Michael Douglas proves that marriage to
Catherine Zeta-Jones has kept him fit as he sprints around Manhattan
without breaking a sweat in this frenetic thriller. Douglas plays
psychiatrist Nathan Conrad, whose comfortable existence is shattered
when his young daughter is kidnapped. The ransom for her return
is a six-digit number, locked in the memory of near-catatonic
mental patient Brittany Murphy. Douglas must therefore delve into
the girl's damaged psyche, retrieve the number and deliver it
to kidnapper Sean Bean and he has one day to do it. While the
premise is ludicrous and some of the plot developments heavily
signposted (Nathan's wife, played by Famke Janssen, is laid up
in their apartment with a broken leg), thanks to compelling performances
from Douglas and Murphy, and the pacey direction of Gary Fleder
(Kiss the Girls), this adds up to an enjoyable ride.
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