PRISONERS : Postscripts

[annetter]

totally agree. Also, I think that if there was a different ending - reuniting Keller with his daughter- , Hugh would have been nominated (and won) that illusive Oscar.

[jo]

thefulcrum.ca/arts/movies-you-should-have-seen-prisoners-2013/

Arts
Movies You Should Have Seen: Prisoners (2013)
Lucas Gergyek 2019/03/30, 3:30 pm


Prisoners was Villeneuve’s first English-language feature film. Photo: Alcon Entertainment.


Why it’s famous
French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is well decorated, to say the least — he’s collected a number of Academy Awards throughout his filmmaking journey. When he unleashed Prisoners, a film stacked with the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Viola Davis and Dylan Minnette, he caught the attention of even the pickiest film festival goer.

Prisoners pushes the boundaries of the thriller genre, posing the question: how far would you go to protect your child? The film focuses on the abduction of two young girls in suburban Pennsylvania and the subsequent chaos that follows.
Films such as The Call, Taken and Savages have each taken a unique aim at the kidnapping plotline, but no such film paints the accompanying sense of dread and panic as thoughtfully as Prisoners.


Why you haven’t seen it
Prisoners is neither a light-hearted nor an easy watch. Unlike films which aim to tap into the viewer’s panic response, Prisoners gradually builds a sense of dread and unease in the viewer, begging those watching at home to deadbolt the door and triple-check on their sleeping loved ones.

The film was Villeneuve’s first English-language feature film. Regardless of the all-star ensemble the film boasts, Prisoners missed the surface for many because, at this time, Villeneuve was still largely unknown (he would go on to create Arrival, arguably one of the best films of the millennium thus far).
Why it might be tough to get through


Prisoners challenges viewers to get comfortable with the sense of dread the film radiates. Viewers must come prepared to face strapping themes of loss, turbulence and anxiety, delivered by emotionally raw performances by some of Hollywood’s best. Inherently, the film begs viewers for a strong emotional response.

The film is full of symbolism and subtle cues that the uninterested viewer might miss – either commit to being disturbed or give this one a skip. Moreover, a strong plot-twist might leave many viewers saying, “Huh?” But if you catch on, it’s an unbelievably satisfying twist.

The film may also hit too close to home for some. Prisoners pushes past the ghost and zombie tropes many films are plagued with, but rather, centers around every parent’s worst nightmare – their children vanishing.
Why you should see it anyway

Beneath the anxiety-provoking plotline runs a number of important themes explored throughout the film. Prisoners questions morality and the boundaries of good and evil, exploiting each character to situations most of us couldn’t even begin to imagine how we’d handle.

Moreover, Prisoners has been praised for its cinematography. Sleepily rolling hills, suburbia and almost constant rainfall mirror the existential angst captured by Villeneuve throughout the film.

In addition, Prisoners presents a top-notch cast who truly give some of their best work in this film.


Famous Lines
Keller Dover: Every day she’s wondering why I’m not there! Not you, but me!
Detective Loki: With all due respect captain, go f**k yourself.
Keller Dover: We hurt him until he talks or they’re going to die.


Fun Facts
Before being anchored by the likes of Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis, the script for Prisoners bounced around Hollywood for quite some time. It’s rumoured that other A-list actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Christian Bale were previously attached to the project.

The film centers around Detective Loki obsessively searching for two kidnapped children. Interestingly, in Norse Mythology a tale titled Loka Tattur describes how the god Loki persistently tries to protect a child from a giant named Skrymir.

[jo]

I wish I could respond to the above article and its author ( the page did not have a place for comments, as far as I can see). Actually it is only an online blog from Canada... not really an official review.

*He is probably a fan of Denis Villeneuve...and writes that DV has won many Academy Awards. He may be referring to Canadian Academy Awards but the term as used in popular culture refers to an Oscar. DV may have won awards in his native Canada but he has not won any Oscar. Besides, the blogger is writing in terms of American films, as his later examples are films released in America. Even PRISONERS was released in the USA, by Warner Bros.

*Re the script by Aaron Guzikowski --

Before being anchored by the likes of Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis, the script for Prisoners bounced around Hollywood for quite some time. It’s rumoured that other A-list actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Christian Bale were previously attached to the project.

It was a Black List script and thus already won fame on its own. But sometimes they do not get made right away for many reasons. Hugh was the first one attached to the project -- we first heard about it when he told people at the box office at the Schoenfeld when STEADY RAIN was about to close that he was next due to film a drama called PRISONERS. At that time, the movie was under the watch of another fairly famous director and it was even said that it will be filmed mostly in Connecticut ( but that kept us wondering because it was approaching deep winter then). Then Hugh dropped out of the project. There were many actors rumored to take on the movie after Hugh - Wahlberg/Bale/DiCaprio) but nothing solid except maybe for the Wahlberg connection because he did take on some of the funding aspects...The movie eventually took on newbie English-language director Denis Villeneuve ( from the French-speaking part of Canada?). Hugh, who had then completed filming Les Miserables and was actually in the midst of the Oscar campaign for that movie, started filming around Oscar time. He had to segue from the many LesMis screenings to coming back to the filming of Prisoners, which by that time had moved to Georgia.

*He is probably a fan of Jake G, to have stated this --

The film centers around Detective Loki obsessively searching for two kidnapped children. Interestingly, in Norse Mythology a tale titled Loka Tattur describes how the god Loki persistently tries to protect a child from a giant named Skrymir.

If that were the case, it would be no different from other thrillers or any TV crime procedural focusing on child kidnapping. Instead --

The film became such an agitating classic (with a film noir atmosphere) because of the startling behavior of the father of the kidnapped girl -- his character, his reaction to the kidnapping amidst the seeming nonchalance of the authorities, his physically violent treatment of the supposed kidnapper, his unrelenting search for other possibilities... and even the unexpected ending to the movie focusing on the issue of whether he was dead or he was found alive.

Was this all rational behavior or more of that of a mentally-deteriorating condition?? Hugh Jackman's portrayal added to the dread -- the violent undercurrent when he portrays badass characters (like Wolverine or eventually like Blackbeard) was very obvious in this portrayal. You were actually afraid of him. Yet, one of the most memorable scenes was his loss of his emotional grip when he saw the supposed bloodied sock of his daughter!


*He attributed the cinematographic excellence to Villeneuve's vision.

Moreover, Prisoners has been praised for its cinematography. Sleepily rolling hills, suburbia and almost constant rainfall mirror the existential angst captured by Villeneuve throughout the film.

Maybe he is not familiar with the work of Roger Deakins - the most nomimated director in Oscars history...who eventually won an Oscar for a future work ( in fairness to his collaboration with Villeneuve, Deakins won an Oscar for Blade Runner).

I wonder what he meant by the term " existential angst" in relation to this movie?

The term is generally described as --

Existential Angst is the relation to one being aware of the possibility that life lacks meaning, causing an extreme form of anxiety, and a feeling of despair or hopelessness.

The extreme form of anxiety and feeling of despair/hopelessness is due to the extreme reactions and actions of Keller Dover in the film. He was a parent feeling desperate about finding his kidnapped child. His efforts cause audience extreme anxiety because of the unusual and violent means he uses to find his daughter. The cinematographic work of Roger Deakins captures the marked change in environment - the warmth and family joy during Thanksgiving...and the completely bleak picture when tragedy strikes. His close-ups of the torture scenes adds to the developing tragedy as the character of Keller Dover unravels. The unremarkable scenes with the old lady produces the surprise in the story denouement. and Deakins captures that in the seemingly normal scenes in her house - giving the audience an initial feeling of trust and comfort. True, Villeneueve injects the tension into the scenes and characterizations but Deakins also contributes to the general feeling of unease and tension because of the bleak atmosphere he creates with his cinematography (which contributes to a film noir quality of the scenes). His capture of the portrayals of the tortured and the torturer was particularly hard to watch!


*Is this what made the movie so remarkable and memorable?

Prisoners is neither a light-hearted nor an easy watch. Unlike films which aim to tap into the viewer’s panic response, Prisoners gradually builds a sense of dread and unease in the viewer, begging those watching at home to deadbolt the door and triple-check on their sleeping loved ones.

Again, that reaction holds true for many kidnapping stories.

What made this movie different is the infusion of remarkable character portrayals... and seeing the many different sides to their personas! The irate and violent father, the seemingly cool detective, the wife who lost her grip and turned to alcohol, the husband/wife neighbors who had opposing perspectives, the low-key demented woman and her "son", the other minor characters - they all had stories to tell! It was the coming together of these people into the resolution of a seemingly not-so-unusual crime which had the audience's minds in a grip. And such outstanding and nuanced portrayals, the most startling of all coming from Hugh Jackman!

Btw, when the movie was released in cinema, I saw it 3 times in a row - hence it allowed me to form a solid appreciation of the storytelling and its remarkable characters! Of course, when it same out on BluRay, my experience was more of someone looking for more hidden gems in this very nuanced storytelling. I also enjoyed the many discussions on IMDB ( when they still had the message boards) debating on the behavior of the father and how right or wrong it was. We also discussed how the film ended - Was he found or not? Was he alive or not? Will he be convicted or not? Will he serve a sentence or not, if convicted? Will this have changed his family - assuming he would eventually return to them? Would his kidnapped daughter be changed by the experience? Would the neighbor couple change because they had opposing perspectives? So many interesting questions/issues debated but mostly centering on the character Keller Dover and how his actions would be judged and how they would impact in the future. Nothing much was discussed on how brilliant the detective Loki was...or people wondering what other unusual crime he will or how he will resolve it!

To me, the long and continuing discussions and debates on the IMDB board gave fans of the movie an indication of the full impact of this movie on the audience!


Also, this is the full synopsis that film distributor Warner Bros wrote of this movie, for publicity purposes and as reprinted on the IMDB Page for PRISONERS --

Storyline
How far would you go to protect your family? Keller Dover is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki arrests its driver, Alex Jones, but a lack of evidence forces his release. As the police pursue multiple leads and pressure mounts, knowing his child's life is at stake the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family? Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

Jo

[jo]

Jake G wants to sing with Hugh!

http://instagram.com/p/BxlBCvYnkPS

[jo]

Many interesting issues are raised by the ambigious ending of the movie.

JoBlo explores the discussion that is raised by the sudden FadeOut, without the audience knowing if Keller Dover is finally rescued.


www.joblo.com/movie-news/what-really-happened-at-the-end-of-prisoners


Btw, the film site calls Prisoners one of the best movies of the decade.

Someone on Reddit posits that the reason why no awards glory at the Oscars was given, was because Warner Bros was campaigning for its own studio-produced and distributed movie, GRAVITY. Prisoners was not made by the film studio but its distribution rights were secured by Warner Bros. If that is the plausible explanation for a question that has been raised time and again … while the film continues to draw interest? Btw, does anyone even mention GRAVITY these days in film discussions


Jo

[jo]

Thinking about the movie Prisoners (vis-à-vis Jake Gyllenhaal) brings on the way Hugh Jackman portrays characters when he is in a two-hander with an equally strong or an interesting personality.

*With Liev Schreiber ( Jimmy and Victor - XMen Origins:Wolverine)
*With Russell Crowe ( Valjean and Javert)
*With Christian Bale ( The Prestige)
*With Ewan Mcgregor ( Deception)
*With Taron Egerton (Eddie The Eagle)
*With Patrick Stewart (Logan)
*With Zac Efron (Greatest Showman)

*With Daniel Craig ( A Steady Rain - Broadway)


In all cases, whether the relationship is confrontational ( Gyllenhaal/Schreiber/Crowe/Bale/McGregor/Craig) or brotherly/fatherly (Egerton, Stewart, Efron) - Hugh carves a portrayal that does not attempt to overpower his antagonist on one hand as well as delivers a portrayal that is supportive of the other character on the other hand. He is always able to give an acting performance that is very nuanced but blends well in his chemisty with the other actors. And yet he is never viewed as being the weaker character.


Jo

[jo]

[njr]

My son recently told me he came across that movie on TV and he said immediately he knew it was filmed in Georgia!

Nancy

ETA: Neglected to add, we live in Georgia!

[jo]

Ironically, when Hugh was first cast in PRISONERS ( while he was completing his run in A STEADY RUN - he shared the news with the box office staff at the Schoenfeld), it was first going to be filmed partly in Connecticutt...But there were many changes in the casting and the director -- for a while, Mark Walhberg and LeoDiCaprio ( and another actor I no longer remember the name of) were said to be in talks for the role of Keller Dover. Eventually, Canadian director Denis Villeneuve took over ( his first USA movie)...then the role came back to Hugh Jackman! Filming was no longer in the Northeast but had gone to Georgia.

The film has become iconic fare ( and even cited by some as a dramatic Thanksgiving Day movie) and people still talk about it on social media!

Would a sequel ever come? Where is screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski? He also did the screenwriting for Papillon and Contraband.

Maybe find out if Keller was saved by Loki?

Maybe to know how Keller's family coped in each his own way at the aftermath of the tragedy?

Maybe to find out how Paul Dano's character evolved from the difficult time...and then to be reunited with his real mom?

Maybe to find out if Loki has changed from that experience?


Maybe to know if Keller Dover will be made to account for his acts of violence, given the circumstances ?



Maybe a sequel called " The Trial of Keller Dover" ?!!


Jo

[jo]

PRISONERS is getting celebrated again!



www.joblo.com/movie-news/top-10-thrillers-of-the-decade

Movie News
Top 10 Thrillers of the Decade (2010 - 2019)
2 days ago by: Kevin Fraser


PRISONERS (2013)
PRISONERS was the film which first introduced me to Denis Villeneuve, a French-Canadian director who quickly became one of my favourite filmmakers. PRISONERS, which was scripted by Aaron Guzikowski, deals with every parent’s worst nightmare – a kidnapped child. Featuring an all-star cast which includes Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Mario Bello, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano, PRISONERS follows the abduction of two young girls and the subsequent efforts of law enforcement and their families to save them. When the police are forced to release their only suspect, the father of one of the girls takes matters into his own hands. PRISONERS scored 80% on Rotten Tomatoes (check out Chris Bumbray’s review) and grossed $122 million worldwide.
Of all the films on this list, PRISONERS might just be my favourite. As everything is ripped from these two families, the tension builds as you’re presented with more than a few options regarding the culprit, but much like the characters themselves, you’re kept in the dark for much of the film. PRISONERS features some amazing acting from everyone involved, but it’s Hugh Jackman’s performance as Keller Dover which impresses the most. Desperate for answers and believing that the police aren’t doing enough to find his daughter, Dover quickly takes matters into his own hands and the results are, at times, horrifying to watch. We typically think of Hugh Jackman as the rage-fueled Wolverine, but the actor has never been pushed to the brink nor stripped to the core quite like this before. Intense and emotionally devastating, PRISONERS is one of Villeneuve’s very best films.

[mamaleh]

Great review! A shame this well-crafted film was ignored during awards season.

Ellen

[jo]

And to think it almost never happened. I remember that someone picked up from the Box Office Staff of the Schoenfeld where A STEADY RAIN was playing, that Hugh Jackman shared that this would be his next project right after.

But it did not happen as planned. Change of directors...other actors looked at role...Connecticut was dropped for later filming ( because it was winter when they actually started filming... Hugh was doing Hollywood screenings and Q&A's for Les Misérables and then he would fly to Georgia to resume filming for PRISONERS.)

I remember other actors who looked at the role included Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale was also up for the role...and the last one was Leo DiCaprio.

Then when newbie Canadian director was announced to direct the film, it was also announced that Hugh Jackman has come back to the role.

Per Wiki notes --

Aaron Guzikowski wrote the script based on a short story he wrote, partially inspired by "The Tell-Tale Heart", involving "a father whose kid was struck by a hit and run driver and then puts this guy in a well in his backyard."[4] After he wrote the spec, many actors and directors entered and exited the project, including actors Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio and directors Antoine Fuqua and Bryan Singer.[4] Ultimately Guzikowski would credit producer Mark Wahlberg for getting the project on its feet, stating, "He was totally pivotal in getting the film made. That endorsement helped it get around."[4] Principal photography began in Georgia in February 2013.[5]

I remember reading about the script as it made the Black List and fortunately it was made available online at some point.


Hugh suited the role best - because his screen persona has that quiet but internally raging quality ( almost Wolverine-like) which the Keller Dover role called for. I remember that he did get a lot of critical praise for the portrayal. How he was ignored for the awards season is beyond me. I think the SAG also ignored the cast for its most important acting ensemble award ( highest level of all the awards).

Btw, the film was Dennis Villeneuve first Hollywood film ( he came from the Canadian film industry). He has just received the accolade of BEST DIRECTOR OF THE DECADE from the Hollywood Film Critics association.

Jo

[jo]

Roger Deakins, who recently won another Oscar for his work in Cinematography, gave us this --

[mamaleh]

That movie, though difficult to watch, is so adroitly made it really should have won Oscars.

Ellen

[jo]

Guess who won the Oscar for Best Actor for the year when Prisoners was released?

Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club"


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

There is now a REDDIT conversation on his performance in PRISONERS!

All bowing down to his impressive portrayal - from the insane father to the grieving Dad!


www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/fxksyp/hugh_jackmans_performance_in_prisoners_2013/

[–]tonyhawkunderground3 21 points 6 hours ago
I think you're absolutely right. His "manly" disposition, with the stress of carrying his family on his back, to the anger and confusion with how Gyllenhaal's character is handling the investigation, is all perfect. Very, very well done. You could see every nuance. He wasn't trying to look cool, or be a cliche, he was staying true with the character even with his faults and it was spectacular.
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[–]RandomStranger79 16 points 6 hours ago
Easily one of my favorite films of the decade.
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[–]august_west_ 15 points 5 hours ago
Should’ve won a supporting Oscar for it.
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[–]Mojambo213 4 points 2 hours ago
He at the very least deserved to be nominated... the fact that he was ignored during award season blows my mind
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[–]TheBeatt 3 points 2 hours ago
is he not the lead?
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[–]dcredneck 9 points 4 hours ago
Two words, Paul Dano.
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[–]ReservoirDog316 5 points an hour ago
That bathroom sink scene and the scene in Jake Gyllenhaal’s car...
So much insanely raw pain.
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[–]BarbieQFreak 4 points 3 hours ago
I was afraid that he would be one note after the opening act, but as the movie goes on it's more and more apparent that his character is finely nuanced (and directed). for the amount of screen time that he has, the emotion and specifically the intensity always matches the events of the plot
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[–]vintagetrance 3 points 2 hours ago
I love Logan, but Prisoners is easily his best performance to date. Like you said, everyone is great in it,but the standout is Jackman. It might be because we've never seen a performance like that from him or he wasn't in a movie that required him to reach that level. I thought him or Gyllenhaal could've been easily nominated for best supporting actor that year instead of Fassbender or Bradley Cooper.
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[–]hugflo 3 points an hour ago
I just watched this movie last week and thought the same thing. Somehow slipped under my radar when it came out but damn what a chilling film. I was also really interested in Jake Gyllenhaal's character. He seemed so young but his experience and tattoos kinda made me feel he had an interesting past.
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[–]Poerflip23 6 points 4 hours ago
Honestly I didn’t even realize it was Hugh Jackman until like the third act of the movie. That’s how good he was.
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[–]ThnkUTaker 2 points an hour ago
Saw it in theaters and decided that day that it’s the best movie I will never see again. An all-star team putting together a great film with some real dark scenes. Paul Dano is something else.
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[–]mikeweasy 1 point an hour ago
Yeah he was really good, wish he was nominated. The scene where he sees his daughters sock is just heartbreaking.
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I am glad I saw this movie 3 times in a cinema. The atmosphere is covered particularly well on a big screen inside a darkened movie hall. It made the scenes even more particularly chilling and throbbing.

His performance was a quite a hit with critics and film sites -- why he was ignored, or the film itself ( voted 2nd best at the Toronto Film Festival, by the audience) makes me believe even more that politics ( old boys club mentality) rules the Oscars!


Jo

[jo]

Ahhh… that terrifying masculinity

[jo]

Translated from Portuguese by GOOGLE

A practical example when they say that photography is not just aesthetics, random lights, etc. Character of Hugh Jackman inert, sitting in a small corner, already a prisoner of the situation that happens next door in a larger space and with open doors. Roger Deakins does everything in this movie!

This is also one of the most poignant scenes - a father sits forlorn thinking about his lost daughter. Later on, when he sees her bloodied sock and tears well in his eyes - that is a perfect acting moment for Hugh Jackman!

Jo

[jo]

Something we knew from before - two endings!


theplaylist.net/denis-villeneuve-prisoners-alternate-ending-20200711/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[jo]

Fans always talk about how PRISONERS is underrated and how Hugh Jackman is really a great actor.

On Reddit --

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/i3w7c1/hugh_jackmans_performance_in_prisoners_is/

[jo]

So much delayed appreciation of PRISONERS. How the AMPAS voters missed it for honors is beyond any film buff's imagination!

[jo]

[jo]

And sad to say, Hugh got to sing DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING only at the tail-end of the movie. Here, he delights his audience singing the song...

[jo]

Someone lucky enough to watch filming --