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Father Turns Tables On Kidnappers by Duane Byrge
In this thriller, Gibson stars as Tom Mullen, a self-made
millionaire whose against-the-grain sensibilities and
can-do gumption have made him an airline tycoon. An edgy
and instinctive guy, Mullen has also succeeded on the
family front just as spectacularly. With a supportive
wife (Rene Russo)and a rambunctiously smart son
(Brawley Nolte), he's the king of his Manhattan penthouse
world.
Not surprisingly, the charismatic, high-profile business
tycoon is targeted by a devious band of criminals who
consider him ripe for the plucking. Led by an egomaniacal
and technically savvy ringleader (Gary Sinise), these
desperate goons kidnap Mullen's young son, demanding a
US$ 2 million ransom.
Spiked with the passions of a strong personal story and
perambulating down unexpected plot corridors, Ransom gyrates
with a chilling and ever-escalating intensity.
Screenwriters Richard Price and Alexander Ignon have
carefully steeped the story stakes in deeply personal
passions and ignited a highly combustible series of
dramatic explosions. In turn, director Howard has kept
the story dial on high chill, tightening the screws as
well as unleashing its sinister, implosive forces.
In this type of chiller, the film is only as good as the
badness of the villain, and Sinise is terrific - rivetingly
sinister as the egocentric sociopath who takes sadistic
pleasure in his dark deeds. Delroy Lindo is also outstanding
as a conscientious FBI agent whose sincere professionalism
is tested by Mullen's manic methods.
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M
el Gibson doesn't have to paint his face blue in Ransom
because he's positively blue in the face, expressing the
rage of a father whose son has been kidnapped. A
knuckle-tightening thriller directed by Ron Howard and
featuring a full-throttle, pull-no punches performance from
Gibson, this film should capture a king's ransom at the
box office.
Playing by the rules, Mullen calls in the FBI, but things
go awry when standard procedure botches things up: He fears
that going by the book will only get his son killed.
He's always followed his instincts and he senses, quite
rightly, that the kidnappers' cunning leader will kill his
son once the money is handed over. Mullen's whole life
has been based on daring, and he's not one to sit passively
by while law enforcement performs like automatons.
In this psychologically perceptive scenario, Mullen turns
the tables on the kidnappers, going on TV and announcing
that not only will he not pay the ransom but he will use
that money as a reward. He reasons that the only way he
will see his son alive is to keep the kidnappers
off-balance. The FBI is irate and Mullens's wife goes
berserk, thinking his actions will surely lead to their
son's death.
It's Gibson's towering performance as the fiercely
protective father that light up the production. His edgy
ferocity, capturing both his character's bravery and
decency, is wonderfully explosive and genuinely
sympathetic. Similarly, Russo gives a convincing portrayal
of a woman torn between belief for her husband and love
for the child.