The Factory

The Factory (2012)

Well, this is a pretty well made movie with some terrible holes in the plot and the writing. So it ends up being just "stupid" in the way that you are pulled along and want to believe the plot and then it's just not believable. Those few large flaws blow out the whole movie.

Too bad. The photography in particular is really good. And the ambiance in snowy Buffalo is terrific. In fact, the constant snow and all the dark scenes with flashlights seems inspired by "Seven" where it's all rain and flashlights. "The Factory" however isn't as well made as a Fincher movie, naturally enough (few movies these days are). And the basic story here is a little contrived from the get-go, even without the holes in the plot.

The idea of a pair of cops pursuing a mysterious serial killer is a cliché of the movies, of course (including "Seven" which didn't invent the idea). And it could work here. A ridiculous coincidence halfway through throws the movie, and the characters, into a tizzy (one of the characters even bemoans his bad luck). But the basic whodunnit is intact and the great filming makes it pulse along pretty well.

The main character is John Cusack who holds his end up well--he's probably a better goofy dad than a relentless cop but he's decent at both. The supporting cast around him is good, though the female cop sidekick isn't especially compelling, just going through the paces of a female cop sidekick (this is Jennifer Carpenter). The daughter is another story, a surprisingly complex character and a good young actress (Mae Whitman, famous for her role in "Parenthood" more than anything, I think). It's not a bad cast.

In fact, the film has the bones of being excellent. It's the story, and the specific writing that went into the story, that kills it. No pun intended.

While the pace in "The Factory" is not head over heels fast, then it doesn't really slow down the movie. This movie is built up in a very nice way that slowly builds up suspense and feeds the audience bits and pieces along the way.

What appealed to me about this movie was the storyline, and the way that director Morgan O'Neill managed to entice the audience with the way that the story was presented and still managed to put in some really genius plot twists along the way.

The storyline in "The Factory" was alpha and omega in the movie, but the good cast also helped the movie along quite nicely. It was essentially John Cusack who made me sit down and watch this movie, but it turned out to be Dallas Roberts who ended up carrying the movie with his phenomenal performance as Carl.

I can't claim to be familiar with the true story upon which this movie is based, but the events that took place in the movie were portrayed nicely and realistic. And the fact that some of this actually happened to a certain degree is just disturbing.

"The Factory" might be slow paced, but it is an outstanding movie that really should be watched if you enjoy crime thrillers. Quite a unique movie experience.

I had quite a hassle with trying to watch "The Factory". I rented the Blu-ray of the movie, but when I took it home I accidentally dropped the Blu-ray box down my building's elevator shaft. I had to wait overnight for the elevator man to come and retrieve it, and only after he retrieved the movie could I watch it.

It wasn't worth the hassle.

Now, this is not one of the worst movies ever made. For one thing, the movie does has some atmosphere - the Canadian locations covered in snow add a somewhat moody feeling. Also, near the end there is a twist that I admit I didn't see coming... though when I thought about it after the movie was over, it seemed to be silly and not making much sense.

But that silly twist doesn't sink the movie. There are two things that ultimately don't make the movie work. The first is that there is no sense of tension or desperation at any moment in the movie, despite the fact that the story is about a cop's daughter who is kidnapped by a deranged lunatic. The cop - and everyone else for that matter - takes the situation much too calmly. The second problem is with John Cusack's performance. John Cusack has given good performances in past movies, but he's really miscast here. He simply isn't believable as a tough cop, and sticks out like a sore thumb.

As I said earlier, this isn't one of the worst movies ever made. But those problems I mentioned ultimately sink the movie, and it's understandable why the distributor (Warner Brothers) let this movie sit on the shelf for quite some time (the movie has a 2010 copyright date) before ultimately giving it a direct-to-DVD release.

Hollywood veteran John Cusack is detective Mike Fletcher, a maverick cop who has a hard time playing by the rules at the best of times, let alone when trying to find his missing daughter. Mistaken for a streetwalker by the creepy-for-the-sake-of-being-creepy Gary Gemeaux (Dallas Roberts), Abby Fletcher (Mae Whitman) is thrown into a makeshift dungeon with a couple of other inmates who are forced to produce children for a mysterious benefactor.

Cusack and Roberts make an honourable effort despite an uninspired script, but that is the only highlight to draw from this film. Part-police procedural, part-torture porn exploitation, The Factory blends the two polarising genres with mixed results; the end product serving more to unsettle than stimulate or entertain.

Many of the film's victims are inherently unlikeable, and as such do not demand audience sympathy for their dire situations to the extent that they should. The Factory is actually tolerable, albeit immediately forgettable, for much of its run time, until an overly ambitious climax shreds any filmic credibility that might have still lingered in the mind of the viewer. The 'twist' ending is both predictable and illogical, resulting in a disastrous conclusion leaving one feeling somewhere between 'unsatisfied' and 'downright cheated'.

*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*

If you like a cat and mouse game type movie and looking for something with a new twist this is a movie that will meet your needs.

The story is a little slow at the beginning but it keeps you wanting to know the next step.

There are some great blindsides that will get you.

The acting was basic follow the script, not bad but nothing special. The movie has many scenes that are at night so a darker screen. Just making it harder to see the movie if you're in a bright room or watching during the day.

I loved what they did and it caught me by surprise and made me want to tell everyone... guess you'll have to watch to know what scene I'm referring to.