What do you think she meant when she said “a huge black monster with giant claws”?
There’s a lot to admire about Keane, starting with Damien Lewis’ intense, committed performance as the schizophrenic main character. It’s a performance that we can never escape from, as everything is filtred through Keane’s consciousness (we can never even be sure that he did actually lose his daughter), he’s present in every scene, and the Dardennes-style camera sticks to him (and drags us along with it) like flypaper through every minute of the film. But I think Lodge Kerrigan made a big mistake in letting the second half of the film be taken over by the suspense/tension – the fear, even – of what Keane might do to the mother and especially to the little girl. It overbalances the film, and what started out very interesting with its low-key, introspective, and naturalist tone is given a far more conventional turn which, more seriously, distracts your attention from the film’s central concern.
by Ian Johnston | Source: Soda DVD
30 Dec 2007 11:26 AM | Submit Comment