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THE CALL (review)

By Caitlyn Thompson
Produced by Bradley Gallo, Jeffrey Graup, 
Michael A. Helfant, Michael Luisi, Robert Stein
Screenplay by Richard D’Ovidio
Story by Nicole D’Ovidio, Jon Bokenkamp, 
Richard D’Ovidio
Directed by Brad Anderson
Starring Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, 
Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund, Michael Imperioli
 Troika Pictures/WWE Studios / Rated R

The Call is the gripping story of a 911 call-center agent who is the only hope for a kidnap victim.

It’s actually the rare form of thriller that truly engages the audience. The movie had me cringing, cheering, and feeling sad, but of course I had to roll my eyes at the stereotypical tropes. “Oh no! No reception! Oh no! Call back up? Oh no! [Insert smart-thing-to-do-instead-of-what-character-is-doing Here.]”

Overall, The Call is very successfully suspenseful and pretty darn entertaining.

Welcome back Halle Berry!

I feel like I’ve only seen you in make-up ads recently. I’m glad you’re not in a catsuit, had no conflicting accents (cough cough X-Men cough ahem), but the hair is a little too Carrot Top-y. Berry convincingly plays Jordan, the fast-talking veteran emergency call agent who must figure out how to save an abducted girl’s life after accidentally (and pretty heartbreakingly) being the cause of another’s girl’s demise.

It’s an interesting perspective that I haven’t seen in many movies. Someone has to figure out the smart way to save a victim. Jordan is the lifeline and it’s up to her to keep the victim calm so she can actively participate in her rescue. Yes there are some cheesy lines and a random make-out session to lighten to mood for half a minute, but largely, this new idea worked.

Jordan is a character very much like an audience member. We always want to yell at the screen, “Do this! Do that! No stupid nooo!’, but that’s her actual job. She makes mostly good calls but is often thwarted by the public’s “help” that tends to make everything a little bit worse. How would the movie last if they didn’t?

On the other line (sorry the pun was just too easy) is Abigail Breslin. She is great playing the kidnap victim, Casey, and my my how she has grown since Little Miss Sunshine. I almost wanted her to have some sort of dance number involving crawling and growling like a tiger. In any case, Casey is grabbed from a mall very quickly and is alternatively hysterical, calm and cunning, all while in the trunk of a car. I was definitely rooting for her to survive.

This movie hugely benefits from Michael Eklund, who plays the terrifying and tormented bad guy. His twitchy mannerisms are creepily panicked yet calculating and his presence causes a noticeable heart-rate increase. I was compressing into my seat and tapping my feet during each interaction with Eklund and Breslin. What’s enjoyable about Eklund’s actions is that they aren’t drawn out and unrealistically slow. Along with the pace of the entire film, he moves relatively quickly. There are some slower moments but nothing drags.

The Call is a successful thriller if you’re in the mood for it.

The film will get your heart pumping, adrenaline flowing, and for the weary, will induce that “augh” sensation. The way the movie is structured we are really put in the predicament of all characters: trying to remain calm with Jordan, twitching along with Casey as she struggles to help save herself, and trying hard to wish away the evil killer.

I enjoyed myself, but absolutely had to watch a Disney movie before going to bed. That’s just me though and I’m a wuss.

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