Keane (2005)

Very well executed

So much average

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This will be remembered more for the period it was made rather than its content. It's hand-held cinema verite style in almost Dogma fashion is very much in that late nineties to mid 2000's vein. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The acting is top notch and the direction too and most of the elements are in place, even though it does feel like many others that came before it and since.The problem is in it's authenticity. The first act sets up a very damaged man. In the second he can apparently turn his illness off like a switch. Now many people can hide their problems, such as alcoholics, those with anger issues, but this doesn't border on the ridiculous, it is ridiculous. I'd love to hear from true sufferers such as the type revealed in the beginning of the film (very well portrayed by the way) but magically throws it out the window. I think it's an insult to genuine sufferers of mental illness.Still, the other characters are totally believable even if their actions are not always which seems such a shame because you do care about these people, especially when there's a child at stake. The ending simply annoyed and yet, again, slots right into that type of indie filmmaking typical of this period. It will ultimately be no different than looking back on film noir, early screwball comedy's, seventies horror or even eighties teenage flicks. A film entrenched in its style without fully extending beyond it. Which is a shame as so much of it is good, especially the primary performance.

Kerrigan explores some darker parts of the mind as Lewis searches for his missing daughter. The realistic way in which Kerrigan shoots has the film covered by an uncomfortable sense of dread. Lewis gives the performance of a lifetime, rarely off-screen, and often acting against himself, Lewis captures the desperation and tragedy, as well as the flaws that any human has. Breslin gives another example of why she will become one of the world's greatest actresses and Ryan continues to impress. Every role is played with subtlety, and there's no non-digetic music to intrude on proceedings. A little bit of wonderful, delivered at a thoughtful pace.

Lodge Kerrigan takes the viewer to the world of Keane who struggles to stay on the thin line of sanity. The film is executed in such a unique way that allows the viewer to be an invisible spectator observing Keane in his disturbed world. Kerrigan also provides a glimpse into Keane's fractured schizophrenic mind and he successfully manages to create a sense of isolation. At first we question what is real in this world that the director portrays and what is not and no definitive solution is provided because that's not what 'Keane' is about as all of it is real to him. In the opening sequence we see him searching for his daughter whom he had lost a year ago. Perhaps this is a metaphor referring to the time when he hit rock bottom with his illness and has been trying since to find his way out. Shot with excellent cinematography, using slightly washed out colours and dim lighting, the atmosphere is effectively gloomy and claustrophobic.But, 'Keane' is a character-driven piece and credit must go to Kerrigan's writing and Damian Lewis's extraordinary performance. A lesser actor would not have been able to handle such a complex role and could have messed it up but Lewis nails it to the core. This is among his best works. Many have complained about the other performances saying that there was something off about the actors but that was the point because it's about how the title character sees them. Abigail Breslin delivers a sincere performance and Amy Ryan is good too.'Keane' is an engaging, atmospheric and cerebral look into a shattered mind. Kerrigan has made a fascinating film.

keane is not an easy film to enjoy, but it is worth sticking with this intense, almost claustrophobic, character study about a man wandering the streets looking for the daughter he says was abducted a year before.Lewis' central performance fills the film and is little short of remarkable; slipping between despair, madness and anguish; finding love and wandering the streets; suppressing his psychological tics and mumbling incoherently, he is the film's emotional glue. Dramatically,it is not all plausible and there are a couple of mind wandering longueurs but it is, ultimately, a powerful piece of film that packs a subtle punch