[This is a re-post of my review from the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Prisoners opens tomorrow.] There's enough symbolism and religious themes to give Prisoners some weight. There's enough curiosity to keep its mystery intriguing. Director Denis Villeneuve does slightly more than expected to keep us interested in its segregated storyline where one hand provides the mystery and the other hand provides some semblance. In between is a film that's far longer than it needs to be but is supported by Roger Deakins' striking cinematography and a great cast with a standout performance from Hugh Jackman. Keller (Jackman) and Grace (Maria Bello) Dover are having Thanksgiving dinner at the house of their friends Franklin (Terrence Howard) and Nancy (Viola Davis) Birch. At one point in the evening, their daughters Anna (Erin Gerasimovich) and Joy (Kyla Drew Simmons), respectively, go outside to play. When the girls don't return, a frantic hunt to find them begins. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) leads an investigation to locate the missing girls and their kidnapper, but with each passing day, the search grows more desperate and so does Keller. In his desperation, he kidnaps and tortures potential suspect Alex Jones (Paul Dano) in the hopes of finding Anna. Meanwhile, Loki tries to piece together clues to find the true perpetrator. Villeneuve works two sides that only cross in a functional manner. Loki is working the nuts and bolts of the investigation, and screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski's leaves just enough breadcrumbs to keep us pecking along. It's not a mind-blowing ...
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