Stolen (2009)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

We were given a mystery within a mystery. The director lead us into the emotional pain of parents who have lost a child, only to be given a clue as to the resolve for their missing child through the discovery of the probably first missing child in the list to be compiled by the Serial Killer. It's complexity are the clues that are so cleverly left as you watch the movie, leaving you with so many unanswered questions when the credits appear and you know, there is more and the opportunity to explore has ended. Excellent movie displaying a visual unspoken story of what to look for in a child molester, and what would provoke the death of a child. Now, I want to find the book, the original story. There is more within to help answer my questions.

A detective (Jon Hamm) obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of his son goes deep into another obsession while investigating a similar case that took place in 1958 and despite the gap in between both cases they are connected. "Stolen Lives" divides itself in two segments (one in 1958, the other in 2008) on a same crusade which is to present two fathers trying to find their missing child and how they react to this happening in their shattered lives.There isn't much to be said about the film. It's pretty decent, with a quality cast that includes names like Hamm, Josh Lucas, Jessica Chastain, James Van Der Beek, Rhona Mitra, Jimmy Bennett and Joanna Cassidy, it doesn't disappoint. It portrays with justice the drama of parents who go or went through the same drama as the main characters here, the kind of agony no one wants to live with. Annoys me the fact of this being commercialized as a thriller when it's not that much. Sure, there's some suspense (very little, actually), the whole investigation and the search for the kids but it's more a dramatic work than a thriller (it doesn't work as such since it reveals things that should be left to the ending). The segments were presented in a good way, but one (Lucas) becomes more interesting than the other (Hamm), which created some strange unbalance that might ruin the film to some viewers. Admirable even without any news in its plot or presentation, it's worthy of a check out, at least for the cast. 7/10

Perhaps the most daunting prospect for anyone wanting to watch this film is not piecing together the identification of a serial killer, it is watching the unraveling of the police detective and his marriage as the loss of his son, grabbed whilst momentarily out of sight, taunts him even eight years after it happened. This film does not let go of the torture this father endures as he tries to piece together all the similarities between his loss and that of a previous child whose body has been discovered. We observe how his wife comes slowly to terms with the fact her son may be dead, but he cannot let go.The story is never easily told perhaps because the director wished us to explore the notion that reality is seldom something we confront without absolute proof. At times the acting is so real we may feel like giving up on this father because if he cannot let go then we can, but we persevere as he does.Although I felt the story could have been better told I did end up admiring this work simply because it is very human exposing all the faults and frailties of our lives. It is also ultimately cathartic with a natural release with allows us to breathe again.It is certainly a fine film and well worth watching.

I enjoyed this movie - a good storyline and the acting is good. A little lacking in depth of story though... the "twist" you expect from a good detective movie wasn't really there.The parts of the movie which relate to the 50's are believable and well re-created.I'm surprised that James Van Der Beek isn't in more movies - he acted well in this movie - despite my worrying that i was about to have a Dawson's Creek flashback.All in all, a good Sunday evening movie which can be enjoyed by anyone from teenager and above. Inoffensive and not too confusing.