This past fall I read Captive the book, to review the true life story which was penned under “unlikely Angel:The untold story of the Atlanta hostage hero” in 2010. I didn’t get the chance to view the film when it was released, but I recently received the DVD to review as well. The film features Kate Mara as Ashley Smith and David Oyelowo as escaped prisoner Brian Nichols, and what happens to two lost souls when their spirits collide.
Both the book and film were slow, for my personal taste (I’m not much of fan of book to film adaptations, so much gets lost or left out). Although the the story is captivating, I kept waiting for the drama to kick in, and for the story to get going. It never happened. I was disappointed that there were not enough elements of Rick Warrens “A purpose driven life” which is what altered Nichols life that day with his hostage, to make it compelling for someone who knows nothing about the christian book. Not enough of the books content was read out loud in order for the audience to understand how the book was transforming them as Ashley read aloud to Nichols. The film wasn’t a complete dud, but it did lack in some areas.
About the movie:
Based on a miraculous story about the power of faith, Captive is an “amazing, inspiring” drama about the spiritual collision of two lost souls, Brian Nichols (Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo), on the run from police and desperate to make contact with his newborn son, takes recently widowed mother Ashley Smith (Kata Mara) hostage in her own apartment. Fearing for her life and desperately hoping to see her daughter again, she turns to Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life for guidance. Ashley and her captor face a crossroads where they discover hope and light in the midst of despair in the moving film that Dick Rolfe, CEO, Dove Foundation hailed as “powerful.”
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2016
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Runtime: 96 minutes
Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements involving violence and substance abuse)
There are over 30 minutes of bonus content on this DVD including Journey Through Darkness: Filming Captive and Faith and The Purpose Driven Life. Also included with this DVD is a Digital HD copy that can be instantly streamed and downloaded.
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
