What The Critics Say

"Entirely suspenseful, extremely well-paced and ultimately... dare I say, entertaining!" JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "Trapped won't score points for political correctness, but it may cause parents a few sleepless hours -- a sign of its effectiveness." Paul Clinton BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "Brisk hack job." Dennis Lim VILLAGE VOICE "For a good chunk of its running time, Trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller." Frank Scheck HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "A tightly drawn, propulsive thriller." Megan Turner NEW YORK POST

"Neatly constructed thriller." Maitland McDonagh TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE "Plays better than your standard kidnapping thriller, thanks to Luis Mandoki's taut direction and writer Greg Iles' compelling twists and turns." Bryan Reesman CITYSEARCH "Taut, well made...and memorably performed. It also happens to be thoroughly unpleasant." Dustin Putman THEMOVIEBOY.COM "A good, albeit over-plotted thriller with one major twist too many." Steve Rhodes STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS

At A Glance If suspenseful thrillers are your genre, if you like being kept on the 'edge of your seat' and if you like a big, thrilling finish, well, you're sure to get a lot out of "Trapped" starring Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend, Kevin Bacon, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Dakota Fanning. "Trapped" is a real attention getter right from its opening scenes and is one of those thrillers which hardly gives you time to take a few deep breaths. Adapted from Greg Illes novel "24 Hours". Director Luis Mandoki and producer Mimi Polk Gitlin had formed production a company, Mandolin Entertainment and Mandoki was looking for something special for their first project, something to break the mould as they say. When Gitlin presented him with the script for "Trapped" he was very impressed by it. "I started reading. I couldn't stop. It was a real page-turner. It reminded me, in terms of tone, of my two favorite movies, "Deliverance and Straw Dogs": the intensity and rawness of it," he said.Together, composer Greg Ballard, Gitlin and novelist Greg Illes reworked the draft script. Gitlin felt it was very important to stick with the original writer, in this case Illes. "I like to stick with the original writer if at all possible, and obviously Greg is an incredibly talented writer. And, for his first script, he did an amazing job," she said. Illes really impressed executive producer Neil Canton too. "It's a really good genre piece," Canton explained, adding "I thought the 24 hour angle was a really clever plan. If genre movies are done well, then audiences will respond and this had such a great twist to it." For Mandoki, it was also the depth of the characters and their psychological transformation that stood out for the director: "You look for comfort, and in comfort you get lost. You forget what life is really about and you take the most gifts for granted. Then something bad happens, and it’s a message from God: Wake up! People live everyday lives, and all of a sudden something happens and parts of themselves that are hidden come out: courageous, powerful sides." Mandolin had a first look deal with Propaganda, who backed the project and provided funds to option the book and script. Then when The Canton Company became involved, the financing was put together with Senator and Columbia, the whole thing came together at what in Hollywood was record speed. With the money in place, the next obstacle was casting. Charlize Theron was attracted to the role of Karen. "I liked the idea of playing a character that was very foreign to me, a mother and a wife," and for the chance to work with Mandoki." Mandoki in turn connected with Kevin Bacon over lunch, and the two key characters were cast. Working with them proved to be a "joyous experience" for the director. "They were such professionals," he says. "They worked so hard, but between every take they were always having fun and entertaining the crew. It was like a vacation. It didn’t feel like work." As for the other roles, Stuart Townsend was signed at the eleventh hour, owing to a movie Mandoki had seen Townsend do in England and the luck that Warner Bros had just finished with him on another project. Producer Gitlin says of him, "He really explores and studies what he’s going to do and he raised some really important questions, which made [the film] better." Courtney Love ("Man on the Moon") was brought on to play Cheryl. Producer Gitlin ("Thelma & Louise") says of her, "She’s smart, and she goes with her instincts. She’s a real character, on and off the screen." The most unexpected find, though, was Dakota Fanning. Having already gone through five hundred girls, she was brought in by 1999 Emmy Award winner Lou DiGiaimo. Coincidentally, DiGiaimo had been working with Andrew Magarian, a children’s coach whom Mandoki knew, from working with him on "When a Man Loves a Woman". After reviewing her tape and watching a screen test, Mandoki ("Message in a Bottle") knew he had his Abby. His choice proved immensely popular, winning praise from cast and crew all around. Recalling a particular scene that was filmed in the woods, 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner Kevin Bacon ("Hollow Man") expressed immense praise for his co-star: "Dakota is so believable in terms of her fear and anxiety. She’s phenomenal. I was astounded that a little child can put herself in that place with such confidence and ability." Fanning herself, however, is far more modest. Speaking of the same scene, she tells a different story: "I was being driven to set and there was a sign that said 'Bears in area'. So I’m like, 'Mom, this isn’t going to be very hard: I’ll be scared all right!'" It was her winning combination of modesty, innocence and precociousness that won the hearts and admiration of her older colleagues. "She came in, she knew her lines, she never got tired, she knew everything that was going on, she was a delight and a true professional. Everyone just fell in love with her. She’s unbelievable; and she’s only seven years old," says Canton. 2000 Bambi winner Theron, also in awe of her young co-star, claims it was the first time in her career where she had to say it was because of another actor that she herself performed so well: "Dakota, who plays my daughter, is just unbelievably talented. As an actor you always feel like you have to overcompensate for a child; you can’t really expect that much emotion from a seven-year-old kid. But she just delivered every single time." Theron ("The Astronaut's Wife" & "Waking Up in Reno") has equal praise for Bacon, who instilled in Theron a trust that allowed her to meet the more difficult demands of her own character. Says Theron, "As an actor, I don’t think you can ask for anything more than to work with somebody that’s prepared and willing and brave. He has all of those qualities and so much more." Principal photography began on Trapped on location in Vancouver, British Columbia. Joining director Luis Mandoki was an impressive creative team, including Frederick Elmes, ASC ("Ice Storm" & "Blue Velvet"), directors of photography Piotr Sobocinski ("Angel Eyes" & "Trois Couleurs: Rouge"), acclaimed Oscar ® winning production designer Richard Sylbert ("Dick Tracy", "Reds"), Academy Award ® winning editor Jerry Greenberg, A.C.E. ("Angel Eyes") and costume designer Michael Kaplan ("Blade Runner"). The greater Vancouver area doubled for Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington and environs. As for what the film delvers to its audience. the clever foundation for "Trapped", is that its twists and turns add to the tension, keeping the viewer focussed intently on what is happening on the screen. One other big plus for "Trapped" is that there is an air of freshness about the cast. They don't have a real familiarity about them, they appear new on the scene even though their faces are familiar to many. Those who some may find the theme a little distressing should take that into consideration before they purchase their cinema tickets as child kidnapping may offend some viewers. Overall "Trapped" handles itself very well. When it comes to content, performance, scripting and what we see on the screen etc "Trapped" provides a pretty good and entertaining 106 minutes. Most viewers will get good value for their money, especially with those very spectacular closing scenes. Trapped is directed by Luis Mandoki [Message in a Bottle], is adapted from the Greg Illes novel "24 Hours" with original music by two time Saturn Award winner John Ottman ("The Usual Suspects" & "Superman Returns"). The Story Joe [Kevin Bacon] and Cheryl Hickey [Courtney Love] together with their cousin Marvin [Pruitt Taylor Vince] believe they have the formula to commit the perfect crime. With four successful child kidnappings already behind them, they are about to embark on yet another. Their plan involves seperating a child from its mother, demanding a hefty but affordable ransom fee [their victims are well heeled], getting the money and returning the child all within a time limit of twenty four hours. If all goes to plan [and it has so far] their latest kidnapping should net them a cool $US250,000. All has worked well in the past due to the 'fear factor' and a threat of a return visit if parents don't keep quiet. It seems the Hickeys do know their victims very well. Karen [Charlize Theron] and her six year old daughter have just returned home after seeing husband Will depart for a medical conference. The Hickeys have timed everything perfectly. Joe and Marvin grab Abby [Dakota Fanning] and the 24 hour count down has started. Initially Karen reacts in the same way as all the Hickeys victims have but then an anger starts to well up inside her. Karen and Will Jennings are about to fight back. The Verdict "A tense, tight thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Well constructed and very emotive, "Trapped" is full of twists and turns. While its subject material may offend some people "Trapped" is never the less a very entertaining film with a killer finale`. Well worth a look at. Rated M15+ [AUST]." The Cast & Crew

Charlize Theron Courtney Love Stuart Townsend Kevin Bacon Pruitt Taylor Vince Dakota Fanning Steve Rankin Gary Chalk Jodie Markell Matt Koby Gerry Becker Andrew Airlie Randi Lynne Colleen Camp J.B. Bivens John Scott Gregory Bennett

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Karen Jennings Cheryl Hickey Dr William Jennings Joe Hickey Marvin Abigail Jennings Hank Ferris Agent Chalmers Mary McDill Peter McDill Dr Stein Holden Hotel Operator Joan Evans Gray Davidson SWAT Leader Heins

From the novel "24 Hours" by Greg Iles Directed by Luis Mandoki Screenplay by Greg Iles Original Music by John Ottman Cinematography by Frederick Elmes & Piotr Sobocinski Film Editing by Gerald B Greenberg Casting by Louis DiGiaimo Production Design by Richard Sylbert Art Direction by William Heslup Set Decoration by Annmarie Corbett & Rose Marie McSherry Costume Design by Michael Kaplan Rated M15+ [AUST] Run Time 106 minutes Copyright ©2003 - Columbia Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2003 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved