Prisoners posterThis one’s tough. The performances are excellent, but I kind of wanted my two-and-a-half hours back. Prisoners is intense and plodding and psychologically taxing, and every parent’s worst nightmare. Hugh Jackman plays Keller Dover, a desperate father who decides to take matters into his own hands when his young daughter and a neighborhood friend go missing. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead detective whose entire life revolves around his job.

The less said, the better. The movie – a crime drama/mystery – takes some twists and turns that you may or may not see coming. Jackman’s character basically ends up imprisoning and torturing a possible suspect in his daughter’s disappearance, becoming more and more frantic – and brutal – as the hours and days slip away.

The all-star supporting cast includes Maria Bello as Keller’s wife, Terrence Howard and Viola Davis as the parents of the other missing girl, Paul Dano as the creepy suspect Alex Jones, and Melissa Leo as Alex’s Aunt.

This is not your typical Hugh Jackman movie. There’s not much action or singing or smiling or snarling. It’s pretty raw stuff. So brace yourself.

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