THE FLOCK
US, 2007, 98 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Claire Danes, Ray Wise, Avril Lavigne.
Directed by Wai-keung Lau (Andrew Lau), re-shoots by Niels Mueller.
The flock is a rather grim film. It is a star vehicle for Richard Gere who plays an investigator, especially for sexual crimes, with tough methods, who is about to finish his work and retire. Claire Danes portrays the young agent assigned to him as his successor and to be trained by him. They clash.
However, they are to go out into the field to investigate the abdication of the young woman, interviewing her family. The agent suspects that one of his parolees is responsible for the abduction. And the agent takes a very strong and sebere stance agai the nst the perpetrators. He is not against exercising violence against them. Which disturbs his young assistant.
The action of the film takes the audience into an ugly milieu of sexual admiration and pornography. It is in the vein of such films as Cruising, 8 MM.
While Gere gives a very strong performance, acting against his usual type, and Claire Danes shows the ability she was to show in such programs as Homeland, the film might be too much for many audiences.
It was directed by Wai-keung Lau, Andrew Lau, the Hong Kong director of the Inferior Affairs series. He brings a distinctive visual flair to the film which some audiences found to arty, or artsy. He was replaced by director Niels Mueller, whose main film was The Assassination of Richard Nixon, with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, 2004.
1. Drama? Interesting, alienating because of the themes? Psychological drama? Characters on the side of the law, criminals question? The situations, sexual abuse, pornography, adoptions, torture?
2. Richard Gere and Claire Danes, screen presence, the characters, interactions, tough, demanding?
3. The picture of the department, offices, field action, the countryside, searching?
4. The director, Chinese perspective, interference of the producers? The arty visual style?
5. The title, the reference to the offenders, the abuse? The victims?
6. Richard Gere as Errol? Age, look, his life, dedication to his work, retirement, the 18 days? His character, crusty, the pressures? The effect of dealing with the criminals for so long? His methods, questionable? The attitudes of authorities? The prospect of Alisson and taking his place? The meeting, the clash, the details of training, her accompanying him in the field, the Harriet situation? The mother? The interviews, the story, tracking down the offender? Life threatened or not? Action, the deadline?
7. Claire Danes as Alison? Her age, her working hard, field experience, the first encounter with Errol, not liking him? The clashes? The role of the authorities’?
8. The audience attitude towards sex offenders? Sharing Errol’s view? Allison’s?
9. The suspect, his career, on parole?
10. The investigations, the two working as a team, the outings, tensions, dangers?
11. The world of pornography, ugly, the perpetrators, the attention to detail, the atmosphere?
12. The violence, the rights of the suspect, surrendering rights?
13. The culmination, the truth, Harriet, exploitation?
14. The violent world, violent characters, sex crimes, investigations? The effect on Errol, on Allyson, on the audience?
