I was expecting a weak thriller also-ran, but instead I got a very entertaining, unusual drama. A lot of movies are challenged by how to inform the viewer about what's going on, but the addition of a hostage is well engineered and gives us our everyman for exposition. She also provides a fantastic foil for a somewhat complex idea and has great chemistry with the protagonist.
A very unusual concept sets the movie apart but doesn't mire us down in overlong explanations or monologues. In fact many ideas that might have been over-dramatic in other movies are efficiently dispatched with a few lines. For example, establishing that our hostage has a young daughter (and thus a vulnerability) is handled in about three lines of dialog. I say this as a compliment, as the screenwriter has expertly relied on the audience to pick up on things instead of spelling out every single detail. This gives the dialog (and the movie) a very comfortable, natural feel.
The biggest twist of all was learning who wrote and produced the movie - a fantastic first outing for a pretty talented actress. I hope we see a lot more from her in the future.
A very unusual concept sets the movie apart but doesn't mire us down in overlong explanations or monologues. In fact many ideas that might have been over-dramatic in other movies are efficiently dispatched with a few lines. For example, establishing that our hostage has a young daughter (and thus a vulnerability) is handled in about three lines of dialog. I say this as a compliment, as the screenwriter has expertly relied on the audience to pick up on things instead of spelling out every single detail. This gives the dialog (and the movie) a very comfortable, natural feel.
The biggest twist of all was learning who wrote and produced the movie - a fantastic first outing for a pretty talented actress. I hope we see a lot more from her in the future.