The Missing Review
by Bob Bloom (bobbloom AT iquest DOT net)November 27th, 2003
THE MISSING (2003) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Eric Schweig, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Steve Reevis, Ray McKinnon, Val Kilmer, Aaron Eckhart, Simon Baker, Jay Tavare, Sergio Calderon, Clint Howard and Elisabeth Moss. Music by James Horner. Visual consultant Merideth Boswell. Director of photography Salvatore Tortino. Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by Thomas Eidison. Screenplay by Ken Kaufman. Directed by Ron Howard. Rated R. Running time: Approx: 135 mins.
The Missing combines facets of the traditional Western with a mystic quality that makes for intriguing and sometime spooky entertainment.
This Ron Howard-directed production works as a quest on two levels: First, the as a search for a daughter who is among a group of kidnapped women being transported to Mexico for sale to the highest bidder. Secondly, it works on an emotional level as a long-estranged father and daughter seek to overcome their bitterness, recriminations and guilt and reconnect.
The Missing is dark and bleak, which shows in Howard's color palette -- a lot of browns, grays and muted colors.
Maggie (Cate Blanchett) is a frontier woman raising two young daughters while trying to maintain a small ranch. She earns extra as a healer, taking care of the sick people in the vicinity.
It's a hard life, but Maggie survives by his wits, strength and faith, as well as the love of her daughters.
But her past returns to confront her in the person of her long estranged father, Jones (Tommy Lee Jones), who years earlier deserted the family to live with the Indians.
Shortly after he and Maggie part bitterly, Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood), Maggie's oldest daughter, disappears.
When the authorities refuse to help Maggie search, she reluctantly turns to the only other person who can help, her father.
With her youngest daughter, Dot (Jenna Boyd) in tow, the trio set out to reclaim Lilly.
The outcome is never in doubt. But what is called into question is the cost to Maggie and her family.
Howard does a exemplary job of creating a menacing atmosphere, one that, even though you are in the 19th century West, feels a bit alien and foreboding.
Part of that can be credited to the performance of Eric Schweig as Pesh-Chidin, a psychotic killer and powerful witch. He oozes dread; he's like a walking nightmare whose presence can blot out the light.
This is Howard's darkest film to date, and it is good to see him ably handle such a subject. Howard has developed into one of Hollywood's finest filmmakers because he is willing to experiment, to tackle various genres without hesitation.
He is aided by Salvatore Totino's photography, the vision of visual consultant Merideth Boswell and James Horner's at-times haunting score.
The performances are terrific, especially Blanchett. You'd never believe that this brilliant actress is from Great Britain. Her walk, her accent, her look, even the clothes she wears smells of authenticity.
Jones is wonderful as the father who makes no excuses for his actions, yet also regrets some of his choices.
Wood and Boyd are fine as the fiery daughters.
The Missing is an excellent achievement, a violent, brutal, yet touching story about family.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on movies.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Rottentomatoes Web site, www.rottentomatoes.com and at the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
