Whenever I watch a thriller featuring a child in jeopardy, my nerves go out of control and I become a frazzled mess. However, I still can’t take my eyes off what’s happening on the big screen. In Hostage, four youngsters held by bad guys face desperate situations -- although not at the same time or place -- and I felt so frightened for each one of them that I was a nervous wreck by the end of the movie. I definitely empathized with the stressed-out LAPD negotiator, played by Bruce Willis, who decides to change jobs after fouling up his last hostage negotiation assignment.

Impressive noir-like cinematography, suspenseful background music and straightforward storytelling combine to make Hostage one of the classiest thrillers since The Glass House. Both of these suspenseful movies not only focus on children in danger but also contain disturbing scenes in an unusual house that almost becomes one of the characters in the film. (Hmm. Maybe I’m biased in favor of movies with a theme and setting like this.)                  

In Hostage, the ultra-modern California mansion in question boasts a gated entrance into the courtyard, electronic surveillance in every room, waterfalls behind glass partitions, a high-tech security system and televisions galore. It’s also located on the side of a mountain top, a perfect site for intriguing camera shots -- and cinematographer Giovanni Fiore Coltellaci (second unit photography director for Under the Tuscan Sun) makes the most these opportunities. With sweeping views leading up to the house and contrasting closed-in scenes inside the mansion -- including ventilation ducts -- Hostage offers a visual diversity that enhances its appeal.            

Three young men have no idea how wrong they are to unlawfully enter this house on this particular date. They take a teen-age girl (Michelle Horn) and her little brother (Jimmy Bennett, absolutely terrific in this precocious role) hostage after knocking out the accountant father (Kevin Pollak). When the local police chief (Willis) discovers their presence, mysterious “others” let him know they need something important hidden inside the house -- and, unless he can get it for them, his wife and daughter will be killed. Willis’ character is then drawn back into the "hostage negotiation" world he renounced a year ago -- but with added pressure. 

Willis (The Sixth Sense) deserves kudos for his in-depth portrayal of someone looking for a less stressful life who’s driven to extremes by extraordinary circumstances. Even while presenting a “together” persona as the new police chief of a quiet little suburb, this versatile actor manages to show us a man whose emotions are trapped just beneath the surface. And, as usual, when those Willis explosions finally occur, they’re quite believable. The big surprise here? So are the Willis tears.     

Another surprise involves the performance of Ben Foster (The Punisher) as a creepy villain who slithers across the screen like a poisonous snake. Reminiscent of Richard Widmark’s Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death, he’s completely convincing as an evil influence on his two cohorts (Jonathan Tucker and Marshall Allman), who round out the trio entering the California mansion on that fateful night.

Kudos also to director Florent Emilio Siri (The Nest), working from Doug Richardson’s (Die Hard 2) excellent adaptation of a novel by Robert Crais, for adding his own stylistic touches to Hostage while moving the film along at just the right pace.

If you enjoy action thrillers, don’t miss this one.

(Released by Miramax and rated “R’ for strong graphic violence, language and some drug use.)