Gone

Jill's (Amanda Seyfried) sister Molly is kidnapped as Jill was years ago. Detective Powers (Daniel Sunjata) doesn't believe her as he didn't believe her before because Jill could not come up with any viable evidence that she was kidnapped and escaped. He believes it was all in her head. Jill feels she cannot trust the police to help.

At first I thought (and hoped) I would be seeing a female version of a Mel Gibson character who knows no boundaries when a family member is taken. I was wrong. We see Jill doing the detective work that the police would normally do. She goes here and there and gathers clues getting closer and closer to the serial-killer kidnapper. The police are now in full pursuit of her because shots were fired and that is a violation as she had been in a mental hospital and owning a gun is a no no.

This held me because the suspense and tension were very good. And, what's not to like with Jill and those big Red Riding Hood eyes? (I would guess Amanda Seyfried will be forever known for that.) The entire cast performed well.

Two things: Jill's road trip to the forest where she was kept years ago has the story go full circle as we knew it would. We screamed and begged for her not to go there, but she didn't listen. And, where Molly was found was a bit of a stretch but for the twist to work it had to be this way.

However, all in all, this is pretty good even though you are convinced a Mel Gibson character won't show up. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity; No. Language: No.

Jill Conway (Amanda Seyfried) was kidnapped and escaped but nobody believed her. She was sent to a psychiatric facility. Her sister Molly disappears and she is convinced that it's the same kidnapper from two years earlier.

The production value is limited but the tension is maintained throughout this film. Basically, this is a damsel alone in danger against a serial killer. Amanda is great. The production does dip into more TV level of style at times. A bigger budget would help as well as a more imaginative eye. I'm not sure if there are any unfilled plot holes and the climax definitely needed more action. It's still a good watch mostly for Amanda.

I think Gone is a film that is pretty much destined for bad reviews, which is a shame because I actually found it quite good, the story is about a girl who was abducted a year ago, but escaped her captor, she goes on living day to day life with the help of mess to deal with the trauma, that is until her captor comes back for her and takes her sister instead, a game of cat and mouse ensues and the viewer is taken on a fast paced cracking thrill ride. Yes there are problems with Gone, for starters the script is slightly underwritten and some story lines are totally forgotten about, particularly some of the story lines surrounding the supporting characters, and it has a bit of a 90's b-grade thriller vibe to it, but for what it's worth it also has a lot of good things about it too. The central performance by Amanda Seyfried is a good one, she is very convincing as the determined heroine of the story, the cinematography is very fitting to the story, the cold and damp setting of Portland is wonderfully captured by the camera, the pace is fast as a bullet, each scene is quick and doesn't drag on and it has some genuinely scary and tense scenes, particularly towards the end.

Some reviews I have read say that Ananda Seyfried deserves better roles, yes she deserves great roles because she is a supremely talented young actress but I really don't see what's so bad about this role, it's a strong female character, I think people may only want to see her in romantic comedies and that's it. Speaking of Ms Seyfried, she gets better and better in every film I see her in, she has a very natural acting style, she never seems forced, everything seems very natural for her, I look forward to seeing where her career goes.

Gone is a real middle ground kind of thriller, it's not a teen slasher and it's not a more mature adult thriller either, it kind of takes what's great about both types and combines them into a highly entertaining movie that will have you guessing tight until the very end. My only criticism is just the abandoned story lines of the supporting characters, I dint know if it's lazy writing or what but for me I felt I was steered in a direction only to be left thinking, but all in all the movie is great, I would definitely watch it again.

Give it a go, I hope you enjoy, Amanda Seyfried is wonderful. :) excellent.

I actually held off from watching this film, I guess because I have a thing against PG or PG 13 films, especially when is comes to horror, or thrillers. But guess what...'Gone' was really a good thriller as well as being a cool little mystery. I never heard of the Director (Heitor Dhalia) until this film and I must say I was quite impressed by the look and style of the film. Dhalia has a great eye, because the scenery in this film was simply breathtaking. A good pace was set and at times I found myself catching my breath due to some tense moments spread throughout the film. I was also impressed by Amanda Seyfried's performance, she held her own and delivered on all aspects of what her character was suppose to give in telling this story. My only grip was Wes Bentley's cop character. Bently's character wasn't really needed and didn't serve no actual purpose, although the film makers lead you to believe his character has some relevance to the story. 'Gone' is not a blockbuster type film, but holds it's own in the tradition of 'Kiss the girls' and other such film thrillers. So when you get a chance to see this film, get yourself, your date, or family a big bowl of popcorn and sit back, because you'll have a nice little viewing experience.

I saw this one against the critics' recommendation at Rottentomatoes, and it was because of Amanda Seyfred, to be honest. She has those beautiful big blue eyes and blonde hair that one cannot look away from.

But after watching her in this movie, it is clear to me that she is much more than a pretty face, and she can carry a movie on her own.

I can see why the critics would hate it, though. The plot is overly simple, the cops have a cursory role, and none of the characters other than that of Amanda's are well-developed. And, the big 'confrontation' is dealt with as if the director wanted it out of the way as soon as possible.

But, to be honest, in retrospect, the film is about none of that. This is a suspense thriller, not a horror. There does not have to be a big confrontation, and there does not have to be jump shots. This is about the journey of the protagonist against all odds, and how she uses her alertness and her resourcefulness and her charm to get to the person she believes has her sister.

In this, it succeeds. I would watch this one again, and if a movie makes me think that, it has succeeded for me.