The Clearing Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Wayne and Eileen Hayes live the American Dream. Together they've raised two children and struggled to build a successful business from the ground up. But there have been sacrifices along the way. When Wayne is kidnapped by an ordinary man, Arnold Mack, and held for ransom in a remote forest, the couple's world is turned inside out. Eileen finds her home full of FBI agents, their life under scrutiny. While Wayne is engaged in the negotiation of his lifetime, Eileen works frantically with the FBI to secure his release. The terrifying ordeal causes Wayne and Eileen to reassess their marriage and come to a deeper sense of their commitment to each other. With each passing hour, the need and desire for Wayne to return home safely becomes ever more urgent.
| Robert Redford | Wayne Hayes |
| Helen Mirren | Eileen Hayes |
| Willem Dafoe | Arnold Mack |
| Alessandro Nivola | Tim Hayes |
| Matt Craven | Agent Ray Fuller |
| Melissa Sagemiller | Jill Hayes |
| Wendy Crewson | Louise Miller |
| Larry Pine | Tom Finch |
| Diana Scarwid | Eva Finch |
| Elizabeth Ruscio | Cindy Mack |
| Gwen McGee | Agent Kathleen Duggan |
| Sarah Koskoff | Lane Hayes |
| Graciela Marin | Graciela |
| Mike Pniewski | Detective Kyle Woodward |
| Geoff McKnight | John Dewitt |
| Pieter Jan Brugge |
5.90 out of 10 (5653 votes)
Visitor Reviews
So dull, so lackluster
posted on 20 Aug 2009Nothing to brag about. The action and rhythm are slow. An older man is kidnapped for a ransom, but we know from the very start we have one man alone, that the older man is going to be killed before even getting the money, in other words that we are dealing with an amateur who will manage to get arrested within a week or two. The interest of the film, if there is any, is in the slow moving exploration of the reactions and hardly ever powerful enough attempts at breaking the tie that this kidnapping is. The older man will even stop short of strangling his kidnapper who was under his complete control. Even a survivor who does not survive because he did not go to the end of his surviving killing. Absurd. No beginning, no middle and no end. A film without a form and a clearing without a forest around it.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne
A horsy and a ducky
posted on 20 Aug 2009Very mild spoilers for this movie and for 21 GramsThe Clearing is not a bad movie and I don't wish to tear it apart. I would rate my satisfaction with it as medium, in the 5-6 range. The production values are approximately those of a made-for-TV movie. Willem Dafoe and Helen Mirren are excellent actors, but here they paint by numbers. Redford is somewhat competent. I say all this because I saw 21 Grams earlier the same day, and there is some basis for comparison: two lead actors, one lead actress, troubled antagonists in both cases.The range of expression in each of the three main characters in 21 Grams is much greater than in The Clearing. The story is more gripping and original and the punchline far more probative. We see in 21 Grams a standard that The Clearing is nowhere near meeting. Compare the following:Christina's (Naomi Watts) tantrum with Tim's (Redford's character's son)Del Toro's tortured character with Dafoe's - the former is far, far more layeredThe acting range required from Watts vs Mirren: Mirren does her job professionally, but requirements are light, like an Olympic figure skating routine that is far below the athlete's abilities. Watts' job is a great deal more demanding and she acquits herself excellently.It's a little unfair to compare Penn with Redford. Penn is a superb actor and the range he expresses is extraordinary. Here it's the Last Supper scene Linus sees in the clouds versus Charlie Brown's "horsy and ducky."* Penn's character has to contend with his own mortality, a breakup and an infatuation, gaining the affection of a woman in grief, warmth, revenge, mercy and his own death. While Redford's character faces a momentous situation, the personality that comes through is somewhat one-dimensional.The punchline of Penn's '21-Gram loss' after a traversal of shades of gray and multihues compared to the sweet but trite vision Mirren has, ending the run-of-the-mill kidnapping story of The Clearing, highlights the qualitative differences between the two movies. And since 21 Grams weighs in at about 8, The Clearing can't rate better than a 6.______________________*Lucy: "What do you see in the clouds?"Linus: "I see a vision of the Last Supper. There's Jesus in the middle with Andrew and Matthew and John; and there's the Apostle Paul standing off to the side."Charlie Brown: "I was going to say I see a horsy and a ducky..."
A unique character study
posted on 14 Aug 2009From the first frame, this film makes it clear that the emotions of the characters take supremacy over the "suspense" of the plot. Viewers expecting a ridiculous chase film adhering to standard Hollywood formulas will be quite disappointed. What we are thankfully given, instead, is an insightful character study, played out by three excellent actors.Redford has one of his best roles in years, appropriate for his age and method of acting. Mirren is "simply" wonderful, suppressing any urge to chew the scenery in what could be a predictable role. Dafoe avoids the extremities of his "Spiderman" villain role, and infuses this criminal with humanity, and even grace.A film to be enjoyed by those who appreciate subtle, fine acting, and desire a respite from the mundane, typical Hollywood paint-by-numbers "thrillers."
beware the dangerous loser! - the morals of this awful film
posted on 27 Jul 2009In the most crucial moment in the movie, the "show-down" moment, in which the dialog between the "loser" abductor and the "winner" victim is driven to its peak, the socially successful victim explains the justice of society to the evermore threatening loser. On the one hand the middle-aged laborer has himself to blame for loosing his job (to cheaper laborers abroad no doubt but which is not said) because he didn’t embark on some other education late in life or was unable to compete with other workers (and let THEM bite the grass instead, no doubt, which is, of course, also not said). On the other hand he is blamed for not being happy with his lot (like the nazi’s wanted the Jews in Auschwitz to be, which, of course, is also not said). Robert Redford is a rich person, who apparently believes that all Americans could be rich, otherwise he would not accepted this role. That the pyramid strangely stays the same, which can only be explained through the fact that for everyone that takes a step up in it there has to be someone upstairs that has to step down, is something which RR seems (even more strangely) unaware of. If you happen to be a winner, it is of course more convenient to see your success as justice than to see how it really is. In the latter case you will have to deal with amendments and bad conscience - in the former case you are rid of all that and can do movies like this one, without even blushing. This was the crucial moment in the film, the rest is predictable boredom. This is a movie for immoral cowards (are there any other cowards?). I advice everybody else not to spend money on this and, by doing so, help people with no shame.
This'll clear the seats...
posted on 27 Jul 2009This is a screenplay which sets out to delineate ample distance between its characters. Unfortunately, once it provides room for their exploration, it totally lacks the sense of keen observation necessary in such an enterprise.Two guys, on opposite ends of the economic spectrum, are shown to be mercenary in their own individual ways... Wow, searing social comment there... ! Or actually - should you have been alert enough to accurately spot my use of sarcasm - not. All we have here is a conventional 'revenge' plot acted out by someone who ultimately doesn't even have the guts to rest safe in his actions, so we are denied even the extravagance of a payoff for our characters. The flaws they each possess are not revealed for either improvement nor justification at a later point in the narrative, but instead plonked unceremoniously in our laps almost from the beginning, so that when the ending finally transpires, we're not in the least bit surprised.Everybody acts well, without giving the people we see too much in the way of 'personality', and the events of the plot are reasonable within the grounds of reality, but you can guess the traits that we're spoon fed easily and early enough merely by looking at the casting and the costumes. Surprisingly, more substantial sociological comment was actually contained in the 1997 wilderness action pic "The Edge". Spectacular stunt work is never essential to fix my attention, but if you want to do it via discussion alone then the talk must be of things far more essential than we ever hear as the ramifications become clear to us. All that space around, and yet it appears we've still not moved an inch when the film finally decides that it's time to draw to a close...
Designed for a European audience, not American
posted on 12 May 2009This is a movie of subtleties and nuance. For many Americans, particularly when it comes to something as violent and threatening as a kidnapping, that is almost unforgivable. There are no car chases. The perpetrator gets his money. The FBI is sloppy and unprofessional. The spouse goes through an anguishing hell as she waits for the outcome and this anguish is shown in fine acting, as opposed to screaming and throwing dishes. The three principles, Redford, Mirren, and Defoe give measured, introspective performances. And to top it off, the ending, although very predictable for this plot, is a sad one...mostly. So what hope had it in this market? None. Had it been released in France, Italy or many of the European countries, in the appropriate language, it would have done quite well instead of being the financial flop it was here. You can make a movie for art's sake or a profits sake. Rarely are the two functions are tangential. Pieter Jan Brugge is a talented movie director/producer who has had several quite successful movies in the U.S. But he seems to have thought he was back in the Netherlands when he made this one...a brooding, introspective movie with a logical, tragic ending to a tragic undertaking, would please that audience. But not an American one. For that, look to "Ransom" the Gibson vehicle. It grossed over 136 Million. "Clearing" grossed less than 6 million probably costing at least 5 times that to make. So the people voted. Bergmann movies never grossed much in the U.S. either but they are made for a European audience. Pietre needs to get his audience straight. This is a well crafted movie, but not for an audience that craves car/train/plane chases as opposed to forced marches in the woods and also understands better the screaming and yelling of frantic characters instead of the facial anguish of a distraught wife.
ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!
posted on 23 Mar 2009I expected a lot more out of this film, but it sucked and the ending was horrible! I am still trying to figure out what the point of this movie was about. And the title, "The Clearing", I don't even know what that means.This movie did not make any sense whatsoever. Don't waste your money on this flick. The only highlight of this film is Helen Mirren and Robert Redford, both incredible acting. The ending is disappointing. It was alright until the end. Willem Dafoe is a great actor, but the part stunk. The story of the mistress is just confusing, too.
Not very exciting but still a pretty good put together thriller.
posted on 11 Mar 2009Basically only thing that distinct this movie from other genre movies is its fine cast. "The Clearing" is a pretty formulaic little movie that is lacking in some tension but nevertheless is well enough put together to make this movie a perfectly watchable one.It's notable Pieter Jan Brugge worked as a producer on most of Michael Mann's most acclaimed movies. His style of directing and storytelling is similar in many ways, although he obviously still has a lot too learn when it comes to storytelling- and directing a movie in particular. Perhaps next time he would also be better of using more of a style on his own, to give the movie its own identity. The story is for most part non-linear and focuses on basically two plot lines. The kidnapper and his victim (Dafoe and Redford) and the victims family and agents, who try to get him back. It's an interesting approach and for most part it also works well. The movie however isn't made terribly exciting. The movie doesn't really ever gives a 'sense of danger' which makes this movie an interesting but also far from exciting or thrilling one to watch. Also when you're from the Netherlands you probably already know how this movie is going to end, since its based on a true kidnapping which occurred a couple of years ago, only in this movie with different settings and names. No wonder, since director Pieter Jan Brugge is Dutch himself. It doesn't really matter that much all though. I mean after all you also already know how movies like "Titanic", "United 93" and "Pearl Harbor" are going to end but that doesn't matter you wont be able to be grabbed and captivated by it. The ending worked well and was in my opinion the most powerful and effective part of the movie.It's a shame that the story is most of the time too over-melodramatic. It provides the movie with some needless dramatic sequences which all feel forced and far from realistic. The movie is only 95 minutes short but it feels much longer. The movie also tries to send out a message about marriage values but this sort of gets muddled in by the too many melodramatic moments in the movie. This probably is also one of the reasons as of why this movie is lacking in some good tension and good enough realism to make the story and its style work out a complete 100%.Normally I'm not the world's biggest Robert Redford fan but he was really great to watch in this movie. He and Willem Dafoe had a great chemistry together and their sequences together formed the highlights of the movie. Helen Mirren is always great in a movie and this movie is no exception to that. The movie further more features established actors such as Matt Craven and Alessandro Nivola. Top-notch cast! Definiatly true that the cast alone forms more than enough reason to watch this movie.The movie should offer a few surprises and some more than enough other great things to consider this movie a watchable one. Don't set you expectations too high and you'll probably have a good time watching this movie.6/10
We liked this movie
posted on 03 Mar 2009We have read other reviews of The Clearing at this site. Certainly beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but we found this movie to be very engaging and it held our interest throughout as we waited to see how the plot would be played out and as the lives of the principal characters unfolded. The characters were believable and the actors played their roles very well as flawed human beings (like we all are) living out their lives for better or worse. This wasn't a movie with chase scenes, sexual romps or people with attitudes. So it played out slowly, as life situations often do, leaving it for the viewer to follow along and contemplate. And afterward, scenes and situations stay with you, which makes the movie even more satisfying.
Simple story becomes interesting character study
posted on 23 Feb 2009Here it is in the middle of the summer where viewers are bombarded with contrived special effects laden movies aimed at primarily brain dead audiences but if you look closely you will find one or two interesting smaller films. This is clearly one of them and it's a breath of fresh air for many of us. Story is about a wealthy man named Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) who is happily married to Eileen (Helen Mirren) and one morning on his way to work he is kidnapped by an ex-employee named Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) who instructs him at gunpoint to do what he says. They end up in the woods where they begin a long walk to a clearing where they are suppose to meet some other men at a cabin and along the way they begin talking and revealing things about themselves.*****SPOILER ALERT*****Eileen eventually calls the FBI who instruct her on what to do next and she is also comforted by her grown children Tim (Alessandro Nivola) and Jill (Melissa Sagemiller). The FBI learns that Wayne had an affair with another woman named Louise (Wendy Crewson) and even though Eileen knew of this she didn't know that they were still in contact with each other. While on the walk Wayne learns more about Arnold and his private life but what surprises him is that he knows all about his marriage and the affair he is having. Eileen receives a ransom note and delivers the money but the end result is something so simple that even she didn't expect it.This film is directed by the successful producer Pieter Jan Brugge who makes his debut and the script is co-written with Justin Haythe and it's based on a true story that took place in Holland. This film is simply told and offers no plot twists which we have unfortunately come to expect and it's actually refreshing to watch something like this. The script allows the characters to engage in interesting and provoking dialogue where we see the real sides to their personalities. Arnold is basically a loser and a huge disappointment in life while Wayne shows that even with his business success he is still someone who has glaring flaws. These flaws have trickled down and have an impact on his marriage and even his relationship with his children. The story is strongly reminiscent of something David Mamet would write and that's a real compliment to Brugge and Haythe. The performances are all strong but Mirren gives arguably the best in the film and she's fascinating to watch as she maintains her strength in front of everyone while feeling deep disappointment and betrayal. While Hollywood would have tacked on one of those feel good endings for the shallow masses this film maintains it's consistency with it's script and the end result is a story that is refreshingly simple from start to finish.
Atomic Bomb
posted on 19 Feb 2009What an atomic bomb of a movie. The story goes nowhere and comes fron nowhere. It leaves the theatre goer with ones arm up saying "is this it". What happened to Redford. He was once a fair actor. Now he thinks that he can show up on the set and make a few scenes and it's a take. Wrong. What an unemotional film. I don't mean to be so so cruel, but what crap of a movie. Unbelievable amateur crap. If I was in this movie I would be so embarased that I would not show my face. I tell you what, if I was associated with this movie, I am in big trouble. This movie will go down in the annals of movie making as the king of bombs with which all others will be compared to.
Great chronology!
posted on 15 Feb 2009(spoilers) I had spotted a spectacular editing failure when I noticed that Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his captor Arnold (Willem Dafoe) remained in the same day while his wife and family and team of investigators passed through several days. The story switches back and forth between Wayne and Arnold and the rest of Wayne's family, desperately hoping for his safe return, but the passage of time is not the same. We see Wayne's and Arnold's experiences in much greater detail, while his wife Eileen, in a wonderful performance from Helen Mirren, and the rest of Wayne's family pass through days of the same desperate situation.The true story upon which this movie is based demands exactly this kind of presentation, which is one of the things that I really loved about the movie. The other thing is the way it really keeps you guessing. The whole set-up of the movie is designed to provide a vast array of different things that could be happening. I found myself trying to guess if Eileen was involved, if the head investigator was involved, even if Wayne himself was involved. Indeed, the long look that he gives his wife before he leaves for work at the beginning of the movie suggests that he anticipated not seeing her for a while.Willem Dafoe, a consistently tremendous presence in his movies, delivers yet another wonderful role as the kidnapper. I am amazed to see how effective he can be in a movie like The Boondock Saints, and then be equally effective here, in a role that is such a polar opposite. Already a hugely watchable actor, Dafoe perfectly fits the character of Arnold, so naïve that he thinks he could pull something like this off, then leave the country with his wife and have no one ever find out what happened, including his wife. The details behind his ultimate decision not to leave the country and to instead remain at home, stupidly spending the ransom money at the same local store is left up for debate. I've read that the guy who actually pulled off the kidnapping and murder in The Netherlands served something like 12 or 13 years in prison for his crime, and then was released and went back to his wife, who took him back. Weird. I think that part of the reason that the movie works so well is that it remains mysterious for so long. It is not until near the end of the film that the full scope of what is going on is revealed, leaving lots of time for people to formulate incorrect theories about who is really behind it all. This is a very difficult movie to predict, which I liked, unless of course you know the story upon which it is based. Even so, however, it is still enjoyable as a tight thriller. It moves at its own pace, not compromising the story for the sake of a thrill, and is brilliantly edited, especially in light of the true story that it is portraying. Robert Redford is perfectly cast in his character, partly because his real life is probably not that different from that of Wayne Hayes, so all he had to do was imagine what it would be like were he really kidnapped. The kidnapping initially appears to involve a substantial number of people, but the shortcomings of Arnold's plan gradually reveal themselves as things start to go less and less according to plan. It's easy to understand that people could have been put off by the ending, which certainly comes off as a little sappy, even something of a copout, but I was glad to see that it remained faithful to the true story. Wayne doesn't miraculously survive that gunshot wound, but he does live on in his wife's memories. I'd like to believe that that note he asked Arnold to mail to her really did reach her in the true story, but regardless, we live on in the memories of our loved ones, and the fact that this movie showed this in a rather deliberate way should not necessarily be counted against it.
Helen Mirren is THE Star
posted on 01 Feb 2009WARNING:POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM. The three stars of the film are among my favorites, so I was expecting them all to be great. And they were. It is an intimate film without many extraneous characters so we are able to zoom in on each of them. Willem Dafoe for once plays a regular guy, so his performance is very even and without any over the top histrionics. His character has decided what he is going to do, and nothing deters him. Redford is to be admired for a very subtle performance without the Hollywood glamor attached. But, like the stars of the 30s and 40s, he is still Redford more than he is the character(not necessarily a bad thing). Helen Mirren, however, is the real star of the film, in my opinion. Her performance is effortless and graceful with strong emotions just under the surface. There is a scene where the FBI agent has just told her that her husband has continued an affair she thought was over. She bows her head, tears coming into her eyes, then moments later raises her head with her "cool" still intact. We see the control take over right in front of our eyes, and it is awesome to behold. I found myself asking, "Did I really just see that?" I plan to see the movie again just for that scene. Helen Mirren is finally getting the roles she has so long deserved. I have been a big fan for a long time, especially of Prime Suspect and some of her other television miniseries. With this film and Calendar Girls, she is on her way! I hope the Academy is paying attention...
Boring, predictable.
posted on 18 Jan 2009very little except talking heads and what they're saying is boring; the politics can hardly be news to anyone and the emotional stuff is dull. I can't imagine how this was successfully pitched. The only reasonable suspense is dissipated as the movie progresses - Redford's character is so dull I didn't care whether he lived or died. It isn't clear to me why Redford doesn't take the chance for escape that is handed to him, is he afraid, squeamish, or does he come into some "rich guilt" and believe himself obligated to help his captor? The tacked-on Dostoevskian ending is nutty and irrelevant, apparently included only to satisfy the American need for a "just" conclusion. This film is better than the unwatchable "Meet Joe Black" only because it is shorter. I don't need "action" as Hollywood defines it but I need something more interesting than this.
Sleepwalkers
posted on 16 Jan 2009WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. This is a brilliant movie. It's a meditation on how our lives suffer from poverty of imagination. Negative reactions to this film respond to the ways it defies expectation. They tell more about the reviewer than the film.Redford and Defoe are mirrors. Redford doesn't finish off Defoe when he has the chance because he wants to die, just as Defoe wants to get caught at the end, just as Mirren buries Redford's infidelity so she won't have to face her own compromise. Redford's note to Mirren reminds her of a time when he could still imagine possibility. She smiles when she reads it because she, too, has forgotten possibility. There's more to life than the pool and the mall, just as there's more to life than uselessly commuting to the office after you've sold your company for $43 million. Or hanging around in Pittsburgh in a dumpy apartment with a bag full of money and diamonds. But people get trapped by their narratives, which is what this movie is about.Some nice touches: the children are mirrors of the parents--a baby girl and an angry boy. The lighting, always muted, mirrors the dullness of the characters. Mirren's smile when she faces the TV reporters--this is the first time she's been somebody in a long time, and she's enjoying it. The complacency of their house: big, rich, boring. The incompetence and sordidness of the FBI. Redford's irritation at the Wall Street Journal in his driveway. Why is he even reading the Wall Street Journal? Habit?Key speech: Dafoe on imagination.
a movie that uses different timelines to...
posted on 14 Jan 2009tell a story about a kidnapping for ransom. One morning, Wayne is kidnapped by Arnold for a 10 million dollar ransom. Arnold leads Wayne into the wilderness where he says they are going to a cabin to meet others. As this happens, the movie jumps back to his wife, Eileen, and the ransom notes appear as the family is working with the FBI. It's not till toward the end of the film we find out everything isn't in chronological order.But, I didn't get Aronold's reasons for doing what he did because he never ran off to the warm beach he was talking about.I thought the acting was good and since the movie didn't have a whole lot of action, it needed to be short, which it was. Also, I liked it when Eileen made the ransom drop. It was so tense when she was down in the road bed looking around. I kept thinking get out of there.FINAL VERDICT: This isn't for those who think The Fast and the Furious was the best movie ever. You will find it too boring. But, I thought it was OK and told a decent story. I'd recommend it if you catch it on cable.
Just another kidnap flick
posted on 27 Dec 2008"The Clearing" is about a wealthy man (Redford) who is as tentative about his marital relationship as he is sure about being kidnapped. The film doddles through the usual stuff....woebegone wife (Mirren) summons family, ransom demands, FBI strategizing, ransom delivery, etc. while the kidnapper (Dafoe) makes small talk with the victim. All the while, we, the audience, bear witness to more filler than substance as we wonder if the victim will be delivered alive or dead. Nicely filmed and well acted, this flick amount to little more than the usual three star film fare making for a mildly entertaining watch. No cure for ADD but watchable fodder best saved for the small screen. (B-)
Quietly Brilliant Drama
posted on 17 Dec 2008"The Clearing" is a perfect example of how to make a great film with the combination of a thoughtful script, brilliant talent in front of the camera, and taut direction behind it.The script is simple yet complex. On the surface, it is a simple study of the events of the kidnapping and ransom of a multimillionaire, told in two interwoven strains-- one strain showing the grim march of the kidnapper and the millionaire through the mountains over the course of a day, the other strain focusing on the anguish of the millionaire's family over the course of several days after the abduction. However, above the plot lies the meandering meditation on life that provides the common strain between each character. In the end we see parts of each character within ourselves, and question the true nature and purpose of life itself. This is the mark of a great film.The acting is downright great. Robert Redford is an actor who works from the inside out, and works so hard on the inside that he usually neglects the outside of his characters, so you always see a little Robert Redford in every part he plays. This part is no different, but it works well because in a sense he is playing himself-- a handsome, wildly successful, hard-working person who has entered a stage in his life where he contemplates his mortality above all else. Willem Dafoe is not himself as usual, and takes pains to represent his character both physically and emotionally. We see his character painstakingly comb his hair in the morning, only to have it flop back down by the time he begins his day. His shoulders are hunched low and his chest pulled in like a beaten man. However, his hatred and anger simmer beneath his amiable exterior. Helen Mirren is actually the star of the film, with a quiet but expressive performance in which her face and posture convey everything that you need to know about her without her ever saying a word. In the end, you understand why each of the three stars' characters do what they do, even without it being mentioned explicitly by the script.The direction is simply superb. Not only does he deserve some credit for the performances by his actors, but he is able to keep a fairly deft pace to a slow-moving film, and turns in a comprehensive psychological drama with plenty of meditations on life in just a shade over ninety minutes. That, my friends, is a feat.See this movie. It is a great film.
Total Nonsense
posted on 11 Dec 2008Business Executive is kidnapped, made to wander miles and miles in a woodland for days and days exchanging dialog with his kidnapper.And we have got to listen to all the nonsense......Meanwhile his snotty wife and family are at home with the FBI wondering what to do...... .....at no time does she seem concerned about the fate of her husband except when it comes to the ransom..... A "love story"? Give me a break!The plot is ludicrous. And almost every scene is filled with an air of expectation that something significant is going to happen but it never does.The result of the kidnapping is predictable and stupid, and it becomes even more silly when we learn the fate of the kidnapper.This is garbage:2 out of 10.
spoiler-specific plot flaws
posted on 22 Aug 2009I agree with other comments that this wasn't any better than a made-for TV movie. I think if they are going to make a "subtle" movie like this, the least they could do is make it as believable as possible, but this had several flaws. 1st, the "halloween" type "good, he's dead, I'll just turn my back and relax" scene was silly. Redford's character WOULDN'T know enough to make sure Dafoe was dead, or least TRY to find the gun? 2nd, the FBI agent JUST missing the subway door as it closed was also a total TV movie scene. 3rd, since it turned out that Dafoe was acting alone, exactly how would he know so much about Redford, (like the affair he had), and how would he be able to out-smart the FBI so easily RE the ransom payment? Plus, a supermarket being able to trace stolen money seemed far-fetched.But, the performances were good, and I thought the alternating of time lines was well done. Still, not worth paying for.