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Captive

1999, Movie, NR, 100 mins

Captive: Review

Heavily in debt due to civil suits stemming from a car accident, Joe Goodis (Richard Grieco) migrates to Canada for a fresh start at Hunter Inc. Sponsored by his pal Paul Hopkins (Paul Summers), Joe succeeds at the ad agency but can't escape his financial undertow. Enter luscious co-worker and pathological liar Juliette Laurier (Marie-Josee Croze), the late Mr. Hunter's expendable mistress. By their second date, she's persuaded Joe to kidnap little Billy Hunter (Lawrence Arcquette), so they can extract a fortune from his over-protective lesbian mom Lily (Michelle Green). After nabbing the youngster, however, their plan begins to unravel. With Billy still in their clutches, but no ransom to show for it, the film evolves into a war-of-nerves between chicken-hearted Joe and cold-hearted Juliette. Fortunately, for predatory women, there are always patsies. Fortunately, for former TV heartthrob Richard Grieco, he's still getting hired, even if it means getting naked and acting stupid. To its credit, the script balances the sexual quotient with a bedrock of financial desperation for both principals. While Joe's downward trajectory is fairly obvious, the film surprises us with the details of his undoing. Even more interesting is the human cash register Juliette, who keeps improvising new plans every time something goes awry. However, what really distinguishes this slightly better-than-average thriller is the non-hackneyed portrayal of the gay characters; not only are Lily and Paul both attractive, non-stereotypes, they're the only characters who act unselfishly. leave a comment --Robert Pardi