I don't dislike many films, but this is one of them. Admittedly I came in about half an hour into it and left long before the end, but I don't think I could stomach any more.
I won't bore you with the plot that's outlined in several other comments and in the plot summary itself, but it's an interesting concept. Unfortunately, it isn't pulled off. This film could easily have made the viewers wonder about good and bad. This seemingly good man doing a job to benefit the community etc. has keeps a young stripper locked up in his basement.
I love my slow-moving, dialogue driven films, but only when they have something to draw me in, be it the acting, dialogue itself or a well-deserving theme. However this has none. Dennis Hopper was a big disappointment with no emotion or conviction in his character. There was no clear difference between his character in the basement and his character out in public. Possibly a good thing, but not when the acting is so unenthusiastic and effortless. Asia's character was completely unbelievable, and I don't really blame her for this. I put this down to the awful script and bad directing. For the portion of this film I saw, she feebly and clumsily tried to escape and failed miserably, again, with no effort or conviction. After that, she seemed happy to be kept in the secret prison. Okay, possibly as a sort of two-faced reaction, except without the slightest hint of the face of hatred and desperation.
I also noticed a considerable lack of mis-en-scene. The only thing I can point out and call mis-en-scene would be the constant feel of claustrophobia, even when out of the basement. Other than that, colours and lighting were always fairly bright and jolly, hardly the kind of emotions you want to give off. Also, on the note of lighting, the basement was hardly believable as a basement, because it had so much light. There seemed to be no shadows in this cramped, underground, usually dark room.
If you want a decent thriller, watch something else...anything else.
I won't bore you with the plot that's outlined in several other comments and in the plot summary itself, but it's an interesting concept. Unfortunately, it isn't pulled off. This film could easily have made the viewers wonder about good and bad. This seemingly good man doing a job to benefit the community etc. has keeps a young stripper locked up in his basement.
I love my slow-moving, dialogue driven films, but only when they have something to draw me in, be it the acting, dialogue itself or a well-deserving theme. However this has none. Dennis Hopper was a big disappointment with no emotion or conviction in his character. There was no clear difference between his character in the basement and his character out in public. Possibly a good thing, but not when the acting is so unenthusiastic and effortless. Asia's character was completely unbelievable, and I don't really blame her for this. I put this down to the awful script and bad directing. For the portion of this film I saw, she feebly and clumsily tried to escape and failed miserably, again, with no effort or conviction. After that, she seemed happy to be kept in the secret prison. Okay, possibly as a sort of two-faced reaction, except without the slightest hint of the face of hatred and desperation.
I also noticed a considerable lack of mis-en-scene. The only thing I can point out and call mis-en-scene would be the constant feel of claustrophobia, even when out of the basement. Other than that, colours and lighting were always fairly bright and jolly, hardly the kind of emotions you want to give off. Also, on the note of lighting, the basement was hardly believable as a basement, because it had so much light. There seemed to be no shadows in this cramped, underground, usually dark room.
If you want a decent thriller, watch something else...anything else.