Studio: Columbia Pictures

Rating: 3.5/5

Trapped is a tight mystery/thriller marred by annoying camera work. The concept is that three kidnappers, Joe (Kevin Bacon), Cheryl (Courtney Love) and Marvin (Pruitt Taylor Vince) kidnap the asthmatic daughter, Abigail (Dakota Fanning), of an anesthesiologist, William Jennings(Stuart Townsend), and his former-nurse wife Karen (Charlize Theron).

The kidnappers have done this four times before and they have it down to a routine that takes 24 hours from kidnapping to payoff and escape. Joe stays with the wife, Cheryl with the husband and Marvin with the kid. If Marvin doesn’t get an update from Joe every 30 minutes Abigail dies.

It’s an excellent screenplay adaptation of a novel (actually the novel was written after the screenplay though plotted beforehand). There are several hints and bits that if you’re sharp you can guess the big twist (though I didn’t manage to do it). There is even another twist that’s totally new and wasn’t in the novel.

For the most part the story stays small. A lot of time is spent at in three locations: the Jennings house, a hotel apartment, and a cabin in the outbacks. Only in the final act does the movie open up with the three pairs driving around.

Acting is excellent especially from Bacon and Theron who have a lot of tense scenes together. Actually all the principal actors did quite well and there weren’t that many other speaking parts in any case. And Dakota Fanning doesn’t creep me out for once.

My big annoyance with the movie is the choice of using shaky-cams in lots of parts (especially early on) to make certain scenes more dramatic. Unfortunately to me it’s too distracting to have the camera waving around and swishing back and forth.

But that’s only my problem as I think most viewers won’t notice. The film tanked at the theatres but I think it’s quite a good film that most people will enjoy.

Extras

Commentary Tracks

    1. director Luis Mandoki

    2. writer Greg Iles

“Trapped from Within” (20 min): Making of.

Deleted Scenes (5)

Alternate Ending (1 min)