Product Details

• Region: All Regions
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: PDX
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0012IV3QO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #397,420 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

How will you recognize the evil you cannot see? HONG KONG ACTION CRIME SPECIALIST ANDREW LAU (Infernal Affairs) makes his English-language debut with this psychological thriller about a vigilant federal agent (Richard Gere) hunting down a dangerous sex offender. As the search for a missing girl intensifies, he is also assigned the task of training his younger female protege (Claire Danes). Working against the clock, they unravel the twisted details to track the potential killer.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Film of 2007 December 11, 2007

By A. W. Hondros

Format:Theatrical Release

I saw this movie and really didn't expect much coming in. But Richard Gere delivered his best performance to date and Claire Danes supported him very well. This is probably one of the most if not the most suspenseful movie I have ever seen. While it is a little stomach wrenching at parts I started to gag, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Richard Gere deserves an Oscar for his role in this movie, and the cinematography is second to none. I highly suggest this movie.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars "The Abyss Gazes Also into You...": "The Flock" Thriller from the Director of "Infernal Affairs" August 22, 2007

By Tsuyoshi TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Theatrical Release

The following review refers to "The Flock" (105 minutes) released in Japan where I saw it in theater.

The story of "The Flock" centers around the case of a missing girl. Or girls perhaps, and some disturbing photos. The thriller has an undertone of "The Silence of the Lambs," but in spite of its intriguing protagonist played by cast-against-type Richard Gere, "The Flock" is short on thrills, and some parts require an enormous amount of suspension of disbelief.

The most unique aspect of the film is the central role Richard Gere plays with slovenly appearance with unkempt clothes. Gere plays Erroll Babbage, veteran officer of department of public safety, monitoring paroled sex offenders. After 18 years of his work of supervising the registered offenders, Erroll, firm believer of his own theories about offenders, is not content with just visiting them and doing routine question. He cannot arrest them, but he thinks he can do something with his method, which is not exactly legal sometimes. Even his co-workers stay away from him, including his supervisor Bobby Stiles (Ray Wise). So in 18 days Erroll is to quit, or "let go" from the job.

To Erroll is sent an understudy Allison Lowry (Claire Danes). Erroll takes Allison under his wing and grooms her for the career as officer who can see through the "public presentation" of people. While training Allison, Erroll confides to her that he is convinced of one thing, believe him or not, that only he can know the truths behind the case of a young girl who suddenly disappeared.

As I said before, "The Flock" needs more suspense. Not many details are given about the missing girl (who might have just run away from home). Though Richard Gere is convincing as the man who is obsessed with his work, not much is told about the background of Allison either and her flat character weakens the master-pupil relation between them.

The film anyway keeps telling its story, fast-paced and stylish, with Gere's strong performance as its real power. However, "The Flock" becomes less and less credible in the second half. As it has something to do with sex offenders and Megan's Law, "The Flock," it is obvious, has one very important topic in it, but the film's plot, which poses some intriguing questions about the law and morality, does not delve into them.

Director of "The Flock" is Andrew Lau from Hong Kong, known for his acclaimed "Infernal Affairs" (original of "The Departed"), but internet site IMDb says Niels Mueller did uncredited re-shoot. I don't know which director is responsible, but the film, especially the opening, is full of jump-cuts, fast-forwards, double-exposures and other visual gimmicks that only help lessen the suspense. This unnecessary editing is regrettable because the cinematography itself is fine with the bleak landscapes (shot in New Mexico).

As to the role of Avril Lavigne as a young woman, it is not a big one. It is more like a cameo, and it is hard to judge whether her acting is good or bad.

And it is hard for me to judge the film either. During most of the time I was not bored, but that is not because of the slickly told but implausible story, but because of Gere's fine acting and the stylishly grainy photography and sinister atmosphere that reflects his character's mind. At the same time, besides the lack of suspense, I felt something is wrong with the film, which attempts to tackle one of the most serious issues, but somehow stops in the middle of the process.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 'Taxi Driver' meets 'Silence of the Lambs' June 17, 2009

By Richard Ross

Format:DVD

Sporting a cool name and a hot temper Richard Gere stars as Det. Errol Babbage, a man watching over his Flock of registered sex offenders. Errol's methods are too harsh for his superiors so they give him one month before they let him go. Babbage is a loner obsessed with his work, so when one of his sickos doesn't provide the right answers he thinks nothing of slapping him around or beating another with a baseball bat. When a young girl gets kidnapped and held hostage Errol loses it and makes it his mission to bring her back before he shuffles off. Hoping to keep him in check his boss, (the great Ray Wise) assigns Errol a partner named Alison Lowry (Claire Danes). Babbage doesn't appreciate this so he breaks in his new partner by taking her to a sex dungeon where he rubs her face in how dirty and dangerous their job is. As more clues fall in to place Errol believes that one of his Flock whom he has tangled with before is behind this latest kidnapping. It's a genuine shame that more people aren't going to see this film since it was released Direct to Video. The directing by 'Infernal Affairs' Andrew Lau is solid and the performances he gets out of his cast are excellent. This is one of Gere's riskiest and best performances ever. Danes isn't bad it's just that her own work is overshadowed by Gere's powerhouse performance. The subject matter is disturbing and graphic which can make this a tough film to watch at times. Hopefully this little seen masterpiece will find an audience on DVD or cable.