Filmmaker Lodge Kerrigan's intensive but flawed drama follows the eponymous character (Damian Lewis) as he wanders endlessly through New York's Port Authority bus terminal in search of his six-year-old daughter, abducted months earlier. During the day Keane stops strangers to ask about his missing child, while at night he haunts local bars, where his obsessive behavior has made him a pariah among the regulars. After meeting a young woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who have just moved into the transient hotel where he stays, Keane develops an attachment to both that becomes a bit too strong. Though Kerrigan's cinema vérité style effectively reflects the dreary bus terminal environs, as well as the state of unbalanced constant agitation driving the anguished Keane, Lewis' performance—unfortunately—comes across as much too mannered: the viewer never forgets that an actor is onscreen. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a second version of Keane: an alternative cut by Steven Soderbergh—who served as the film's executive producer—that is neither better nor worse, just different (and still weighed down by Lewis' acting). Bottom line: an interesting extras package in that its essentially a re-cut version of the film.] (P. Hall)
Keane
Magnolia, 94 min., R, DVD: $26.99, Mar. 21 Volume 21, Issue 3
Keane
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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