Don't Say A Word

When I first saw the trailer for this thriller I was sort of skeptical because I usually hate anything Brittany Murphy is in. As I sat in my chair watching Don't Say a Word, I was pleasantly surprised by her acting and the movie in general. Director Gary Fleder has one ace card most other kidnapping films don't have - a great lead character played artfully and at times almost maniacally by Michael Douglas. This thriller packs a punch taking this genre and adding a little twist making it different then the norm. A tactic Fleder has used nicely in his last two movies "Kiss the Girls" and "Things to do in Denver When You're Dead."

We start the movie with a flashback of a jewel heist that sets one story up. We learn the motivation behind the criminalís actions as we see a man steal a diamond from his partners during the jewel heist. We arrive back in present day where Doctor Nathan Conrad (Douglas) is being dragged into work late on the night before Thanksgiving by his former practice partner Dr. Jerald Sachs, slimely played by Oliver Platt. Sachs believes only Nathan can reach this girl. This patient with a mix of drugs and inner rage is a tough customer who keeps on chanting ìyou want what they want.î Quickly we find out she is right. Once Nathan steps into the room to see this new patient, Elizabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy) his life changes quicker then Clarke Kent becoming Superman. After that we meet Nathanís wife (Famke Jenssen) in traction for a broken leg and his little daughter, played with spunk by Skye McCole. We are then whisked away into our adventure.

For starters we find out what Nathanís new patient has to do with the kidnapping of his daughter. The kidnappers led by Patrick Koster (Sean Bean), want a number that is locked inside the mind of Nathanís latest patient, Elizabeth. This number will lead them to the diamond that they were supposed to get years ago but didnít when Elizabethís father doublecrossed them. The only chance for Nathan to get his daughter back is for him to crack the mental code in his new patient to save the life of the patient, his child and himself.

The movie goes through many twists and turns with a strong supporting cast that does their part to make this tired kidnapping subject fresher then bread just coming out of the oven. This movie works well except for one glaring problem - the annoying police officer that tries to unravel the case. Jennifer Esposito plays a cop with a New York accent so bad getting all your teeth pulled is more enjoyable then listening to it.

Though there are some really obvious parts to the movie the ending has enormous energy and we get to see Michael Douglas with the same intensity that he had in "Falling Down," always a real treat. Better then most movies out this year "Don't Say a Word" is a movie that should be talked about.

Douglas's thriller is
Creatively
Cast and crafted