

Twisty plot of 'Prisoners' is a study in the stuff of parental nightmares

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips reviews 'Prisoners' starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.


Times are neither flush nor terrible, but Keller scrapes to make his mortgage payments. He is a righteous man living for better circumstances. They do not come.


The police are brought in. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a loner detective named Loki who goes by the book, wearily, for a while, until he's goaded into action by Keller. The rest of "Prisoners," which is an extremely well-made thriller dressed up in a few ambiguities for show, follows Keller down a bloody rabbit hole leading to old, unsolved murders and figments of evil very much alive and unwell.

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The specter of child abduction is enough to make most parents sick, which is why most films (this one included) take pains to offer relief and solace through extreme brutality en route to a conclusion. Nothing's bad enough for the perps of a novel or film such as "Mystic River," which "Prisoners" resembles somewhat, though at its creepiest and most ambitious the film more strongly evokes David Fincher's "Zodiac." "Prisoners" casts such an effectively sustained mood of dread in its first hour, you hardly notice the familiarity of the mystery cliches and, in particular, the overstressing of one clue that renders a subsequent major plot revelation less than revelatory.

Paul Dano worms around as Alex, the chief suspect in the case, a mentally challenged boy-man whose RV was seen near the site of the girls' disappearance. Loki books him on suspicion but cannot hold him for lack of evidence. This allows Keller to become judge, jury and potential executioner in the story, kidnapping Alex (who knows more than he's telling) and handcuffing him to a grungy apartment bathroom sink, away from the prying eyes of the law. The torturous beatings commence, with and without instruments of pain in Keller's meaty hands. They're tough to watch. We're not meant to disapprove. Dano has played so many shifty, unpleasant ferrets in his career, the casting of this actor in this sort of part is shorthand for "he has it coming, no matter what."

Director Denis Villeneuve is the star here, and he finds truth even in the junk aspects of "Prisoners." The Quebecois filmmaker's work includes the remarkable "Incendies," and in "Prisoners," which was shot in Georgia, he works closely with cinematographer Roger Deakins (making digital look nearly as rich and foreboding as film stock) to create a series of scenes, interior and exterior, that are grim trials of a parent's soul. Eventually the plot throws in everything from puzzle pieces to actual serpents and, because Loki (named, oddly, for the Norse god of trickery) isn't much of a character, Jackman's Keller dominates the proceedings. He's our Mr. Everyman with a hammer, so sturdy of body and stalwart of earnest spirit, Keller's righteousness is never long in doubt.

Around the midpoint, screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski's story starts layering in the red herrings and widening the circle of sleaze. Throughout this beautifully made, slightly specious exercise in Old Testament revenge, the character-study aspects of "Prisoners" coexist intriguingly with the grisly-inhumanity components. Some will take it and like it, all the way to the heart of darkness. Others may feel they've been jacked with, manipulated. Villeneuve collaborates with unusual sensitivity with his actors. The script operates on one level; the interpreters on another, higher level.

"Prisoners" - 3 stars

MPAA rating: R (for disturbing violent content, including torture, and language throughout)

Running time: 2:26

Opens: Friday
