Anatomy of a kidnapping
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Anatomy of a kidnapping |
| Original title | The clearing |
| Country of production | USA , Germany |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2004 |
| length | 95 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Pieter Jan Brugge |
| script | Justin Haythe |
| production | Pieter Jan Brugge, Jonah Smith , Palmer West |
| music | Craig Armstrong |
| camera | Denis Lenoir |
| cut | Kevin Tent |
| occupation | |
| |
Anatomy of a kidnapping (original title: The Clearing ) is a US-American-German film drama from 2004. It is the only directing work so far by the Dutch artist Pieter Jan Brugge , who has made a name for himself as a film producer ( Oscar nomination for the film Insider ). Justin Haythe wrote the script . The main features of the plot are based on the kidnapping of the Dutch businessman Gerrit Jan Heijn in 1987.
action
Wayne Hayes is believed to be living the American dream with his wife Eileen . Wayne is a successful entrepreneur, lives with his wife in a large mansion, the children have grown up, and Wayne is considering retirement. Only the long marriage does not seem to offer any great ups and downs, and a certain routine and distance has developed between the two.
One day, Hayes is kidnapped by Arnold Mack, whom he initially does not recognize. Hayes and Mack first met 12 years ago when they both worked for the same company - Hayes in a managerial position, Mack as an employee; when Hayes left the company soon afterwards, Mack, who later lost his own job, followed Hayes' ascending career remotely through the newspaper.
From now on, the film follows two parallel storylines. One traces the first day of the kidnapping when Wayne Hayes is led through the woods by Mack. Mack named a forest hut as a destination, where Hayes was received by accomplices. Along the way, vacillating between friendliness and hostility, the men talk about various topics, including their different careers: Hayes says he has built his entire career on his own and has become successful and wealthy. Mack's attempts to have a good income have failed, he is now unemployed and lives in the house of his unloved father-in-law; Mack carries out the kidnapping in order to be able to offer himself and his wife something better. In their conversations, Wayne also realizes how much Eileen means to him. He writes her a short love letter and asks Mack - fearing that the kidnapping might end badly - to send the letter to his wife.
The second storyline shows the Hayes house, where Eileen and her children who have traveled there feared for Wayne for days. Two FBI agents are quartered with them to monitor the house day and night; they also question the family about possible clues about the kidnapper (s). The time of waiting wears down the family, but it also brings them new closeness and insights into one another. During the interrogation, Eileen finds out that her husband's affair was still going on after he supposedly ended it. While Eileen initially tried not to let others notice anything about what was happening and their feelings, she later met the woman in question; afterwards she affirms her love for her husband.
For more than a week, the family has not received an unmistakable sign of life from Wayne. When Eileen finally believes she can hear him on the phone for a moment, she is ready to pay the ransom requested. She realizes too late that the voice comes from a recording: the ransom is gone and she finds no evidence of the perpetrator (s).
Only now does the last scene of the first storyline follow in the film, which clearly turns out to be a series of flashbacks : Wayne was shot by his kidnapper on the first evening. Similar to an epilogue , Mack is shown several times issuing 100 dollar bills with serial numbers noted in the same supermarket; he attracts attention and is arrested by the FBI.
The end of the film is dedicated to the relationship between Eileen and Wayne: Mack had sent Wayne's letter before his arrest, and so Eileen now receives a final declaration of love from her husband.
Reviews
The reviews of the film were mixed. At Rotten Tomatoes , 43% of the reviewers gave the film a positive rating out of a total of 131 reviews. At Metacritic , he scored 60 out of 100, based on 34 reviews. Many critics pointed out that the film did not offer the suspense of usual thrillers, but judged this fact differently. Philip Martin of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette explained the disagreement by stating that the film controls "European sensibility", "a fact that may frustrate American moviegoers who were expecting something more glaring." LA Weekly's Chuck Wilson described the film as "unsatisfactory as a detective story, but deeply moving as a consideration of marriage."
Positive reviews praised the film for its plot and the cast. Ruthe Stein wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle that the film was “clearly” one of the best thrillers that would exploit the “subconscious fears” of the audience. Its “brilliance” is due to the fact that different storylines are told in parallel; both are just as "captivating". Stein praised the “subtle” portrayal of Helen Mirren and the “impressive” work of Pieter Jan Brugge, who made his debut as a director.
Peter Travers praised the performers in Rolling Stone magazine . Willem Dafoe brings in his role the "tone of vulnerability", while Helen Mirren offers a "moving portrait of the loving wife" who is hurt by her husband's infidelity. Robert Redford's play includes "calm, captivating intensity".
The lexicon of international films wrote that the film was an "oppressive, excellently played and staged sociogram". He draws “a subtle society” that “gets caught up in the webs of its own ideologies and runs empty”.
Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times saw the love between Wayne and Eileen Hayes as "the heart of the film" in his positive review and also praised the film's "daring to cast all three leading roles with actors over 40".
Negative reviews primarily criticized the lack of tension. Anthony Lane of the New Yorker praised Although Mirren's portrayal, but the film was for him "a every thrill deprived thriller - or, worse, a thriller, to be somehow superior to the vulgar pleasures of excitement believes of himself." Philip Wuntch of the Dallas Morning News said, “The script, direction and acting show obvious intelligence. But intelligence can be boring if it is not mixed with wit and excitement ”.
In line with their assessment of the lack of tension, several critics found the film to be heavy on dialogue. For example, Bob Bloom of the Journal and Courier ( Lafayette ) described him as "[drowning] in an ocean of talkativeness".
backgrounds
The film was in Atlanta , in Pittsburgh and in Asheville ( North Carolina turned). It had its world premiere in January 2004 at the Sundance Film Festival ; the release in selected cinemas in the USA followed on July 2, 2004. There the film grossed around 5.76 million US dollars .
Web links
- The Clearing in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The Clearing at rotten tomatoes (English)
- Anatomy of a kidnapping at Metacritic (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for Anatomy of an Abduction . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , August 2004 (PDF; test number: 99 293 K).
- ^ The Clearing. Rotten Tomatoes , accessed November 8, 2014 .
- ^ The Clearing. Metacritic , accessed November 8, 2014 .
- ^ Philip Martin: The Clearing. Review. (No longer available online.) Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Aug. 23, 2004, archived from the original on Nov. 26, 2004 ; Retrieved on January 14, 2010 (English, quoted according to the website "The Clearing" by Rotten Tomatoes ): "European sensibility controls The Clearing, a fact that might frustrate American moviegoers who arrive expecting something more flashy." Info: The archive link was automatic used and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Chuck Wilson: The Clearing. LA Weekly, archived from the original on April 23, 2005 ; accessed on January 14, 2010 (English): "Unsatisfying as crime drama but haunting as a meditation on marriage."
- ^ Ruthe Stein: 'Clearing' delivers as a double-edged thriller. A marriage battles with infidelity and kidnapping. San Francisco Chronicle , July 2, 2004, accessed October 30, 2007 .
- ^ Peter Travers: The Clearing. Rolling Stone , June 16, 2004, archived from the original on January 13, 2009 ; accessed on October 30, 2007 (English).
- ^ Anatomy of a kidnapping in the Lexicon of International Films , accessed October 30, 2007.
- ↑ Anthony Lane : Swing Easy. "Spider-Man 2" and "The Clearing." The New Yorker , July 12, 2004, accessed January 14, 2010 .
- ↑ Philip Wuntch: The Clearing. (No longer available online.) Dallas Morning News, July 8, 2004, formerly original ; Retrieved on January 14, 2010 (English, quoted according to the Internet site "The Clearing" by Rotten Tomatoes ): "The film is written, directed and enacted with palpable intelligence. But intelligence can seem dull if unleavened by wit or excitement. "
- ^ Bob Bloom: The Clearing. (No longer available online.) Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN), July 31, 2004, formerly original ; Retrieved on January 14, 2010 (English, quoted according to the website "The Clearing" by Rotten Tomatoes ): "What should make for a taut, suspenseful thriller drowns in an ocean of verbiage."
- ^ Filming locations for The Clearing, accessed October 30, 2007
- ^ Opening dates for The Clearing, accessed October 30, 2007
- ^ Box office / business for The Clearing, accessed October 30, 2007
