PRISONERS - 1 nomination

PRISONERS

Cinematography - Roger A. Deakins

Prisoners is the story of two families whose daughters have been kidnapped on Thanksgiving Day.  A suspect emerges but is ultimately released from police custody for lack of evidence.  One of the fathers (Hugh Jackman) is convinced of the suspect's guilt, so he kidnaps the young man and sets up a site where he tries to torture the truth out of him.  

There are lots of twists and turns along the way, and still somehow Prisoners manages to be a pretty bad film.  Despite the powerhouse cast, there are so many holes in the storyline that it becomes exasperating to watch.  Accepting the lack of sense in each story error is almost impossible, so the movie becomes either annoying or completely boring.

Despite this, the cinematography nomination is understandable given how much shooting was done in tunnels, small spaces, underground, and inside dark buildings.  The art of lighting and shooting these kinds of spaces convincingly is not easy, so it is not uncommon for movies like this one to receive a nomination in this category.  Unfortunately, the cinematography doesn't make watching the film worth it.

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