Keane

Rating: R16 - Contains Drug Use & Sex Scenes.
Duration: 90 mins.
Genre: Psychological, Thriller.
Actors: Damian Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Stephen Henderson, Tina Holmes, Amy Ryan.
Director: Lodge Kerrigan.
Release Date: Available Now.

Synopsis
After losing his daughter at a bus terminal, distraught New York father William Keane’s life spirals out of control. Using drugs and alcohol to numb the pain, Keane’s life is on a downward spiral into the darkness of mental instability. Then he befriends Lynn Bedik and her 7-year-old daughter, Kira and suddenly his life has purpose again…

The Reality
Damian Lewis, made famous through the Band of Brothers TV series, seems a little out of place. With my fanatical Band of Brothers viewings, I can only see him as Dick Winters.

But Lewis does an admirable job of Keane, a man who seems like he has mild autism, as well as a life spiralling out of control. As a vignette of mental instability following a traumatic loss, Keane does a great job. The movie is riveting.

Riveting up to a point. Unfortunately after a while, you’re left wondering if this is all the movie has to offer, and like the recent 2:37 the final scenes of the movie nearly save it from being an abysmal waste of time, but for most people this will be too little, way to late.

On one level it’s hard to say where the movie goes wrong, as subconsciously we know that this is true to life, this is what does happen, but then maybe that’s just it. Our voyeuristic tendencies want to be titillated, teased and entertained. Keane on the other hand wants to reveal the mundane life of one who has lost everything, and doesn’t seem to be able to find the way back.

Or possibly want to.

There’s a good chance that I’ve missed some subtle subplot, that further viewings would uncover, but Keane doesn’t really jump out and grab me, screaming ‘watch me again, fool!’ and as such, will just collect dust on my shelf.

Food for thought
Is loosing everything the end, or just a new beginning?

Special Features:
None.