"Nobel Son"

L (R)

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following is a capsule review of a movie recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Convoluted and gritty thriller in which the slacker son (Bryan Greenberg) of an arrogant chemistry professor (Alan Rickman) and a forensic psychologist (Mary Steenburgen) is kidnapped by a psychopath (Shawn Hatosy) and held to ransom for his father's recently won Nobel Prize money. Though the initial twists of director and co-writer Randall Miller's harsh drama sustain interest, and Rickman is in his element as a villainous academic, the wildly dysfunctional family dynamics, a vengeance theme and pungent scenes of violence will deter even many adults well before the muddled conclusion. Strong sexual content, including brief and graphic adulterous sexual activity, rear nudity, mutilation with gore, beatings, much rough and crude language, a couple of uses of profanity and brief scatological humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.