DIRECTOR PIETER JAN Brugge and first-time screenwriter Justin Haythe stencil out this drama from two classic cinematic rubrics: the kidnapping caper and the ever untimely collapse of the American dream. Successful businessperson Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) is kidnapped and hustled into the woods by Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe), a gawky former employee screwed over by work politics and bad timing. Back at the Hayes house, Wayne's wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), and her grown-up children wait frantically for instructions, discovering some prickly secrets when they comb Hayes's personal documents for clues. Eileen agrees to meet any cash demands, but of course, things never go as planned in ransom situations for victims and villains alike – and Mack proves to be much trickier than he looks. Abduction stories, especially those wrought with model-family drama, tend to come tailored for three-act screenplays, sliding toward conventionality unless they're seasoned with kooky slants or plot twists. Brugge and Haythe don't exactly cut any edges, but their standard nail-biter gets the thumbs-up (barely) for its performances and aptly chosen cast. Mirren shines as the grieving yet reserved wife, while exchanges between veterans Dafoe and Redford make subtle pathos look easy. There's something very William H. Macy about Dafoe's character (an endearingly dorky Murphy's Law victim, with the mustache to boot), but the versatile actor brings a soft-spoken charm to the role. (Dave Kim)