Raptureless

‘Left Behind’ is a doomsday film in which folks keep vanishing, leaving no trace whatsoever. This cataclysmic phenomenon is called “the Rapture” and hits people in airplanes as well as on the ground. It’s mayhem, giant scale.

The central figure in this drama is pilot Rayford Steele (Nicholas Cage – not easily recognisable initially) who is having personal problems as he is seeing pretty air-hostess Hetty Durham (Nicky Whelan).

Rayford takes this flight even though he knows that his lively daughter Chloe (Cassi Thompson) is coming home from college. Chloe, however, rushes to the airport to meet her dad and we get an inkling of his love triangle. She also meets NYT journalist Cameron “Buck” Williams (Chad Michael Murray) and there’s an instant rapport.

Rayford’s plane takes off from JFK airport to London but runs into “the Rapture.” Passengers just disappear, the same happens on land too. Chloe suddenly finds her brother vanish. The airports worldwide are abandoned. Rayford’s plane, with air-hostess Hetty on it, is forced to turn back because of inclement weather. It’s all happening.

Director Vic Armstrong does a good job with the establishing shots and as editor his terse cutting on two fronts, the panic on the plane and the mayhem on land is laudable. Armstrong cannot be faulted for the “anything’s possible” events that follow. Among these include Chloe’s connection with her dad and prospective boy-friend Cameron who manages to reach the cockpit. In due time Chloe is busy on land trying to clear JFK airport for the plane to land. She rides a motorbike at breakneck speed, then a tractor all in a display of rare versatility. Along the way she climbs Brooklyn Bridge in an attempt to commit suicide, but does she have to reach the top except for visual effects. As one might have guessed, and in true Hollywood style (now copied by Bollywood) all’s well that ends well. But credibility apart and it even seems forgivable, director Armstrong offers a good entertainer, much better than the other release ‘Anabelle’, even cinematically.

Cassi Thomson steals the show as Chloe who’s almost all over the place but also shows dollops of emotion which should take her places in future but the others are at best fair. Not Cage who is wooden and a far cry from his ‘Moonstruck’ days with Cher. How time takes its toll.