The Call

[baumer]

Discuss

[acsc1312]

This was a great suspense thriller. I got a lot more thank what I was expecting. It's definitely more violent than I thought it would be at times, and the ending is great.B+/maybe A-

[RyneOh1040]

The ending is going to be very divisive.  I think the general audience will be okay with it for the most part (may even eat it up) but it's such a shame that it will split audiences period, due to how unexpectedly great the first hour or so is.  I normally wouldn't have paid to see this but snagged passes to a screening last minute and was really surprised at just how good some of this works.  The pacing is fantastic and there really never is a dull moment.  But yea, the ending, without giving it away is a make or break type move by the script writers.  Really solid performances from Breslin and Berry.

 

B-.

Edited March 15, 2013 by RyneOh1040

[Blankments]

As a legitimate movie, I thought this was terrible. As a comedy, it was great. Really enjoyable cheesiness and the audience is what made this movie. Good time at the theater. C-

Edited September 1, 2013 by Blankments

[baumer]

One of the most intense movies I have ever seen. And I am not kidding. This is expertly directed and amazingly acted by both leads. Abigail Breslin and Halle Berry should get Oscar nominations for this. I realize the chance of that happening is slim to pretty much none, but without them, this film wouldn't have some of the power it does.Berry of course is Jordan Turner, a veteran 9/11 operator. She is a little quicker on her feet than many of the other operators. She gets as much information as she can from the 9/11 callers and even though it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, any and every detail is important. Is it a red car, an older car, is the man black, white, asian or hispanic? Does he wear glasses and so on. She calmly asks these questions and not only does it help her do her job, it helps calm the victim.Breslin plays Casey Welson, the young girl who gets abducted. She has the role of the terrified victim who relies on Jordan to get her out of this mess. Breslin shot to fame in Little Miss Sunshine, but this might be her best role. To make the film work, you need to feel what Jordan and Casey feel. Both actors are at the top of their game. They made me feel hopeless, sad and terrified for both of them.Also good as the supporting players. Morris Chestnut is the calm and collected police officer on the hunt for Casey and he brings that demeanor to the role. He is dedicated and not irrational. David Otunga, of WWE (a producer on the film) fame plays his partner and with the exception of his Adonis like physique, you'd never know he was a wrestler. He fits perfectly.Michael Eklund plays the bad guy and he is a blend of Norman Bates and the "Put the puppy in the basket" bad guy from Silence of the Lambs. He plays the character beautifully and makes you feel for the victims. Also excellent is Roma Maffia, of Nip and Tuck fame.The director is Brad Anderson, who I first heard of him when he did a small and unnoticed horror film called Session 9, starring David Caruso. The film was decent enough but it was intense. That is what Anderson brings to this film. Intensity. It really never lets up. This can be attributed to the actors of course, but without a director to set the tone and pace of the film, it might not have been as good. From scenes in the trunk of a car to a dungeon to the "HIVE", he manages to keep us riveted throughout. I will be eagerly anticipating his next film.The ending is one of my favourite parts. If you don't want to know how it ends, stop reading.9/10Ok, you're here.Too many times, the killer does heinous things and then he gets arrested. This time,Jordan and Casey turn into John Doe from Seven. After escaping from his clutches, after he has killed a young girl, stabbed a man to death with a screwdriver, burned another alive and was in the middle of taking Casey's scalp, the two woman end up stabbing him with scissors, giving him a concussion and then chaining him to a chair in his own dungeon. There is no escape for him unless he is Houdini. They leave him there to die, which will take weeks. This, imo, is the right ending. A man like this doesn't deserve mercy or clemency or a trial.One of my favourites of the year so far.

Edited March 17, 2013 by baumer

[acsc1312]

Thank you, Baumer! I thought I would be the only one who thoroughly enjoyed it.

[75Live]

I saw this right after The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and just like that, I was pleasantly surprised about this movie.

 

It was better than it had any right to be.  Abigail Breslin was great/  Overall, while not all that thrilling to me and some generic parts too, the movie did enough to keep me interested.

 

The idiots behind me probably made it not as good, but really since I was expecting less than nothing from this movie, it was an entertaining flick.

 

B

Edited March 18, 2013 by 75live

[Claire of Themyscira]

LOVED IT. 

 

I agree with Baumer.

 

Berry and Breslin were fantastic. It was a great experience watching this with my bestie. One of the best of the year so far.

[lab276]

If ever you wanted to see what a 90s thriller would look like if it was made today, this is it. Sadly, I think it is inferior to what it might have been 15 years ago. The cliches are just a little too old and the editing is too frenetic to be really impactful. The worst part of the film is when Halle Berry goes to investigate for herself. She goes to a house that the police had already been to and found nothing, and manages to stumble across a trapdoor where the killer is doing his thing. Now while it is set up, it makes the police look sadly incompetent. I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't have searched the area and found the trapdoor themselves. After that it goes into full Silence of the Lambs horror mode and it suffers for it. It feels almost like a different movie altogether.The first two-thirds of the movie however are a great chase through the streets of LA. And despite the annoying editing manages to be quite tense and pretty damn riveting. Halle Berry does well as the operator and the film, to its credit, puts her character in situations where at any other time her actions would be an asset (redialing after the phone gets cut off, constantly staying on the line and talking) and makes them mistakes which could end up being tragic.Overall a good and exciting 90's thriller made worse by being from the 2010's. B+

[Jack Nevada]

I havent been this tense watching a movie in a while. The third act is problematic and IMO pretty unsatisfying but everything up to that had me more entertained and constantly on the edge of my seat than any other movie this year. Halle Berry is exceptionally good in this. 

 

Surprisingly good. 

 

4/5

Edited July 31, 2013 by Jack Nevada

[TheMovieman]

Pretty solid thriller... until the end which seemed to turn into a Saw movie or something. But what irked me the most out of the ending is:

 

how Berry and Spencer locked up the bad guy, never to be found. Now, that in itself is fine, but what about all the other victims? She found their scalps so certainly DNA could be matched to missing persons plus the girl who was murdered earlier. So much for their loved ones to have closure.

 

Still, it is mostly entertaining.

 

***½/*****, (B, 7.2/10, 3.5/4)

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Better then expected and intense.  The first two acts are great. The third acts has its problems, mainly the police leave the house and have no police officer there incase the guy would return. A second problem is nobody searched the grounds. Hallie berry decides to save the day. I agree with the movieman above in someway. If I was the girl, I would have my fun with him. Like get a nice free punch in. Maybe a day two tell the police you remember the whole thing. This way the family gets closure and he suffered for awhile. 

 

B

 

This thread needs to be add to the archives. There is no link to this. 

[baumer]

I'm really surprised that Berry and Breslin are not getting Oscar talk for this.  Shame this came out so early because they are both worthy.

[Michael Gary Scott]

Baumer I feel about this movie the way you feel about tdkr

[baumer]

Baumer I feel about this movie the way you feel about tdkr

 

 

lol, what did you hate about it?

[Blankments]

I'm certain that this will end up on my ballot for the Forum Awards at the end of this year... for Best Comedy

[baumer]

It'll make my top ten for best of the year.

[DeeCee]

It's OK. It's quiet good up until Berry goes off to rescue the girl by herself. Then it just gets silly.

[DeeCee]

He's going to get up again.

[DeeCee]

Now it's just getting really stupid.