts are Whitaker, Winfrey, and Oyelowo. It is a bummer that many people forget Winfrey is quite a talented actress. I do not think she or others give her the credit she deserves. Gloria is by no means an easy walk-on role. It is even more impressive as this is her first film in fifteen years since 1998’s Beloved. Winfrey and Whitaker stretch themselves vocally and physically to age their characters at an appropriate pace in the sixty years the film spans. Kudos to the hair and make-up team for their work at aging those characters as well as their work on the other historical figures.

With only four movies under his belt, Lee Daniels is growing as a director. He makes interesting choices with his projects and casting decisions. I do not feel like he is ever playing it completely safe. His ideas may not always work out, but I appreciate his approach and outlook as a filmmaker. Precious was an intense film that packs a punch, but it is a one-time-only film for me. The Paperboy, unfortunately, was a bit of a muddled mess. Lee Daniels’ The Butler may get a bit sentimental for audiences looking for a more historical to-the-point look at the time period. Again, I disagree. Daniels gets fantastic performances out of his cast and keeps the pace going swiftly despite all of the ground he is trying to cover. Strong’s screenplay is sharp enough without ever feeling too “let’s feel sorry for the characters”. There are plenty of good laughs, times you’ll be embarrassed by history, and times you will cheer for the Gaines family. I saw it with a packed house and there were numerous audible reactions along the way.

The movie is definitely aiming for some Oscar gold here. You’ve got your inspirational storyline, historical setting and timeline, stand-out performances, and Oscar winning cast members. We shall see if it is still remembered come voting season. It is produced by The Weinstein Company who love to campaign hard for their movies. Like Fruitvale Station, I think it is another important film to see to remind us of how far we have come regarding equality in this country.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)