The scrutinizing camera angles of Keane might at first feel too close for comfort, but this powerful portrait of a man distraught by the abduction of his child plumbs the depths of mental illness and the corners of fleabag hotels in an intimate and touching examination of the seedier side of life.
The scrutinizing camera angles of Keane might at first feel too close for comfort, but this powerful portrait of a man distraught by the abduction of his child plumbs the depths of mental illness and the corners of fleabag hotels in an intimate and touching examination of the seedier side of life.
American independent filmmaker Lodge Kerrigan returned after a six-year hiatus with this formally challenging tale of a disheveled man desperately searching New York City for his young daughter. Keane takes its name from its central character, a middle-aged man (Damien Lewis) who wanders Port Authority with a seemingly tenuous grasp of his sanity, muttering to himself and causing altercations with passers-by. He claims to have lost his daughter at a bus station, and consistently pleads for
assistance from indifferent authority figures. When he's not roaming the streets, he uses his meager savings to rent out a room nightly in a cheap hotel; there, he meets Lynn (Amy Ryan), a single mother with a daughter, Kyra (Abigail Breslin), almost the same age as Keane's missing child. As he grows closer to Lynn and Kyra, he starts to see the young girl as instrumental in deciphering his own loss. Keane premiered at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival before securing a 2005 theatrical release. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
As good as Lewis is -- and he's in every frame of this 93-minute movie -- it's Kerrigan's astounding gift for addressing the wounded that demands celebration.
The role of Keane is a tall order, as he's onscreen for every frame of the film, but Lewis is just brilliant, holding our attention and ultimately our compassion for a deeply troubled man.
A psycho-underworld tour de force like Irreversible or The Machinist, impressive as far as it goes (not far), single-minded but without enough on its mind, a gimmick flick.
A father who had his 7 year old daughter abducted roams the streets obsessively retracing his steps, consumed by guilt and self loathing. Sunshine and lollipops, Keane is not. It's an intense character study of a man whose life has been destroyed by a tragic event, leaving him a mentally ill piece of emotional
wreckage, unable to cope with the memories of what has happened. Damian Lewis puts in an amazing performance, especially since the camera never leaves his side for the entire duration of the film and it's an extremely worthy and intelligent piece of film making. Enjoyable it is not, however. The experience is a little like that of Requiem For A Dream; the emotional time bomb was a bit like the anticipation of having a large plaster ripped off a particularly hairy area, or waiting in line at school for a painful injection. It's an extremely intense and creditable experiment that will probably make you a little less judgemental when seeing a "crazy person" on the street, but I sure as hell wouldn't take a date to go and see it...
January 12, 2007
xGary Xx
Super Reviewer
Kerrigan explores some darker parts of the mind as Lewis searches for his missing daughter. The realistic way in which Kerrigan shoots has the film covered by an uncomfortable sense of dread. Lewis gives the performance of a lifetime, rarely off-screen, and often acting against himself, Lewis captures the desperation
and tragedy, as well as the flaws that any human has. Breslin gives another example of why she will become one of the world's greatest actresses and Ryan continues to impress. Every role is played with subtlety, and there's no non-digetic music to intrude on proceedings. A little bit of wonderful, delivered at a thoughtful pace.
No quotes approved yet for Keane. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Keane'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
