|
|
|
Captivity
(2007)
 
After a controversial marketing campaign lead many critics to declare
that this film was contributing to the fall of civilization, I decided
to see it and make up my own mind. To my surprise, it's actually an
effective horror film.
Actress/model Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert) is stalked, drugged, and
awakens in an isolated cell, where she's subjected to psychological
and sensory torture by a merciless sociopath (Pruitt Taylor Vince).
She discovers a man named Gary (Daniel Gillies) in the next cell, and
together they try to escape from their sadistic jailer.
Oscar nominated director Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields, The
Mission) plays in the horror genre sandbox for the first time and the
result is a disturbing yet compelling thriller made with a high degree
of craftsmanship. Joffé builds and maintains the tension throughout,
and the violence is more psychologically shocking than graphic in most
instances. The screenplay by Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Maniac Cop)
and first time screenwriter Joseph Tura isn't particularly subtle and
the ending is hardly original, but it knows exactly what's necessary
to tell this kind of a story.
The film belongs to a subgenre of horror that's been erroneously
labeled by some critics as "torture porn." The "porn" part of the
label implies that audiences are supposed to become aroused by it, but
I would suggest that the filmmakers are actually trying to push the
limits of what can be done to disturb an audience. In this film,
you're supposed to be disturbed by what the main character experiences
and sympathize with her, not excited by observing her abuse. Far from
being misogynistic, I think it's actually about how misogyny leads to
violence against women.
Cinematographer Daniel Pearl (1973's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and
its 2003 remake) and production designer Addis Gadzhiyev work with
Joffé to create a claustrophobic atmosphere that disorients the
audience as much as the characters, with most of the film being shot
in a Moscow studio. Marco Beltrami (The Invisible, Live Free or
Die Hard) contributes a solid score.
Cuthbert (tv's 24) delivers a believable performance as Jennifer, and her
terror seems genuine rather than forced. This is the type of film
where a performer could easily go over the top, but Cuthbert doesn't.
Gillies is merely average as her fellow captor, but he also avoids
going too far over the top towards the end. Vince creates a chilling
characterization in limited screen time. Laz Alonso and Michael
Harney are solid as two cops looking for the missing Jennifer,
although one gets the feeling that some of their scenes were edited out.
Captivity isn't going to garner another Oscar nomination for its
director, but it achieves what it sets out to do in an unsettling
fashion and isn't really deserving of the moral panic it seems to have
generated in some quarters. It's a decent B-movie that doesn't
overstay its welcome at only 85 minutes of running time.
-Danielle
Ní Dhighe
|
|
|
|
All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
|
|
 |
Director:
Roland
Joffé
Writer: Larry
Cohen, Joseph Tura
Starring: Elisha
Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Michael Harney, Laz Alonso
Distributor: Lionsgate
Runtime: 85
min
Rating: R
Release Date: July
13, 2007
|
|
 |
|
