MovieChat Forums > The Captive (2014) Discussion > Time is linear. This movie is not. (spo...

Time is linear. This movie is not. (spoilers)

posted 9 years ago by Razmear
11 replies | jump to latest

When you have to check IMDB halfway thru a movie to figure out what is going on, there might be a problem with the editing.
There is no indication when you are seeing a flashback, or a flash forward. For a while I thought Cass was two different girls and the couple was unlucky enough to have 2 daughters abducted.
The flash forward to the office building wasn't even noticeable til you see the same posters at the banquet.
Then one minute the detective is locked in a van, then she's back on the case at the hotel.
I'm confused as hell....

[–] cagneychick182 9 years ago

Ok. I figured there were time jumps then gave up and came on here. LOL. I give up as soon as I saw Rosario Dawson on the poster, then in that office, then at the diner in about a 3 minute period.

[–] forrykook 9 years ago

So, Disney animated movies are more your thing?

[–] Jonwartea 9 years ago

I honestly think this movie could have been great with better editing.

[–] owlfy 9 years ago

I thought it was fairly self-explanatory that it was flashbacks. Of course she couldn't be at different places at the same time. Put two and two together.

[–] mark11111 9 years ago

It was horrible editing is what the downfall of this movie was. Too many unanswered questions or stupid parts of the plot and absolutely impossible to follow the timeline, be sure you don't have a drink or two before watching it or you will really be confused! Such a shame, I just watched it and had to come on here to realize it wasn't me that was stupid, but rather the movie and the editing and timelines.

[–] thebabe3 9 years ago

HAHA We just finished watching this and my husband was thinking exactly like you and we both did a WTF when the detective appeared in the hotel room when the scene before she was locked in a van.
And, the movie after eight years is still winter and the same truck (a guy thing) not looking salt stained (a guy thing) at all.
Love Ryan Reynolds, and he must have cringed when he saw the crap of a movie. 'Thank goodness he can pick better scripts now.

[–] Robinlynn21 9 years ago

Agreed. Interesting concept, solid acting, good cast, decent story. I love complicated movies that flash forward and back often and keep you thinking. This is not one of those movies. This is just extremely poor editing. There were no indicators of when/why a flashback was occurring and it left you going "wait... What?" And "why?" Far more often than it should have. Dear editors: watch 21 grams, memento, pulp fiction (or many others) to see this technique done correctly.

[–] wheredaweedat 8 years ago

it said what year it was on the bottom of the screen most of the time. dont get what was so confusing

[–] mattbeadle-798-193572 8 years ago

Did it? I never once saw a date, which is effectively all the film required to prevent most people's angst on this Message Board.

You figure it out after the first "bunch" of flashbacks, so perhaps adding dates (like the infamous hotel room scene where Rosario Dawson finds a camera moments after - yet actually months before - being locked in a van) would have made it far too scrappy.