Keane

Kerrigan’s third feature finds him back on peak form after the disappointing ‘Claire Dolan’. A little like a Dardenne Brothers movie, it begins with a man (Lewis) frantically searching for his young daughter at a New York bus terminal, where he claims she was abducted – some months ago, as it transpires. As the camera follows his wanderings around the city (usually in close-up), questions, doubts and ambiguities arise – did the daughter really exist, is he sane or schizophrenic, and what exactly are his intentions with the regard to the young woman and her daughter, whom he meets and befriends in his run-down hotel? Suspense and psychological study combine to create a film as dramatically compelling as it’s thought-provoking and intensely affecting. Kerrigan’s concentrated gaze and wholly credible script carry great weight, but so do the performances; Lewis, on screen throughout, is particularly superb in a difficult role.