SOC
21-06-2007, 09:47 AM
Stars Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Laz Alonso, Michael Harney, Rebekah Ryan
Directed by Roland Joffe
Captivity is the latest horror/thriller/gorefest to be dubbed "torture porn" in certain sections of the media. Yes, a whole new sub-genre has been created to categorise movies such as this one, and Hostel II and Grindhouse, in which scantily clad women are tortured and killed. I wouldn't call Captivity torture porn, though — there's very little torture and no porn. Although the film does turn out to be torture for the audience.
Cuthbert stars as Jennifer Tree (I'll resist the obvious joke here about her name fitting her acting style) who is, to quote the publicity material, "America's sweetheart ... a top cover girl and fashion model who has it all — beauty, fame, money and power". Yes, but apparently no friends, bodyguards or entourage, because she's goes to a charity event at a nightclub — alone. Well, just her and her little dog, Suzy, which she carries with her everywhere, just like Paris Hilton (who also found herself in captivity, but I digress). And lo and behold, Jennifer is drugged and kidnapped from the toilet. In a crowded nightclub. From a toilet that is somehow devoid of the requisite gangs of pretty young things snorting cocaine. So right from the start we realise that this movie is based nowhere near the real world.
And from there, things get worse. Jennifer wakes up in what appears to be a dungeon, although whoever snatched her has made sure it's furnished with a little bit of style; everything is brand new and shiny. And then the fun starts. Jennifer is tied down and threatened with having acid poured all over her pretty face (which is still perfectly made up, with nary a hair out of place), but the acid turns out to be water. Jennifer is forced to drink what looks suspiciously like a raspberry smoothie. Except, of course there are no raspberries in it, for we have seen the gloved hand filling the blender with all manner of bloody nasties — an eyeball, an ear, what looks to be a heart. All whizzed up and then poured down poor Jenny's throat. Yum. And Jennifer has just 30 seconds to choose who gets blasted with a shotgun — herself or poor little Suzy. Yep, you guessed it, she picks the dog (would Paris do that?); but it turns out to be a double. Suzy lives, only to be completely forgotten about for the rest of the film.
Thing go from simply bad to nigh-on ridiculous with the introduction of another captive in the cell next door, Gary (Gillies). Through a series of silly set-ups they end up together, have some steamy we're-locked-in-a-psycho's-basement-so-why-don't-we-get-it-on sex and plot to escape their captor. Now, hands up everyone who can see the plot twist coming? Yep. I won't spoil it for the few of you who haven't seen Saw, but surely writers Larry Cohen and Joseph Tura could have made a little effort to be original? Is that too much to ask?
Captivity is a nasty, incoherent mess. Director Joffe (best known for The Killing Fields and The Mission) must have had his family held at gunpoint by his bank manager to have signed on for it. There's surprisingly little gore and almost no suspence or shocks — the preview audience spent most of the film screaming with laughter rather than terror, which is always a bad sign for a supposed horror film. The lack of any real depth or character development also doesn't help; neither does Cuthbert's performance, which comes across as though she's on set physically but her mind is at home on the couch with its feet up. Oh, and to kick this thing a little more while it's still down, the dialogue sucks, too. Save both your time and your cash, and give this one a big miss. :nonono:
Directed by Roland Joffe
Captivity is the latest horror/thriller/gorefest to be dubbed "torture porn" in certain sections of the media. Yes, a whole new sub-genre has been created to categorise movies such as this one, and Hostel II and Grindhouse, in which scantily clad women are tortured and killed. I wouldn't call Captivity torture porn, though — there's very little torture and no porn. Although the film does turn out to be torture for the audience.
Cuthbert stars as Jennifer Tree (I'll resist the obvious joke here about her name fitting her acting style) who is, to quote the publicity material, "America's sweetheart ... a top cover girl and fashion model who has it all — beauty, fame, money and power". Yes, but apparently no friends, bodyguards or entourage, because she's goes to a charity event at a nightclub — alone. Well, just her and her little dog, Suzy, which she carries with her everywhere, just like Paris Hilton (who also found herself in captivity, but I digress). And lo and behold, Jennifer is drugged and kidnapped from the toilet. In a crowded nightclub. From a toilet that is somehow devoid of the requisite gangs of pretty young things snorting cocaine. So right from the start we realise that this movie is based nowhere near the real world.
And from there, things get worse. Jennifer wakes up in what appears to be a dungeon, although whoever snatched her has made sure it's furnished with a little bit of style; everything is brand new and shiny. And then the fun starts. Jennifer is tied down and threatened with having acid poured all over her pretty face (which is still perfectly made up, with nary a hair out of place), but the acid turns out to be water. Jennifer is forced to drink what looks suspiciously like a raspberry smoothie. Except, of course there are no raspberries in it, for we have seen the gloved hand filling the blender with all manner of bloody nasties — an eyeball, an ear, what looks to be a heart. All whizzed up and then poured down poor Jenny's throat. Yum. And Jennifer has just 30 seconds to choose who gets blasted with a shotgun — herself or poor little Suzy. Yep, you guessed it, she picks the dog (would Paris do that?); but it turns out to be a double. Suzy lives, only to be completely forgotten about for the rest of the film.
Thing go from simply bad to nigh-on ridiculous with the introduction of another captive in the cell next door, Gary (Gillies). Through a series of silly set-ups they end up together, have some steamy we're-locked-in-a-psycho's-basement-so-why-don't-we-get-it-on sex and plot to escape their captor. Now, hands up everyone who can see the plot twist coming? Yep. I won't spoil it for the few of you who haven't seen Saw, but surely writers Larry Cohen and Joseph Tura could have made a little effort to be original? Is that too much to ask?
Captivity is a nasty, incoherent mess. Director Joffe (best known for The Killing Fields and The Mission) must have had his family held at gunpoint by his bank manager to have signed on for it. There's surprisingly little gore and almost no suspence or shocks — the preview audience spent most of the film screaming with laughter rather than terror, which is always a bad sign for a supposed horror film. The lack of any real depth or character development also doesn't help; neither does Cuthbert's performance, which comes across as though she's on set physically but her mind is at home on the couch with its feet up. Oh, and to kick this thing a little more while it's still down, the dialogue sucks, too. Save both your time and your cash, and give this one a big miss. :nonono: