2012
Directed By Jennifer Chambers Lynch
Starring Vincent D’Onofrio Julia Ormond Eamon Farron
Ever since Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 masterpiece Full Metal
Jack Vincent D’Onofrio has been an actor you should pay attention to. With movies
as varied as Happy Accidents, JFK, Men in Black, The Break Up and the upcoming Jurassic
World the only common thread in D’Onofrio’s work is the quality of the performances
he turns in. This man has range. Even when I don’t enjoy the movies as a whole
his performances are always noteworthy. With all that in mind D’Onofrio is often
playing smaller ancillary characters and is rarely given the amount of screen
time he deserves. Chained is not one of
those films. Bob (Vincent D’Onofrio) is front and center for the duration of
this film. This is his story. Well, in truth it’s the story of Bob and Rabbit
(Eamon Farron.) Bob is a cab-driving
serial killer who kidnaps Rabbit at the age of 9 and holds him hostage for
several years. Over the years while luring
multiple victims back to his home Bob tries to force Rabbit into the role of protégée.
Chained has many of the trappings of family drama but is heightened
immeasurably by the circumstances surrounding our leads. All of the acting in
this film is superb but D’Onofrio is giving a performance on par with if not
better than the career defining performance he gave in Full Metal Jacket.
Jennifer Chambers Lynch who is best known for the woefully
underrated film Boxing Helena has created a near perfect film with Chained. The
writing, acting, production design and camera work are all understated and
grounded in reality. This film was given an NC-17 not for the gore or nudity
but for how real it felt. Chances are you have seen films that more violent or
sexually explicit but this is one of the more disturbing films you will see.
Despite the disturbing nature of Chained I can recommend this film whole heartedly. I would even recommend this film to people who
are squeamish and uncomfortable with violence in film. Not because I want
people to hate me or have a bad time but simply because this is a great film
that people should see. This is not a film
that placates to the audience in anyway. The punches are never pulled and we
feel the full impact of our characters deplorable actions. Nothing about this one is saccharine and it in
no way goes down easy but it is a film you should experience. I hope time will
be kind to Chained. It deserves to find an audience and should be spoken of in
the same way people speak of Bad Lieutenant
or Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer.
Chained is available for rent or purchase through all the
major VOD providers and for free through Starz on demand