This is a movie that is roughly what I was expecting from having seen the advertising, but it takes a different approach. It’s a well told story with fine production and a superb cast.

Writing: There have been many films over the years based around the revenge plot structure. This one is a little bit unique. The way the character progresses towards revenge is fairly ambiguous. Character development is definitely one of the strong aspects of the film, in both of the main characters. It operates in a world of gray areas, like most of the best character dramas do.

Production: Nothing to complain about here. While it’s in no way original, the washed out blue/gray hue of the film conveys the New York City area in which the story unfolds. It also does a good job at muting the characters and downplaying much of the drama. Cinematography is strong, opting for the use of angles and pitch when the main character is off balance or out of her element. Sound design is also quite impressive. It needs to be, actually, as the main character spends much of the time doing professional sound recordings, which is something of a fascinating hobby.

Cast: It’s impossible to come up with somebody who could have pulled off this role any better than Jodie Foster. This character benefits from some of the roles that Foster has portrayed over the last couple decades, incorporating small elements of each. She capably brings both vulnerability and strength to the character, making the full journey seem plausible. It’s a remarkable performance. Terrance Howard does a fine job as the sympathetic counterbalance, adding some nice subtleties to the story. Nicky Katt is spot-on hilarious as a staggeringly deadpanned partner for Howard’s character. And Naveen Andrews works well in his brief performance, breaking stereotypes a bit.

Music: Dario Marianelli’s score is certainly up to the task. It doesn’t draw a heck of a lot of attention to itself, which is fine. It covers the bases well and adds some nice textures to the material. It helps sell the overall mood and progression of the story and characters.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 2:59 am and is filed under Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.