Dir. Roland Joffé, US/Russia, 2007, 85 mins
Cast: Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Review by Carol Allen
Roland Joffé used to make intelligent movies with a moral dimension – The Killing Fields, The Mission, Fat Man and Little Boy, City of Joy. It is almost unbelievable that the same man is responsible for the total trash that is Captivity.
The story, such as it is, concerns a top model Jennifer (Cuthbert), a somewhat vapid blonde about whom we learn little apart from the fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend and the only love in her life is her pet dog Suzy. After a few perfunctory scenes sketching in her career status, we find her at a charity do, where her date for the night has stood her up. Which is bad news for Jennifer, as it gives a faceless abductor the opportunity to spike her drink and whisk her away to his lair. There she wakes up in a cell and is subject to various physical and mental tortures, including being forced to drink a smoothie made from what appear to be human body parts. After a while she discovers there is another prisoner in the next cell Gary (Gillies), who promises that he will get them both out. Meanwhile they are both being observed on monitors by Jennifer's abductor (Taylor Vince).
There is little in the way of characterisation or decent acting. Jennifer's character has no surprises for us and no development – she's merely a largely passive victim, who whimpers a lot.
To explain the reasons behind the abduction the film attempts a bit of basic psychology about Gary and the abductor, which doesn't really hold water. Taylor Vince, is actually a very good actor – remember him as the shy and self conscious Victor in James Mangold's debut feature Heavy? In this he has no opportunity to do anything other than be a cliché psycho.
The film is sadistic, unpleasant, pointless and not in the least bit scary. It is, in fact, boring. And the only character who elicits any sympathy whatsoever is Suzy the dog. Best performance in the movie.
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