Captive

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving violence and substance abuse
Run Time: 97 Minutes
My Rating: 3.5/5
So today I saw Paramount Pictures' Captive starring Kate Mara (Netflix's House of Cards), David Oyelowo (Selma), and Michael Kenneth Williams (12 Years A Slave).  The film tells the incredible true story of Ashley Smith, a single mother struggling with a drug addiction, whose life turns upside-down when she is randomly taken hostage in her own house one night by convicted rapist and now murderer, Brian Nichols.  However, as the night goes on and the two get to know each other, they soon realize that this event might have changed both of their lives for the better.
So I thought this film was great and definitely one that I would see again.  With that being said, the film has some major flaws, but with the help of its incredible cast and their performances this film is a great treat to watch. For the most part, the films script lacks some depth, but Kate Mara and David Oyelowo definitely make up for it.  They both bring these people to life and make you care and feel for them. Another great thing about this film is its simplicity.  This film doesn't have any big sets or huge spectacles, instead, it focuses purely on the emotion of its characters and the influence they have on each other's lives.
However, even with an incredible cast and pure simplicity, the film has some major flaws.  As mentioned above, the script lacks in depth.  Also, another big flaw comes from the film's marketing. The film is trying to sell itself as the next Christian sensation, but most of the Christian-values that it is trying to represent are pushed to the side and only come to light for maybe a total of 5 minutes out of the entire 97 minute film.  In my opinion, this is very disappointing and with that brings the audience confusion as to what actually happened between these two people.  Personally, I feel that both the film and the script would have been better if these Christian-values that the film promised were more prominent in the film.  It would make the film flow better and provide a better product for its audiences.
Overall, I thought that the film was great.  Even through its flaws, the film's story is very powerful and the actors give fantastic performances.  This is a great film for all audiences and is one that I would definitely recommend.  This is an incredible story and this film does an amazing job at telling it.

Thanks again for reading!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!