Captivity
I’ll admit it: I’m a big fan of Elisha Cuthbert from her work as Kim Bauer on the show 24. And here, in her second major starring role (after Girl Next Door), she manages to hold things together with her amazing feminine charisma. The film flaunts its plot holes right off the bat: We’re supposed to believe Cuthbert’s Jennifer Tree, a world-famous model, has no friends (except her dog), no bodyguards, no hangers-on, and no entourage whatsoever, making it easier for the villain to knock her out and kidnap her(from a public place), with no one seeing or suspecting anything. When brought to her underground dungeon, the film rolls along for about 30 minutes or so, with the organ smoothie being a highlight scene, until the introduction of a fellow (male) prisoner. Director Roland Joffe does a fine job of showing the trauma Cuthbert endures, and how much of a relief it is to see you’re not alone there. There is a later scene involving the dog that was wholly unnecessary and takes us out of the film a bit, but the major twist involving the villain works well, as do the final scenes showing Cuthbert’s fate. The final showdown and chase was a little drawn-out for my taste, and the fact that most of the film was shot in Russia(?) makes for some bizarre atmosphere. In the end, while not a masterpiece of the torture porn genre, a nice little calling card for Cuthbert’s hotness…
7/10