Trapped (2002)
I should have known that "Trapped"
wasn't going to be a film I would like. It's about
the kidnapping of a child and I hate movies where
a child is in danger. Also, I hate crime movies in
general. I'm not a real big fan of angry, unsavory,
criminal types as film characters. Sure, there are
exceptions, but these usually prove the rule.
From the beginning, Kevin Bacon's
character in the film bugged me. Bacon doesn't really
act here, he gropes and sneers. He's very one-note.
We never really come to care about his character so
his character's arc is virtually unimportant to us.
In fact, almost everyone is typecast and stereotyped
into a mold here. Charlize Theron is a typical rich
wife and mother who is hysterical, than motherly,
than calculating, then action hero. Stuart Townsend
is good guy then angry then good guy again. Pruitt
Taylor Vance is the overweight retard sidekick of
the criminal mastermind. Dakota Fanning, the little
girl from "I am Sam" is, well... the little girl from
"I am Sam." The only exception here is Courtney Love
who yet again proves herself to be the most under-appreciated
actress in America. When is someone besides Milos
Foreman going to give her a chance to strut her stuff
in a decent film? She rocks here.
I should have known "Trapped" was
going to be less than great when I saw that Luis Mandoki
was directing it. Mandoki hasn't exactly made a name
for himself as an A-list director. He might be what
we call a modern B-lister, with credits including
"Angel Eyes" and the 90's remake of "Born Yesterday"
with Melanie Griffith. Not exactly a career of film
highlights. This film does nothing to make us think
of him any otherwise.
"Trapped" isn't horrible. Bacon
and Theron often create tense and interesting moments.
Love and Townsed do as well. And the film has a somewhat
cool (albeit pointless) massive car crash sequence
at the end. But Mandoki ruins much of the film with
jerky hand-held camera work and at least two action
sequences, including the car crash, where you can't
really tell what the fuck is going on. "Trapped" is
just one of those films where everything seems to
be exactly what you think it is going to be. It never
wows you even though it never really bores you.
Note:
Script by Greg Iles, based on his
novel, "24 Hours." The film was known, during production,
by the same name as the novel. We can assume the name
was changed to avoid confusion with the Fox TV series,
"24," starring Keifer Sutherland. But did they have
to call it "Trapped?" That's not exactly original.
This is the 14th film since 1914 to be named "Trapped,"
according to imdb.
Although set in Seattle, the film
was lensed in Canada. Originally intended to be set
in the South.
Fanning's character's asthma was
originally intended to be juvenile diabetes but this
was changed at some point as well.
