48 heures chrono

This film moves on at a good pace, the characters are played well and the story is pretty good too. And although I was watching this thinking I've seen this kind of story before I was interested in how it would turn out. You know, the story where a father is on a case which ends up involving him because the daughter becomes a victim, but just as you think you've worked out how it will go, BAM, a massive plot twist which you never see coming! If you say you did see it coming, then you're a genius! I'd heard about this movie over a year ago and then it went off the radar but when it turned up I had to see it, and I an so glad I got to. A truly great film and that plot twist just made the movie so much more enjoyable. I'd watch it again as it was that memorable. So I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10.

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.

This film has quite polarized reviews from suspicious 10 star glowing reviews to 1 star reviews of 'Most Horrible Movie Ever' and other similar variations.

Okay... I really had to think about how I would rate this one because MANY times I read horrible reviews of films that are made very well, but the 'reviewer' just didn't like it so obviously it's just crap. I honestly thought that technically and quality and acting wise that the film was made very well; the pacing and editing, etc. were indeed quite gripping and intense. The overall premise was mildly intriguing because as you went along you were genuinely curious as to WHY this guy was doing this. And of course as ALWAYS Cusack's performance was good (although, quite honestly he DID look like he was kinda sleepwalking through most of it)

Now, as far as the 'Ending'... Well... Firstly it DID catch me totally by surprise; I was actually sitting here saying 'NO WAY!' out loud. But, that is a double edged sword because it was so incredible that many here found it almost ridiculous. I wouldn't put it that strongly but I personally think it could have been worked a little better than just kind of attached onto the end of an otherwise competent film; and then the continuing scenes after that also not really quite matching the quality of the rest of the movie.

So, again, is it well made? Yes. Thus my somewhat generous rating of 6. If a film is put together well (except for perhaps the last 10 minutes) I think that that should be acknowledged so that others reading reviews and trying to decide whether they should bother to see it will know that. It is really great? Well, no... But, if you can take the ending with a teaspoon or two of salt and just enjoy the intensity, pacing, and entertainment value of the majority of the movie, then you might like it.

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.

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.*