Sometimes you see a trailer to a movie and it looks like it’s going to be really good, but it turns out to be a great disappointment. Then there are other times you see a trailer and it makes the movie look okay, but noting special and it turns out to be a great movie. The movie trailer to “The Call” does not do it justice at all because it is a non-stop thrill ride you must see in a movie theater as soon as possible!
Halle Berry is 911 veteran operator, Jordan Turner. She has shift gears in her career and is now training other people to become emergency operators. When a 911 call comes in one of her operators can’t handle, she takes over. A 16-year old girl, Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) has been kidnapped and is currently locked in the trunk of her perpetrator’s car. Casey is calling from a cell phone that cannot be trace so it will take all of Jordon’s knowledge and experience to help Casey remain as calm as possible given his circumstances and to help the police to locate her before it’s too late.
Even that description fails to let one fully appreciate how intense “The Call” really is. Some details were left out so you can enjoy this movie spoiler free and enjoy it you will. It is movies like “The Call” that such catchphrases like, “A non-stop thrill ride” and “Will keep you at the edge of your seat” were designed around.
A lot of credit must go to screenwriter Richard D’Ovidio who no doubt created a gripping page turner. His last credited movie, according to IMDb was “Thir13en Ghosts” back in 2001. If it truly took him over ten years to get his new screenplay purchased it was worth the wait because he turned in a real gem that should garner him future work.
Of course, one mustn’t forget director Brad Anderson who will be freaking out movie audiences across the nation this weekend, thanks to this brilliant piece of art. The crowd who saw an advanced screening of “The Call” earlier this week at the Regal Royal Palm was really into this movie. They kept shouting, screaming and applauding from beginning to end. One woman had to get up in the middle exclaiming, “I got to pee!”
Another reason why “The Call” is such a successful thriller is the actors involved. Halle Berry is an Academy Award winning actress. She is a big reason why an audience will become emotionally involved with this story. Her performance may even inspire some people to become 911 operators. This movie shows what it takes to be one of these operators and the high level of respect they deserve for being the front line of communication to people who may be in extremely dangerous situations.
Abigail Breslin started out as a very talented child actor and has shown the chops that her talent knows no bounds. When her character Casey first wakes up in the truck and realizes her situation you feel the horror she does. Brad Anderson employs great use of close-ups on his actors and he often gets that camera only inches away from Abigail’s terrified face. She never flinches, she only delivers!
The remainder of the cast rounds out well. The kidnapper can almost be a profile bad guy on “CSI” or “NCIS”. He is truly a disturbed individual. One who can be compared to Buffalo Bill from “Silence of the Lambs”. You won’t be forgetting this guy any time soon.
“The Call” requires you to really suspend your disbelief at times, but this movie is so fun it really doesn’t matter. It is the kind of movie that was meant to be seen in a theater so you can share the experience with a bunch of strangers who is just as scared as you are. 2013 has not brought us too many memorable movies yet, but this one deserves to supplant last week’s number one movie. Maybe good word of mouth will help it to become so. It is rated R for violence, disturbing content and some language.
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