The Missing Person (2009)

Writer/Director Noah Buschel's third feature, The Missing Person, stars Michael Shannon as John Rosow, a private detective hired to tail a man, Harold Fullmer, on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Rosow gradually uncovers Harold's identity as a missing person; one of the thousands presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Persuaded by a large reward, Rosow is charged with bringing Harold back to his wife in New York City against his will. Ultimately Rosow must confront whether the decision to return Harold to a life that no longer exists is the right one. The Missing Person co-stars Academy Award © Nominee Amy Ryan and features a strong supporting cast including Margaret Colin, Linda Emond, Yul Vazquez and John Ventimiglia.

Long Synopsis

The Missing Person opens in the dingy Chicago apartment of former New York City police officer, and current alcoholic/private detective John Rosow. He is awoken from his stupor by his telephone ringing. On the other end is a lawyer, Drexler Hewitt, who offers him a job: tail a man on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Hewitt's no-nonsense assistant, Miss Charley, immediately shows up at Rosow's door with some more information, a cash advance, and with that he is soon boarding a Los Angeles bound train.

On the train Rosow spies his target calmly sitting inside his cabin, accompanied by a young boy. After an alcohol fueled train ride, Rosow follows the subject back to a Santa Monica motel. His stay in Los Angeles is littered with absurd, often disarming encounters with an odd cast of characters; a cab driver who knows his Catholic saints, a Segway riding L.A. cop, a helpful motel clerk, an overzealous cell phone salesman, meddling FBI agents and a femme fatale who attempts to seduce him at a bar.

Early the next morning Rosow follows the subject in his rentEarly the next morning Rosow follows the subject in his rental car after he jumps in a cab with the young boy. The ride takes him farther and farther out of town until he's practically in Mexico. When the cab pulls over to gas up, and the subject and the boy enter a nearby diner, Rosow takes the opportunity to glean some information from the cab driver. After a bribe and striking a chord with the cabbie as a fellow New York City expatriate, Rosow finds out the subject and the boy are headed to a remote Mexican orphanage. Unable to effectively follow the cab where it's going, Rosow pays the cabbie to hide in his trunk.

The orphanage proves too difficult a place to remain inconspicuous and Rosow is soon knocked out by a couple of guards. Brought before the orphanage's owner, Don Edgar, Rosow learns that Harold, the subject, has been acting philanthropically; finding children in distress and bringing them to a safe haven in the orphanage.

Driving back to Los Angeles Rosow finally reaches Hewitt. After angrily complaining about having so much information withheld, Hewitt offers him half a million dollars to return Harold to his wife back in New York City. Acting on a tip from the cab driver, Rosow finds Harold at a sushi restaurant waiting for his train to depart. Under the threat of turning him over to the authorities, Harold has little choice but to accompany Rosow back to New York.

During their trip Rosow learns that Harold is a missing person; presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He barely made it out alive that day, but the experience combined with the loss of a child in a kidnapping a few years before, changed him and he knew he could never go back to his former life. Harold's story forces Rosow to remember why he too fled New York City; the death of his wife in that very same attack.

Arriving in New York, Rosow and Harold are met by Miss Charley at the airport. Instead of immediately returning Harold, Rosow takes them to a hotel where he can stash Harold, ensure his payment, and buy some time to try and figure everything out. Rosow entrusts his former colleague Lt. Gus Papitos with keeping an eye on Harold while he goes to Harold's wife to collect his ransom. Before he and Miss Charley leave the hotel, Rosow tips her that something may be up.

Sure enough, when Rosow returns, Gus has “accidentally” let Harold go. Based on Gus' affiliation with Harold and his wife (he was the detective assigned to their kidnapping) he deduces that Gus recommended him for the job banking on his alcoholism and nihilistic attitude to screw it up. If Harold were to be declared dead a hefty life insurance payout would be granted to his wife, with a nice chunk going to Drexler Hewitt and Gus for their troubles.

Rosow meets Miss Charley and Harold at a jazz club. Rosow had tipped her off that Harold might be provided with an opportunity to escape, and she was waiting for him. The next morning, after picking up his reward at the bank, Rosow brings Harold back to his old New York City apartment. Transfixed by a painting done by Harold's kidnapped child, and with Harold pleading for his release behind him, Rosow knows he cannot force Harold to return to a life he does not want a part of, nor exists any longer. He gives the money back to Harold's wife, and goes back to Chicago.

Months later we find Rosow clean, sober and with a recently transplanted Miss Charley on his arm.