Ray Pride

Steven Gaghan's directorial debut is an oft-assured variation of Paramount's woman-in-jeopardy genre; his ear for the language of intelligent people makes for several quietly hilarious character turns. On a quaint small-town college campus, Katie (Katie Holmes) is a straight-ahead grind who's almost put the disappearance of her polymath boyfriend Embry (Charlie Hunnam) behind her after two years. Aside from being smart and cute with Sting-tousled blond hair, he's also rich, and there are powers who want him declared dead, so the police case is re-opened. Townie cop Handler (Benjamin Bratt) asks the questions; Katie does the best she can not to break down under all the pressures she's assuming. Gaghan's astute at casting actors that suit his dialogue. The ineffable Zooey Deschanel, as a randy dormmate of Katie's, is a complete delight, and Melanie Lynskey, as a breathy, resentful classmate, steals every scene she's in. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique ("Requiem for a Dream," "Tigerland"), who works wonders with purple and blue and gray and green, is also a whiz at skin tone and texture, displaying the flaws in Holmes' lovely face, making her more human, more beautiful, with each lingering close-up. With Gabrielle Union, Fred Ward.

"Abandon" opens Friday.

(2002-10-16)

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