Somewhere, Alfred Hitchcock is smiling about the release of the
new film
”
Phone Booth,
”
currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
Somewhere, Alfred Hitchcock is smiling about the release of the new film “Phone Booth,” currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
“Phone Booth” is a tightly woven dramatic thriller that proves thaty you don’t need a bunch of high-priced, computer-generated special effects to make a good film.
Hitchcock, the great master of suspense, would have enjoyed this film because director Joel Schumacher uses many of the techniques that Hitchcock made famous with an ability to turn otherwise normal and harmless things into objects of terror,
such as the bread knife in “Blackmail,” the country kitchen in “Torn Curtain” and, most notoriously, the shower in “Psycho.” Lord knows I haven’t used a shower in the same way ever since, to the great displeasure of people sitting next to me in the newsroom.
The Hitchcock-like feeling in this film makes sense when you consider that screenwriter Larry Cohen, who originally dreamed up the movie, pitched the story to Hitchcock himself in the late ’60s. But since cell phones didn’t exist then, making the story work proved too difficult.
The plot centers around Colin Farrell as Stu Shephard, a mid-level publicist who works the angles in midtown Manhattan trying to land the elusive big client to help raise his own stock in the entertainment community. The audience is probably supposed to dislike Stu, but Farrell’s performance brings through the image of just another young hustler working the fame game.
One game Stu is working is a client, played by Katie Holmes of “Dawson’s Creek” fame, whom he’s slowly seducing. Every day, he calls her from the same pay phone at almost the same time because he doesn’t want his wife to see the number on the cell phone statement.
But one day when he stops at the phone booth, the phone is ringing, and when Stu picks it up he finds himself talking to a sniper who seems to know everything about him, including his name, his routine, his girlfriend’s name and number and his wife’s name and number. This is one serial killer who’s done a great deal of research.
The sniper breaks through Stu’s normally cool and unaffected facade by proving that he really does see him and that he really does have a rifle. From there it’s a case of escalating mayhem, filmed in real time, in lots of short to medium takes that create the feeling that things are steadily spiraling out of control.
Equally as impressive is Kiefer Sutherland as the disembodied voice of the unbalanced sniper. Acting with just his voice, Sutherland conveys shades of humor, disgust and a sort of maniacal logic that is at times chilling.
Rounding out this outstanding cast is Forrest Whitaker, whose perceived compassion for Stu and his increasingly dangerous predicament serves as Stu’s only lifeline.
This film is not suitable for children.
