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"Online Abduction" (a.k.a., "Cyber Case") is a taut drama depicting a family's response to the abduction of their little boy. Young Tommy Fletcher was at the park in the care of his older step-sister, Isabelle (Belle). In a moment when Belle glanced away while she was in conversation with her friend Jeremy, little Tommy was abducted in a heartbeat. It appeared as though he vanished into thin air.
The film is engaging due to the technological wizardry that enables the authorities to track the kidnapper of little Tommy. But it is no thanks to the police or the FBI. Rather, it is due to the quick-thinking Belle, her boyfriend Jeremy, and her friends Ben and Allison that the wonders of tracking devices and malware work their magic.
At first, Belle's stepdad Matt was irate at her for taking her eye off little Tommy. Matt's harsh words, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to watch him!" were inappropriate in shaming the teenager. Belle's response is to move into action with her crack team of friends and generate the leads that will lead them to Tommy. The best moment in the film was the expression on the faces of FBI Special Agents Willis and Radzicki as the incredulous experts watch Belle and Jeremy take them to school.
In the end, it was not Belle, but Matt himself who was remiss in failing to recognize the danger signals from his ex-wife Lorraine Campbell. Even after their divorce, Matt seemed in a haze not to recall the devastation felt by Lorraine after a series of miscarriages and losing little Ashley.
There is an especially touching moment at the end when Jackie Fletcher, the mother of Belle and Tommy, empathizes with Lorraine and wishes her well in getting the help that she deserves. While the film scores points for its gripping portrayal of "cyber stalking," there is also a human touch in the meeting of the eyes of two mothers who know what it means to experience desperation after losing a child.
score /10
lavatch 16 August 2020
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw5998968/ |
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10-3-2021 12:07:02