Tortured

TORTURED - DVD Movie

Director-writer Nolan H. Lebovitz’s Tortured is definitely not for the squeamish. But while there’s a good deal of the titular activity going on here, not much of it is gratuitous, and none at all is as stomach-turningly graphic as what can be found in, say, the Saw and Hostel series. What’s more, in addition to a stellar cast, this movie actually has a story worth paying attention to. Jumping between the present and the recent past, we follow the exploits of FBI agent Kevin Cole (Cole Hauser) who, using the alias Jimmy Vaughn, manages to penetrate the notorious criminal organization run by a mysterious figure known only as Ziggy. After undergoing extensive torture to prove his own mettle, "Vaughn" is assigned the grim task of breaking one Archie Green (Laurence Fishburne), Ziggy’s accountant, who’s suspected of stealing millions from the big boss. It’s not pretty, as Vaughn spends days pulling off his prisoner’s finger and toenails, administering electric shocks, and other repellent acts; unsurprisingly, Agent Cole, tough dude though he is (he’s already served honorably in Afghanistan), is disturbed by this grim assignment and its collateral consequences, leading to problems with his literally clueless girlfriend (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and several trips to the Bureau shrink (Kevin Pollak). But that’s not all: Archie Green, it turns out, is not what he seems; nor is Cole’s father (James Cromwell), the FBI director with a few secrets of his own. It all comes together at the end, when Lebovitz serves up a couple of somewhat credibility-defying but very surprising final twists. Tortured has its share of clichéd moments ("I don’t even recognize you anymore!" says the girlfriend before storming out the door, packed bags in tow), but it also has a dark, stylish, almost minimalist vibe, and more than enough tension and suspense to keep you hooked. A decent "making of" featurette is the principal bonus feature. --Sam Graham