The Missing

2003 "How far would you go, how much would you sacrifice to get back what you have lost?"
6.5| 2h15m| R| en| More Info
Released: 26 November 2003 Released
Producted By: Columbia Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://danielostroff.com/missing.html
Synopsis

When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson sees her teenage daughter, Lily, kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel, in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute.

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Reviews

Tetrady not as good as all the hype
Mjeteconer Just perfect...
Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
unitythroughterror There's a snake-wielding sorcerer (Eric Schweig) who kidnaps a group of girls to sell into prostitution in Mexico. A determined mother (Cate Blanchett) and her estranged, honorary Native father (Tommy Lee Jones) set off hot in pursuit. The supernatural edge to this film raises the tension - in a very effective and creepy way. The fact that it is seamlessly woven in with the factual events (female kidnapping and sexual slavery, the ethics and politics of Native Americans and Americans unfairly co-existing, etc.) is very cool. The shots are well put together and the film as a whole becomes more emotionally involving by the climax. The acting is both superb and then a bit hammy here and there. The villain is very well portrayed by Schweig, but some of the dialogue is pretty ridiculous ("what does this squashed penis want?"). The images and effects, plus the occasional gore (this film is mostly bloodless in its depictions of violence - albeit a few gory moments) is well put together and disturbing. The film has a pseudo-epic feel, which I felt took away from the tension of it being a rather small story as a whole. It came out in 2003, which seemed like the year "violent, epic movies" were quite a trend (take, for example, Cold Mountain and Snow Falling on Cedars). If Ron Howard hadn't been going for the "epic" approach I think the film would have benefited a bit more. That being said, all in all, it's enjoyable, but it's no masterpiece. I was invested, however, and that's saying a lot as I am a pretty jaded moviegoer.
secondtake The Missing (2003)A great cast, and great casting, make for the best core of the movie which eventually boils down to a rather well done Western. When you talk about a Western—as in the genre of movies known as Westerns— you probably picture a certain kind of plot, landscape, range of characters, and even morality. How do you make a Western now that avoids the clichés? Well, it's hard. That's one reason they faded away in the 1960s as they became parodies of themselves (not always on purpose) or exercises in excess (sometimes to superb effect, as in "The Wild Bunch" and "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" genre). Recent Westerns tend to heighten their realism to a level less common earlier, with more brutal violence, more vivid location shooting, and a kind of acting that pulls out all the stops. The recent "True Grit" remake shows how different movies with the same plot can be. And "The Missing" is a very well made contemporary Western that doesn't escape all these pre-qualifications. And that's it's biggest downfall. It does introduce a contemporary idea into late 19th Century society—sex slave trade across the border. I don't know if this was really going on then, but it is meant to be a comment on how it happening now. It makes it really brutal and ugly, of course, and you sympathize fully.But the movie continues some dangerous clichés—the wild Indian, the naive Mexicans, the innocent hard-working pioneer families (wearing crosses), and the loner on his horse who will save the day. The loner is at first unlikely—Tommy Lee Jones—but he's really good. The rest of the cast is fine, sometimes excellent, but trapped (as is Jones) by having to fill stereotypical roles with an added wart or twitch. It's generally watchable, but sadly old hat.There is an aspect here that's truly insulting--at least to the politically correct, or the correct (to avoid that cliché). To repeat the maligning attributes that we have to assume were common but not universal of all these kinds of people is just mean and a little dumb. It makes the movie far less that it could have been.
jsvedosh If you enjoy watching great actors at the top of their game, you will love The Missing. Cate Blanchette turns in a subtle, moving, powerful performance. She can convey pages of dialog in a moment's expression; she has a magnetic presence that glues you to the screen. Tommy Lee Jones also delivers an above-average performance, and for Tommy Lee Jones that is a great performance indeed. Evan Rachel Wood and Jenna Boyd are a solid supporting cast. Ms. Wood has been precocious and promising for many years; each new performance turns some of that promise into solid accomplishment.This is not a great movie. The screenplay is weak. The story is trite, the roles are at best two-dimensional, everything is predictable. The great cast puts enough flesh on the thin dialog to make the characters plausible, complex, and interesting. But this is a tired Western tale. Indians snatch white girl. Mother and her champion go off in pursuit. (Stop me if you've heard this one.) The updated story is politically corrected -- here we have both good and bad Indians. Ron Howard does a credible job bringing it to life. There are some lovely shots and some nice cutting. The score is good. But the screenplay is as stale as a week-old pizza. Nothing will keep you from yawning through the climax.See this movie it for the acting. It's worth it.
xxmoonshinerxx This movie is a must see especially for any western buffs. It kept me on the edge of my seat and the entire cast should have gotten some type of award for their most excellent and intense performances. As one critic pointed out, Eric Schweig did not receive half the credit he should. He is way underrated and is deserving of better, challenging roles than he has had in the past. Tommy Lee Jones & Cate Blanchett are each relentless in their pursuit of positive and negative. She is determined he will not be a part of her life since he has not been since she was a child. He is determined to let her know in a discreet way that he wants to be in her life and does not say he is sorry but you know he is and tries in every way he can to prove it to her. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time the first time I saw it. The other actors/actresses were equally as effective in adding character and intensity to the movie. I think Jenna Boyd was a pleasant surprise in the movie because of her youth and the intensity she put into her character. James Horner outdid himself as well this time with the music score. In every single aspect of Oscars this movie should have been at the top of it's class. Brilliant acting,casting,setting,location, production, writing, costume...you name it it was perfect in my opinion. I cannot believe I did not see this movie until 8 years after it was released. Ron Howard's very best to date and it goes without saying that anything Brian Grazer attempts turns to gold automatically. I would recommend this film to everyone except maybe children since it is a rather violent movie. All of which adds to the impact it has on the audience. I watch this movie every time it is on and will continue to do so. I never tire of watching it. I plan to purchase it in the very near future. Do not miss this movie if you have not seen it if you like this kind of film. JMHO