A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

'Missing' Directed by Costa-Gavras, is compelling, disturbing & unforgettable. Based on a shocking true-story, this tale on search & what it takes to be one when a war wages on, is rich storytelling from start to finish. And it always helps if you have The Late/Great Jack Lemmon & Sissy Spaeck as the leading-players.'Missing' Synopsis: When an idealistic American writer disappears during the Chilean coup d'état in September 1973, his wife and father try to find him.'Missing' is about a father & a wife, who go searching for their missing, righteous son. We watch the father & his daughter-in-law helplessly search for their loved one, who disappears in the middle of a gruesome bloodbath in the US-backed Chilean coup of 1973. Its a heartbreaking true-story & shows the after-effect of having lost someone, with gut-wrenching honesty. This is a dramatic film, that demands your attention & condemns violence as loudly as it should, before and now. Costa-Gavras & Donald E. Stewart's Oscar-Winning Screenplay (Based on Thomas Hauser's book by the same name) is Terrific. Costa-Gavras' Direction is excellent. Cinematography is skillfully done. Editing offers sharpness. Art & Costume Design are perfect. Vangelis' Score is superb, as always.Performance-Wise: Lemmon & Spacek, together, are an Acting Dynamo. As the grieving father & wife, Lemmon & Spaeck form a bond of truth & electrify the screen with their strong portrayals. Their work here makes 'Missing' an even more powerful film. Hats off!On the whole, 'Missing' is a big winner. Two Big Thumbs Up!

Costa-Gavras already set the bar high for realistic political thrillers with the fantastic Z and he continues the trend with Missing. Despite the "realism" in pace and story structure with a great sense of danger around every corner, it's still very cinematic in tone, particularly with the Vangelis score and great cinematography. However, that realism does mean the payoffs and resolution at points are unsatisfying. Nevertheless, it's Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek who shine with their push and pull characters and although it doesn't feel like a character-driven film, they really make great use of their scenes, even if minor characters aren't as good. Despite good techs, it is a difficult film to get emotionally invested in even though it's engaging in parts but I did really like it.8/10

It's an old story, when it comes to this nation's politics: genocide, slavery, the overthrow of democratically-elected leaders, etc. A quote, from Harlan Ellison's short story BASILISK: "In the name of freedom, no monstrousness is too great." MISSING boasts several outstanding performances, chief among them Jack Lemmon's: has any actor, in any movie, ever managed to convey such pathos? I'm hard put to think of one- and Sissy Spacek's low-key deference to Lemmon's anxiety is the perfect accompaniment. Thomas Hauser (whose biography of Muhammad Ali was one of my childhood treasures) tackles slaughterhouse politics with a keen eye toward the Truth; he pulls no punches- one can't ask for more than that. Now that the Truth is finally beginning to be disseminated around the world (thanks to DEMOCRACY NOW!, FREE SPEECH TV, ALJAZEERA and LINK TV, among others), there's hope that euphemisms like "lobbying" (bribery) and "campaign donations" (graft) that are used to allow racketeers of every stripe to shape political policy and to prop up or take down- or to prop up and THEN take down- corrupt regimes around the world will finally be dispensed with and things set right. Ellison again, from BASILISK: "Power to the people."

In comparison with recent Argo, for example... Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek, however, give a magnificent performance helping to bring the movie beyond blunt anti-U.S. attitudes. In the event of coups, dictatorships etc. there are - sadly enough - there are victims on all sides and even a holding of a citizenship of a friendly country does not automatically grant extra privileges.As the plot is based on true story and if you know the background, you know the course of events and the ending as well. I did not and so everything was thrilling to monitor as there were no indications if/when someone gets hurt or killed, or not. There are plenty of moments where the options are 50:50 - as during military-related situations, soldiers may act as they please without fearing to be punished.Nevertheless, Missing can be considered as a gifted political movie - Costa-Cavras has always been a sign of quality.