GONE (Heitor Dhalia). 94 minutes. Opens Friday (February 24). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNN
Gone delivers lots of tension and gives the thriller genre a twist by merging the designated victim from the woman-in-peril flick and the relentless hunter from the chase movie in the person of Amanda Seyfried.
As Jill, who two years earlier was abducted, then escaped from a serial killer who was never caught, Seyfried conveys credible paranoid anxiety, aided by her baby face, big eyes and wispy hair. But when her sister is kidnapped, Jill’s convinced that the killer is back. The cops think she’s crazy and won’t do a thing, so she has to go it alone. Seyfried then deploys intelligence and desperate determination without losing her vulnerability.
This is a deglamorized thriller. The action takes place in Portland kitchens, backyards and hardware stores over the course of a day and night as Jill avoids the pursuing cops, and lies and intimidates her way to the truth. Guns and car chases are kept believable. Threats arise naturally, and much of the suspense and enjoyment comes from the heroine’s resourcefulness.
There’s nothing deep or profoundly shocking here, but Gone is a solid evening’s entertainment.
movies@nowtoronto.com
