Hyped plot in ‘Trapped’ takes annoying to new level

In theaters

TRAPPED, directed by Luis Mandoki, written by Greg Iles, based on the novel “24 Hours” by Greg Iles, 99 minutes, rated R.

Over the past year, Hollywood has repeatedly been reminded of one important lesson: Often, there’s no predicting how some controversial films will play during volatile times.

This year alone saw “Collateral Damage,” “Big Trouble” and “The Time Machine” all tanking at the box office thanks, in part, to the negative press they received for featuring potentially disturbing images heightened by the events of Sept. 11. “The Sum of All Fears,” on the other hand, became a smash success in spite of its scenes of nuclear annihilation, which were heavily promoted by its studio and which connected with the public.

Reflecting on this, Columbia Pictures recently found themselves in an advertising pickle.

After a summer’s worth of high-profile kidnappings underscored by the David Westerfield trial, they were stuck with the unenviable task of promoting Luis Mandoki’s “Trapped,” a psychological thriller about the brutal kidnapping of a young girl.

The question facing Columbia was whether to hype the kidnapping angle because it was timely or to downplay it with a misleading marketing campaign that made the movie seem like something it wasn’t.

Hoping to skirt a potential backlash, Columbia chose the latter and, in a fit of paranoia, also asked the cast to not promote the film, lest its dirty secret come out.

Subsequently, “Trapped” bombed.

The film, from a screenplay Greg Iles based on his own book, “24 Hours,” follows a trio of thugs, played by Kevin Bacon, Courtney Love and Pruitt Taylor Vince, who kidnap little Abby (Dakota Fanning) and then torture the hell out of her and her wealthy parents (Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend) in a violent effort to secure $250,000.

Mirroring “Panic Room” and “Signs,” the film is the latest to complicate its plot by hopping onto the asthma bandwagon, suggesting that, if nothing else, a growing number of screenwriters aren’t getting the fresh air they need when it comes to developing new ways to spark tension in their films.

Indeed, if Abby doesn’t get her asthma medication soon, she’ll die. Lucky for her that she has parents willing to fight back, which they do in all sorts of creative ways, such as in the near castration suffered by Bacon at the hands of Theron that redefines playing a scene for all it’s worth.

“Trapped” isn’t without energy, but it’s a nervous, jittery energy that extends to the way the film is shot – during unusually tense scenes, Mandoki seems to attach his camera to a jackhammer in an effort to give his film a kick. It doesn’t.

Also annoying are the absurd, overblown ending and the big twist Iles forces into the plot. Neither can be revealed here, but when they were revealed at my screening, let’s just say that the ensuing chatter from those seated nearby sounded nothing like delight.

Grade: C-

On video and DVD

ENOUGH, directed by Michael Apted, written by Nicholas Kazan, 115 minutes, rated PG-13.

Michael Apted’s “Enough” tosses Jennifer Lopez an anchor that even she doesn’t have the moxie to carry. The film, from a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan, is a cartoon revenge fantasy underscored with the very real issue of domestic violence.

In the film, Lopez is Slim, a street-smart waitress who falls for a dashing contractor named Mitch (Billy Campbell), marries him in a fairy tale wedding, bears his child, and then literally takes it on the chin when she questions him about his infidelity.

As Mitch himself tells her time and again, he’s a man who always gets what he wants. In spite of having several women on the side, one of whom he calls his “little croissant,” he still wants Slim, who’s forced to flee with their daughter, Gracie (Tessa Allen), so she can escape the blunt end of Mitch’s fist.

The problem? Kazan’s screenplay is a cheat that doesn’t offer her a way out. If Slim runs, Mitch will send in his thugs to track her down. If she goes to the police, he has enough money to buy his way to freedom. If she stays, she almost certainly will become Mitch’s punching bag.

What’s a girl to do? Naturally, learn kung fu.

In less than a month, Slim transforms herself from an insecure abused wife to an iron woman who could enter Smackdown – and win. Her sole aim is to kill Mitch with her bare hands, which gives the film the crowd-pleasing ending it seeks, but which, in the process, turns everyone involved into a caricature who never take the subject of this film as seriously as they should.

Grade: C-

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews appear Mondays and Fridays in Style, Tuesdays on “NEWS CENTER at 5” and Thursdays on “NEWS CENTER at 5:30” on WLBZ-2 and WCSH-6. He can be reached at BDNFilm1@aol.com.