“The Silent Hour” is a passable yet largely forgettable crime thriller that, despite director Brad Anderson’s attempt to inject a bit of originality from Dan Hall‘s screenplay, relies too heavily on familiar tropes and well-worn character types. This isn’t the type of movie that you’ll remember seeing a few months from now, nor is it destined to become a favorite, but it’s more than passable.
The film stars Joel Kinnaman as Frank Shaw, a Boston detective adjusting to life after a career-altering injury leaves him with permanent hearing loss. Returning to duty, he is tasked with interpreting for Ava (Sandra Mae Frank), a deaf witness to a brutal gang murder. When the killers return to eliminate her, Frank and Ava find themselves cornered in a condemned apartment building, working together to outsmart the killers they can’t hear coming.
The story tries to make something of its interesting angle (the unique challenges faced by a detective with hearing loss who is protecting a deaf witness), which does add a dynamic layer that’s mildly intriguing. This doesn’t set the film apart from the well-worn crime thriller formula, though, because Anderson doesn’t take the time to fully explore the emotional or psychological depths of living with these limitations. Instead, the movie focuses on the more immediate (and expected) tension of Frank and Ava being trapped in a condemned apartment building with gang members stalking them.
While the film is competently directed, Anderson doesn’t push the boundaries of the claustrophobic setting. There’s a sense of danger, but the plot unfolds in a repetitive cycle of near-misses and close encounters. This gives the film a feeling of being stuck in place, much like its characters.
The cast tries their best with the material they’re given, but Kinnaman and his co-stars Mark Strong and Mekhi Phifer all feel typecast in roles that are only slight variations of characters they’ve played before. While their performances are more than competent, they don’t bring much new to the table, especially when the film’s dialogue slips into clichéd cop banter that borders on being unintentionally hilarious.
Straightforward and competently made, “The Silent Hour” features a decent crime story with an occasional twist, even if the stakes feel somewhat diminished by the overly familiar set pieces and predictable pacing. You’ll know where things are heading, but it maintains enough suspense to keep you watching.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 