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Poster (c) 20th Century Fox
Cell phones are quickly overtaking pay phones as the premiere on-the-run communications device. However, that doesn’t stop Joel Schumacher from making a fast-paced 80-minute thriller that takes place inside of a simple phone booth, one of the only ones left in New York. Much like Panic Room in that it takes place in an enclosed space and like Se7en in the motives of “The Caller”, Phone Booth almost entirely takes place inside of a phone booth in which Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) enters to make a call to his current fling Pam (Katie Holmes).
Stu is a PR man, and he’s not exactly the most honorable of all people. He calls Pam from a pay phone because his wife Kelly (Radha Mitchell) checks his cell phone bill. However, as he’s about to leave the booth, it rings and on the other end is a mysterious man, The Caller (Kiefer Sutherland) tells him to stay on the line or else he will shoot Stu with a sniper. Because the MPAA thinks that after national tragedy we can’t handle movies that are even somewhat based on the topic, Phone Booth was delayed five months from the Washington, D.C. sniper attacks. Although the hulk of the film is around The Caller, it’s also interesting to look at how Stu changes throughout this 80-minute film. It’s pretty amazing that we could feel so much for Stu when we don’t know much about him, and what we do know was in a brief part of 80 minutes.
Not only is Phone Booth an interesting character study, it also is pretty thrilling. There’s nothing worse than a feeling of helplessness, and that’s what we feel along with Stu. He has to do what the Caller says or else he’ll be shot, and he has to do what the police say or else he’ll be shot by the police. He has no choices, and has to do what people tell him to do. What makes Phone Booth an interesting ride is how much I liked the Caller. Sure, the movie couldn’t work without the police coming into play, but I was just waiting for another scene in the phone booth with the Caller preparing to wreck more havoc. Sutherland was perfect for the role, with his unique voice and his exceptional acting really holding the film together. Farrell, who I liked before he became the subject of tabloids, does a pretty good job.
One of the most remarkable parts of the film was its cinematography. Matthew Libatique did an exception job, with varying distance shots and great angles. A few times, when Stu was in the phone booth, it had a rounded shape to it. It’s hard to explain but it looked really great. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering if I’ve only said good things about it why I only gave it a 7/10. I hated the ending. I thought that it was just a cheap way to tie everything together. Did anyone not expect it? Also, it wasn’t highly thrilling, just mildly. But, if you overlook that, you’ll find a big film based on a small idea that really is a small-budget film hiding under the cover of Hollywood.
Rated R for pervasive language and some violence.
Review Date: July 31, 2003