Kidnapped is the kind of film that makes you feel guilty for not liking it. You walk out of the cinema and find yourself questioning yourself to no end. And while you maybe wondering whether or not ‘you really are into arthouse films’ or whether ‘the fact it was in Spanish lowered the impact’, what you should be realizing is that despite the fact director, Miguel Angel Vivas (I’ll See You In My Dreams, Reflections) says he made the film because of a spate of home invasions in Spain, he has actually made a very ordinary film that appears to be simply cashing in on the torture-porn market made famous by films such as Saw and Hostel.
The incorrectly titled Kidnapped (it’s actually a home invasion not a kidnapping) tells the story of a wealthy family made up of father, Jaime (Fernando Cayo – The Skin I Live In, TV’S Punta Escarlata), mother, Marta (Ana Wagener – Todo lo que tu quieras, Biutiful) and teenage daughter, Isa (Manuela Velles – Retornos, TV’S Hispania, la layenda) who on the night they move into their new home are taken captive by a group of violent assailants.
Miguel Angel Vivas’ work really does come across as a film student who is desperate to make a film in the vein of Quentin Tarrantino. The violence feels forced and the story is totally unbelievable. Unless most of the characters have brains the size of peanuts there is no way that would ever do the things they do during the film, it seems that every turn someone makes a wrong decision. The worst part is the film begins with such promise. The opening scene looks sensational however as the film goes on it is beyond anyone to be able to explain even who the character is in the scene… I can’t help but wonder if even Vivas himself would struggle to explain it. Even one of the ‘big reveals’ in the film will make the audience groan because instead of being portrayed in a smart way to the audience it really does feel like the director has simply changed his mind as the script has gone on.
The other sad thing about Kidnapped is that Vivas’ cast work really hard… well most of them anyway. For the most part the acting of the assailants is bad (once again reminding you of a student film), however both Fernando Cayo and Manuela Velles can hold their heads high. They work well with what they have got to work with and pull off some harrowing scenes.
Unfortunately, due to a script that is really lacking Kidnapped really doesn’t work, but then what do you expect from a film where the filmmakers couldn’t even use the correct title. Promises so much, but delivers so much, save yourself the pain and watch Funny Games instead.
Year: 2011
Director: Miguel Angel Vivas
Stars: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellas, Ana Wagener
Classification: R18+
Runtime: 81 mins
Rating: 