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FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Prisoners principally follows two characters in the search for two missing girls: the distraught father trying to torture information out of the apparent culprit, and the police officer on the case.
It's strange that, among so many movies this year based on true stories, this one apparently isn't! :) It plays itself so seriously that I kept expecting "a true story" to appear on screen.
And it's that sense of realism that's the movie's greatest strength. That approach perfectly fits the grim, sombre tone the movie sets up – but never to the point where it gets depressing. Nothing feels farfetched or artificial, and the characters all seem like real people. In particular, major kudos to Hugh Jackman! :) Even though the character is being driven to horrific torture, every mannerism of his performance makes him seem just like an ordinary guy every step of the way. When he flips out, you really believe it!
But while it's executed so brilliantly, it's not tailored completely to my taste. A lot of the dialogue is a little too simplistic for my liking, and the overall pacing is maybe a bit too slow to be truly engaging or suspenseful.
It's also pretty disappointing that Hugh Jackman's wife gets tossed aside for almost the entire movie, but now I'm just nitpicking.
Overall, while it plods a little too much for me, this is still one of the most impressive movies I've seen all year.
My rating: 80%
