Samantha Haxton
This is my first IMDb review, even though I am an avid movie watcher and use IMDb quite frequently to make rental selections. I don't feel the low or mediocre rating assigned by many reviewers is fair. This movie is not really an action film, and it is a true story about a woman who is a drug addict and grows closer to God due to her frightful experience being held captive. Her captor does display compassion and has moments where he is likable, even though he is a murderer. Some may criticize this, but most criminals are not 100% bad people. This is a story of two people, a drug addict and a murderer, who may be leading horrible lives but they do have redeeming qualities. I believe it is a great movie, and I don't think you need to be a Christian to enjoy it.
leonblackwood
Review: Although this movie is based on a traumatic, true story, there isn't much depth to the characters, especially Brian Nichols who seemed to be going through a personal breakdown. The movie jumps straight into the main event, so the audience won't understand why Nichols is randomly killing people whilst escaping from jail. With that aside, it's full of intensity and drama and the acting from Oyelowo and Mara is top class. If you wasn't aware of the events that happened in Atlanta on March the 11th, 2005, as I wasn't, the movie is about Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo), who escapes from the Fulton County courthouse, during his trial involving a rape case. During his escape, he murders the judge who took his case, along with a reporter and a sergeant. Whilst on the run, he kills an off-duty special agent and he takes Ashley Smith (Kate Mara) hostage in her home. Ashley is a single parent who is an recovering methamphetamine addict and she is due to see her child, who is living with her aunt, Kim Rogers (Mimi Rogers), the following morning. While he is holding her hostage, he asks for some Marijuana to calm him down but she has only got methamphetamine in her house, so he takes the drug and immediately starts to talk about running to Mexico after kidnapping his new born son. He tries to false her to take some of the "Meth" but she hasn't taken the drug for over a month and she really wants to be clean when she sees her daughter. When he has finally calms down, they get rid of the truck that he was driving and then they make there way back to her house. The following day, they have breakfast while Ashley is reading, The Purpose Driven Life to Brian who is seeking redemption for his actions. He then let's Ashley see her daughter and when she leaves the house, she contacts the police who head straight for her house. Brian knows what's coming but he doesn't attempt to leave the house because he has reached his own personal crossroad. When they finally have the house surrounded, Detective John Chestnut (Michael K. Chestnut), tries to talk Brian into surrendering but when he realises that he isn't getting anywhere, he asks Ashley for her help, who eventually gets Brian to come out of the house. Its a set of astonishing true events which shocked America at that time. I personally don't remember hearing anything about Brian Nichols in 2005, so it was good to see the real people at the end of the movie. The fact that it was her new found faith that saved Ashley's life and the redemption that Brian found through the book that she read to him, made this an emotional movie which brought these two lost souls together at the pinnacle point of there life's. I would have liked to have seen this movie in a bigger scale because it does seem slightly low budget. Apart from that, it's a watchable film which I found quite interesting throughout. Watchable!Round-Up: UK born, David Oyelowo, 39, has gained some respect in Hollywood since his role in Spooks in 2002. He's starred in some major movies, like the Last King of Scotland, the Help in 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the Paperboy, Red Tails, Lincoln, Jack Reacher and the Butler. He played the lead as Martin Luther King in Selma and he also had a role in the big budget Interstellar and I was impressed with his performance in A Most Violent Year. Most of the actors came on board, in this movie because of Oyelowo's respectable name and his whole physic and violent demeanour, proves that he was willing to play a character that was out of his comfort zone, to make the movie realistic and true to the actual events. Anyway, this movie was directed by Jerry Jameson, 81, who is known for his work in the TV department. He has made episodes for Cannon, Six Million Dollar Man, McCloud, the Streets of San Francisco, Iron side, Dallas, Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I., etc. He did direct the movie Airport '77 but apart from that, this is his first movie for the big screen for some time. I personally enjoyed the movie and it did make me want to find out more about the true events but it really needed a big budget and some big names to bring this subject matter to the forefront. Budget: $2million Worldwide Gross: $2.8millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their crime/drama/thrillers starring Kate Mara, David Oyelowo, Michael Kenneth Williams, Mimi Rogers, Elle Graham and Claudia Church. 5/10
