★ 4 / 10
**Fundamentals, reception.** 1. American/Canadian live action featu...
clyde e collins
**Fundamentals, reception.** 1. American/Canadian live action feature length film, 2012, rated R, 108 minutes, crime, mystery, thriller. 2. IMDB: 5.7/10.0 from…
**Fundamentals, reception.**
1. American/Canadian live action feature length film, 2012, rated R, 108 minutes, crime, mystery, thriller.
2. IMDB: 5.7/10.0 from 5,365 audience ratings. Estimated budget, 25 million USD.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 'No score yet...' and 42% liked it from 1,128 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.5/5.0 from 636,300 audience ratings.
5. Directed by: Morgan O'Neill.
6. Starring: John Cusack as Mike Fletcher, Jennifer Carpenter as Kelsey, Dallas Roberts as Carl, Mae Whitman as Abby Fletcher, Sonya Walger as Shelley Fletcher, Ksenia Solo as Emma, Gary Anthony Williams as Darryl.
**Setup and Plot**
1. Mike and Kelsey have been on the case of a serial killer for quite some time, but the department is shutting their efforts down for lack of progress. It's Thanksgiving, and Mike asks Kelsey to stop by to say hello to his wife Shelley, and daughter Abby.
2. There is tension between Shelly and Abby, and between Shelley and Mike. Mike and Kelsey revive the case somewhat over a murder of a transsexual. Abby gets more discouraged with Shelley, and takes off. She breaks up with her boyfriend, and the serial killer kidnaps her. Shelley finally notices Abbey is gone. She alerts Mike, and the police engage more strongly.
3. Mike and Kelsey get a lead on the accomplice of the killer. Mike goes off on him, and physically assaults him. After trying to follow the accomplice, they give up after a while. The accomplice was on a long shift and stayed in the hospital where he worked to avoid being followed. Mike loses his composure at home.
4. Abbey, meanwhile, has a wretched time in captivity with other young women who have been kidnapped. Mike starts looking at his daughter's life as he would if he were not his father; then the clues start coming.
5. Will Abbey get rescued? Will Mike still have a career?
**Conclusions**
1. **One line summary**: Cop needs to find his daughter emotionally to find her physically.
2. Three stars of five.
**Scores**
1. Cinematography: 8/10 Better than VHS quality, but not by much.
2. Sound: 4/10 Sound levels were absurdly out of control.
3. Acting: 6/10 Cusack and Carpenter were fine. Dallas Roberts, whose role was pivotal, was unconvincing, beginning to end. Mae Whitman was rather good, but Sonya Walger not so much.
4. Screenplay: 6/10 The story was clever and engaging, but the poor choices in casting nullified much of that. I enjoyed the onscreen time of Cusack and Carpenter, but when Roberts was onscreen, the urge to leave to get a cup of coffee was enormous. The ending was tough to stomach, but it certainly explained the difficulties in the investigation.
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★ 5 / 10
Great core acting and filming but a plot with some implausible (stupid?) turns
secondtake
The Factory (2012) Well, this is a pretty well made movie with some terrible holes in the plot and the writing. So it ends up being just "stupid" in the way…
The Factory (2012)
Well, this is a pretty well made movie with some terrible holes in the plot and the writing. So it ends up being just "stupid" in the way that you are pulled along and want to believe the plot and then it's just not believable. Those few large flaws blow out the whole movie.
Too bad. The photography in particular is really good. And the ambiance in snowy Buffalo is terrific. In fact, the constant snow and all the dark scenes with flashlights seems inspired by "Seven" where it's all rain and flashlights. "The Factory" however isn't as well made as a Fincher movie, naturally enough (few movies these days are). And the basic story here is a little contrived from the get-go, even without the holes in the plot.
The idea of a pair of cops pursuing a mysterious serial killer is a cliché of the movies, of course (including "Seven" which didn't invent the idea). And it could work here. A ridiculous coincidence halfway through throws the movie, and the characters, into a tizzy (one of the characters even bemoans his bad luck). But the basic whodunnit is intact and the great filming makes it pulse along pretty well.
The main character is John Cusack who holds his end up well--he's probably a better goofy dad than a relentless cop but he's decent at both. The supporting cast around him is good, though the female cop sidekick isn't especially compelling, just going through the paces of a female cop sidekick (this is Jennifer Carpenter). The daughter is another story, a surprisingly complex character and a good young actress (Mae Whitman, famous for her role in "Parenthood" more than anything, I think). It's not a bad cast.
In fact, the film has the bones of being excellent. It's the story, and the specific writing that went into the story, that kills it. No pun intended.
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5.8/10
12.3K
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Serial killers are frigging boring.