Hostage works in much the same way that Assault on Precinct 13 succeeds. This is done seamlessly, giving us a sense that the lives of the characters are intersecting before the main action begins. There's one scene in which the perspective changes from one car to another at an intersection, then switches to a third car as the second one passes it on the road. His sense of scope is impressive - he is fond of tracking and aerial shots. Jeff is an interesting enough individual that a drama could have been constructed around his life if the thriller elements hadn't intervened.ĭirector Florent Siri has burst upon the North American scene with a flourish. This character isn't a wisecracking fly in the ointment, he's a tortured individual looking for redemption. Hostage is a different kind of movie, and Jeff is nothing like John McClane. And a dog gets whacked, which almost never happens in major motion pictures.Īlthough understandable, comparisons to Die Hard are misplaced. For example, Tommy is played as an ingenious boy (not the stock dullard of movies like this) who provides a stream of useful information to Jeff via cell phone calls.
Also, the final showdown is a little disappointing in its ordinariness. Hostage tries to give us access to the interaction between the three inexperienced criminals (none of whom trust one another) and their victims, but it is shortchanged. While this aspect of the film amps up the tension, it does so at the expense of credibility and drama. The secondary plot-thread bogs down Hostage a little. After handling the initial contact with the hostage-takers, Jeff willingly turns over reigns of authority - until he discovers that there are darker goings-on than the crisis at hand.
#Movie the hostage plus#
An investigating police officer is shot and killed - an event that brings the entire Bristo Camino police force on the scene, plus a lot of help from the outside. Inside the house, the accountant is lying motionless on his living room floor while his daughter, Jennifer (Michelle Horn), and son, Tommy (Jimmy Bennett), are being held hostage by three interlopers: Dennis (Jonathan Tucker), Mars (Ben Foster), and Kevin (Marshall Allman). Then, when a suspicious vehicle is spotted outside the gated house of an accountant (Kevin Pollack), everything changes. They dislike Jeff's new lifestyle so much that they only live with him part-time, and "part-time" is even too often for Amanda. His biggest worry is dealing with the unhappiness of his wife, Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and daughter, Amanda (Rumer Willis, Bruce's real-life daughter with Demi Moore). Nothing much happens there, which suits Jeff fine. A year later, he is the chief of police in Bristo Camino, a small Ventura County hamlet. Willis plays top LAPD hostage negotiator Jeff Talley, who removes himself from the big city after two victims (including a child) are killed on his watch.
Or, to put it another way: accept Hostage for what it is, and a flawed-but-enjoyable ride awaits. For those who manage to achieve this, Hostage offers two entertaining hours.
#Movie the hostage movie#
The largest potential drawback to enjoying this movie is getting past some of the plot's implausibilities. Hostage represents Bruce Willis' latest attempt to produce a thriller with the kind of broad appeal exhibited by his most successful big-screen endeavor, Die Hard.
0 kommentar(er)
