Keane

Here we go again. Another exceptionally underrated psychodrama from writer/director Lodge Kerrigan that even Soderbergh almighty can't get noticed. This poor guy (Kerrigan, not Soderbergh) just can't seem to catch a break, even when he greatly deserves one. In fact, his last film -- another kidnapping drama, titled In God's Hands -- never even saw the light of day, as it was the victim of a fluke lab accident that caused the whole negative to be trashed, even after the film was shot in its entirety (actor couple Peter Saarsgard and Maggie Gyllenhaal met on that mysterious project). Steven Soderbergh was an executive producer on In God's Hands and, in the wake of the lab disaster, he promised Kerrigan that they would work together again soon. Thus, Keane.

I wouldn't want to give all the credit for Keane to Kerrigan, as the relatively unknown Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Dreamcatcher) delivers one of the finest performances in recent memory. The two greatest aspects of the film are certainly its overall blunt minimalism -- one example of this: the film has no score, even during the opening and closing credits -- and the unbelievably harrowing performance given by Lewis. Throw in an unforgettable karaoke moment, a Mexican shower, dirty bathroom-stall sex, that impossibly cute girl from Signs (Abigail Breslin) and you've got one the great cinematic achievements of 2005.

William Keane allegedly lost his daughter some time ago and now spends his days running around New York City's Port Authority Terminal in search of her. We watch him in extreme claustrophobic close-up for most of the film and we hear him constantly mumble incoherent thoughts about the whereabouts of his daughter and her kidnapper. Also, John Foster's wobbly hand-held camera work keeps us appropriately agitated from beginning to end.

The film opens with Keane asking a tollbooth employee if he's seen his daughter (he even hands him a ripped piece of newspaper, somewhat confirming his authenticity). As the film develops, we learn that Keane clearly suffers from a severe mental illness that may or may not have stemmed from the disappearance of his daughter. As much as we don't want to believe this, it becomes increasingly plausible that he doesn't even have a daughter and he may be on the brink of kidnapping a child himself. Perhaps he read an article about a lost girl and convinced himself he's her father? These are some of the possibilities that are suggested in this intense, open-ended film.

Kerrigan also makes great use of the film's lean running time. At an efficient and confident ninety minutes, the narrative feels flawlessly contained with its unique use of elliptical editing. Speaking of cutting, this DVD comes equipped with one sole extra feature: the Soderbergh cut. There isn't anything new per se, aside from an extended sequence or two. For the most part, we get fewer scenes here and a different order of sequences. For instance, it takes the film roughly twenty minutes for Soderbergh's cut to reveal that Keane is actually looking for his daughter.

Although I prefer the original cut, this is an extremely fascinating -- if somewhat pretentious on Soderbergh's part (see Syriana for more Soderbergh altering/butchering) -- exercise in the power of editing. The Soderbergh cut focuses even more on Keane's isolation and instability than the original cut, which is a tad more plot-driven.

The DVD sports a solid transfer. The grain and vile green lighting seems completely intentional. Also, the film's (approximately) $850,000 budget is impressively modest. All things considered, I wouldn't blame Magnolia Home Entertainment for any minor visual flaws. Also, a film such as this really needs to make use of the immersive sounds that capture the aural essence/madness of Keane's subjectivity. The 5.1 soundtrack does the trick... and then some.

Keane is a remarkable film experience unlike anything you've seen in 2005. Polished writing/direction (from an underrated writer/director), inspired cinematography (from an underrated DP), and an undeniably brilliant performance (from an underrated actor) make Keane one of the top undervalued gems of the year. Be sure to check it out, if only for that "hot" Mexican shower scene. -- Neil Karassik