Hey folks, Harry here... Here's a Joel Schumacher film... a film that I've very much have been looking forward to seeing. I mean, think about it. The last time Joel teamed up with Colin Farrell it was on the remarkable TIGERLAND.... An excellent damn movie that didn't get a wide release because... well because it didn't have a major name in it, and frankly the studios are no longer about making stars, but rather cashing in on stars that are somehow otherwise made... ahem... First this movie was being delayed, pending Colin Farrell's introduction in MINORITY REPORT opposite Tom Cruise... Then the Sniper began killing people in the D.C. area and folks got all uptight and the studio, tucked tail and ran. Now they're planning to release the film March 14th, 2003 (unless some other terrible thing happens, because God knows that syncronicity of Fiction and Reality never works... CHINA SYNDROME ... CASABLANCA ... oh shit, they don't count, they happened over 5 years ago.) Anyways, here's another good movie that's being jerked around by circumstances, not having to do with quality, reshoots or anything other than the sick fucked up world we live in. Sigh...
Hey Harry, here is my review of Phone Booth for ya:
Phone Booth was initially supposed to be released in the fall of 2002, but due to the sniper shootings in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. area, the release date was pushed back to March 14th, 2003. I managed to attend the world premiere of the film way back in September, 2002 at the Toronto International Film Festival. I wrote this review shortly after but have only just found it again.
I'll mark off where there are spoilers...
The story revolves around high-and-mighty Stu Shepard, an entertainment publicist living in New York City. The film starts off portraying him as a fast-talking high-powered man who gets the job done. One day he stops to make a phone call at a telephone booth. After he has finished, Shepard is about to leave when the phone suddenly rings. Someone has been watching him. Someone with a sniper rifle trained right at Stu's heart.
The movie is based on a student film titled End of the Line (1996), and I had been watching this project for a while, ever since it was announced that Jim Carrey had shown interest in the lead role. How many movies do you know of that mainly take place in one locale: the sidestreet where the phone booth is located.
Sitting in the darkened theatre, I was a little antsy when the opening credits rolled. They looked more like place-holder graphics, sensational, and way too bold for the movie. Call me a stickler, but it could have used some work. I quickly prepared myself for a typical Schumacher action film. Thankfully I was proven wrong.
The writing is top-notch. It would have to be to maintain audience interest in a movie that doesn't have much change of scenery. I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what Stu would do next; what I would do in that situation. And up until the end I had no idea if the police would figure out what was going on. The movie slowly revealed itself to be the type of film where anything can happen.
This, coupled with the acting, left me quite satisfied. Colin Farrel does a fantastic job portraying the anger, fear, and eventual shame of being trapped in the phone booth. Forest Whitaker also does a swell job as the soft-hearted street-wise cop who tries to talk Stu Shepard out of the box. Eventually he is the one who figures out that there is more to the situation than meets the eye.
*Spoilers*
I give kudos to the studio for leaving Keifer Sutherland's name off the marketting material, such as the posters and standees.. I didn't have the luxury of not knowing he was in the movie, however, as he was brought up on stage before the film and introduced to the audience. Throughout the movie I was wondering when he would come in. And it was a little while after listening to the sniper's voice that I figured out who he was.
He does make an appearance at the end of the movie, though in a way which I'm still iffy on ('iffy' meaning: whether I liked it or not. I'm still undecided). It's one of those 'open-ended' deals...the sort that leaves room for a sequel.
*End Spoilers*
So, if you're interested in a fast-paced theatrical ride, I suggest you mosey on over to a theatre on March 14th. Phone Booth is a smart, original film...something Hollywood needs more of.
My Rating: 8.5/10
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Cheers,
Sevaan
