Monday, July 20, 2015

Reckless Keeps You Captive In This Dutch Remake: A Film Review


*full disclosure: a DVD screener of this film was provided by Artsploitation Films.

Director: Joram Lursen.

Writers: J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) and Frank Ketelaar.

Cast: Sarah Chronis, Tygo Gernandt, Marwan Kenzari.

Dutch director Joram Lursen (primarily known for romantic comedies and Dutch television shows) enters into thriller territory with Reckless (Bloedlink), his version of 2009's The Disappearance of Alice Creed. While this viewer has not seen the original, there's a general consensus that this remake does not stray far from the first and, according to some critics, even surpasses it. In Lursen's film, Laura Temming, the daughter of a wealthy real estate mogul, is kidnapped by two masked men and held for ransom. Over a period of roughly two days, we observe the three characters in close quarters and discover that there's much more going on than anticipated. Reckless not only delivers an intriguing plot with phenomenal acting, but also surprises with an intimacy that creates a heightened sense of tension and anxiety, providing an interesting glimpse into the three characters and their motivations.

Laura Temming is kidnapped in broad daylight by two masked assailants, then taken to a soundproof apartment where she is stripped naked and tied to a bed. This intense scene happens early on, and is quite terrifying. The audience sees what Laura's kidnappers look like well before she does, but we soon discover that Laura knows one of the masked men. While this revelation momentarily lessens the story's intensity to a degree, it ends up creating even more tension within a plot proving too full of twists to describe without risk of spoiling. These twists help to clarify elements of the story, but also make it difficult to decide where to place your alliances. Similarly, it is equally hard for the characters to figure out where their trust lies. Tactics such as these are essential in a good thriller, and make for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat film, from start to finish.

While successful on many levels, there are a few aspects of the story that are simply unbelievable. For one, Laura is kidnapped during the day, seemingly just outside her home in a populated suburban neighbourhood. Next, she is taken to an apartment building where she rides the elevator bound and gagged while flung over the shoulder of one of her kidnappers, then brought into the soundproofed suite. The windows in this highrise suite are boarded up, which is sure to create suspicion. Where is the landlord?! And, furthermore, how is it possible that nobody witnessed this crime? It seems that perhaps kidnapping her at night would have made more sense, and taking her to a secluded location would have been better, or at least more plausible. That said, the apartment was the right size and had a suitable atmosphere in creating a sense of claustrophobia which added to the intimacy and intensity of the film's better scenes.

Sarah Chronis plays the frightened Laura Temming.

For the most part, Reckless's strengths reside in the many scenes within the confines of the boarded-up highrise apartment. Most of the film's scenes take place in close quarters, and involve conflict between two of the three characters; this cleverly creates a sense of intimacy and anxiety, and allows the audience to feel a closeness to the characters. As a viewer, it is difficult to decide who you're rooting for. In fact, alliances can potentially change even a few times during the course of the movie. This nicely adds an element of excitement and anticipation in trying to figure out how it will end. The film does an excellent job of contrasting colours to aid in creating questions about whose side to be on. While all three characters wear blue and grey clothing, mimicking the apartment's cool decor, there are several instances when a warm golden light is shed on each character at different times, insinuating a possible goodness about them. Ultimately, we see the characters' true colours in the end, making for a compelling, yet slightly drawn-out climax.

The acting in this film is worth mentioning as Reckless truly is a character-driven story and would have completely fallen apart without a solid cast. Sarah Chronis (known for Dutch TV series' "Onderweg Naar Morgen" and "Het Glazen Huis") is convincing as the shaken Laura Temming, and is particularly effective in the intense early scenes, before the character knows what's going on. Tygo Gernandt (famous for his role as Dennis Hulshof in the Dutch series "Fort Alpha") plays the intimidating captor, Victor. His character possesses a strong presence in each scene, and Gernandt provides an impressive, emotionally charged performance. Most noteworthy is Marwan Kenzari's (Wolf, 2013) portrayal of the character Rico. Rico is arguably the most interesting and complex of the three, and the handsome Kenzari does a brilliant job of this role. Viewers will get the chance to see Kenzari opposite Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley in this year's action-thriller, Autobahn.

Marwan Kenzari as Rico.


Having not seen The Disappearance of Alice Creed, it is impossible to judge Joram Lursen's Reckless as a remake. Luckily, this film stands quite tall on its own merits. The story, though not without faults, is enthralling, as are the performances by its gifted actors. This viewer is not typically a fan of the whole kidnapping/ransom plot; however, this film is extremely powerful and quite handily pushes on without a dull moment. While seeing the original is always recommended, it's hard to believe that the first could be much more well-executed. This film comes with high recommendations as a clever, high-energy thriller that will surely not disappoint.

Rating: 8/10.

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