Released April 4th, 2003
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes, Radha Mitchell, Richard T. Jones, Maile Flanagan
Premise: A phone call can change your life, but for one man it can also end it. Set entirely within and around the confines of a New York City phone booth, "Phone Booth" follows a slick media consultant (Farrell) who is trapped after being told by a caller - a serial killer with a sniper rifle - that he'll be shot dead if he hangs up.
There are millions of cell phones in the United States alone. Hundreds of millions in Japan, England as well as other European countries are used every day. But when was the last time you used a phone booth to call your wife or to call a client or something like that? Not many people can really say "Just recently" in the modern high-tech world we live in today. But the phone booth is the backdrop for the new thriller starring rising star Colin Farrell. The film has been delayed several times due to the recent sniper shootings in the Washington D.C. area but has finally made it to theaters. But will the delay kill the project or will movie-goers rise above the bad memories and catch the flick?
The story goes that a man named Stu Shepard who is a big shot New York publicist. He makes many phone calls day in and day out to many clients. But today is different. For once, he is getting a call. Not from his cell phone but from a phone booth. A phone booth that is planned to torn day the next day. Stu does not know the man who is calling him but he does everything the man tells him. Why? The man who calls Mr. Shepard is a man who is aiming a sniper rifle right at him and if Stu does something he doesn't like then somebody has to pay for his mistakes. Stu is forced to face his fears including the thoughts he has had about cheating on his wife. The story for Phone Booth is very well done. Going into this film, you might be a little worried about the film especially after the recent sniper shootings in Washington but the film is presented in the right tone so no one is offended by any material presented within the course of the feature. Another worry is the director, who many blame for killing the Batman film franchise but those worries should be put to reset with Phone Booth.
The cast of Phone Booth is very well assembled. There were many A-list actors offered the lead role in Phone Booth. Among those actors were Jim Carrey, Will Smith, and Brad Pitt. But perhaps it was better they did not land the role. In this type of situation, the celebrity playing a character in a phone booth is just a celebrity in a phone booth. You don't actually feel for the character if you know they are an A-list actor. Colin Farrell, who is becoming a rising star being featured in such films as Minority Report, The Recruit, and Daredevil, is the perfect match for the film. Since he is not as big as a star like Tom Cruise, he makes you feel worried for him throughout the course of the film but his rising star power does take some of that feeling away as well. Though you do not see him much in the film, Kiefer Sutherland is fabulous as the voice of the sniper. It is more difficult to convince an audience that you are a certain character just by using your voice then it is acting on screen and the movie audience should applaud what he does for this film. Maybe it was better he was not seen with many recognizing him only for his work on the television series 24 more then anything else. Forest Whitaker, who is the host of the new Twilight Zone on UPN, is pretty good but you don't see much character development from him which is slightly disappointing. Katie Holmes is fine as the girl Stu is interested in but you only see her in a few scenes so her character is nothing more then a small spot within the course of the whole film. Not that her character is not important but you never get to see her full range of acting.
Overall, Phone Booth is very fascinating thriller that is highly recommended especially with the large amount of low rate fare that is currently out in theaters. Though the film is wonderful, there are some things to pick at. Such things include the length of the film. The film seemed too rushed at moments. Another thing to pick at is the use of slow motion and fast motion effects throughout the course of the feature. Some of them were well placed but many were unnecessary. This was also a problem in another Colin Farrell feature, Daredevil. Also some of the characters could have used better character developments then they received. Other then those small things, Phone Booth is highly recommended except for those who may have bad memories about the recent sniper shootings in Washington or any terrorism attack for that matter.
My Rating: **** out of 5
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes, Radha Mitchell, Richard T. Jones, Maile Flanagan
Premise: A phone call can change your life, but for one man it can also end it. Set entirely within and around the confines of a New York City phone booth, "Phone Booth" follows a slick media consultant (Farrell) who is trapped after being told by a caller - a serial killer with a sniper rifle - that he'll be shot dead if he hangs up.
There are millions of cell phones in the United States alone. Hundreds of millions in Japan, England as well as other European countries are used every day. But when was the last time you used a phone booth to call your wife or to call a client or something like that? Not many people can really say "Just recently" in the modern high-tech world we live in today. But the phone booth is the backdrop for the new thriller starring rising star Colin Farrell. The film has been delayed several times due to the recent sniper shootings in the Washington D.C. area but has finally made it to theaters. But will the delay kill the project or will movie-goers rise above the bad memories and catch the flick?
The story goes that a man named Stu Shepard who is a big shot New York publicist. He makes many phone calls day in and day out to many clients. But today is different. For once, he is getting a call. Not from his cell phone but from a phone booth. A phone booth that is planned to torn day the next day. Stu does not know the man who is calling him but he does everything the man tells him. Why? The man who calls Mr. Shepard is a man who is aiming a sniper rifle right at him and if Stu does something he doesn't like then somebody has to pay for his mistakes. Stu is forced to face his fears including the thoughts he has had about cheating on his wife. The story for Phone Booth is very well done. Going into this film, you might be a little worried about the film especially after the recent sniper shootings in Washington but the film is presented in the right tone so no one is offended by any material presented within the course of the feature. Another worry is the director, who many blame for killing the Batman film franchise but those worries should be put to reset with Phone Booth.
The cast of Phone Booth is very well assembled. There were many A-list actors offered the lead role in Phone Booth. Among those actors were Jim Carrey, Will Smith, and Brad Pitt. But perhaps it was better they did not land the role. In this type of situation, the celebrity playing a character in a phone booth is just a celebrity in a phone booth. You don't actually feel for the character if you know they are an A-list actor. Colin Farrell, who is becoming a rising star being featured in such films as Minority Report, The Recruit, and Daredevil, is the perfect match for the film. Since he is not as big as a star like Tom Cruise, he makes you feel worried for him throughout the course of the film but his rising star power does take some of that feeling away as well. Though you do not see him much in the film, Kiefer Sutherland is fabulous as the voice of the sniper. It is more difficult to convince an audience that you are a certain character just by using your voice then it is acting on screen and the movie audience should applaud what he does for this film. Maybe it was better he was not seen with many recognizing him only for his work on the television series 24 more then anything else. Forest Whitaker, who is the host of the new Twilight Zone on UPN, is pretty good but you don't see much character development from him which is slightly disappointing. Katie Holmes is fine as the girl Stu is interested in but you only see her in a few scenes so her character is nothing more then a small spot within the course of the whole film. Not that her character is not important but you never get to see her full range of acting.
Overall, Phone Booth is very fascinating thriller that is highly recommended especially with the large amount of low rate fare that is currently out in theaters. Though the film is wonderful, there are some things to pick at. Such things include the length of the film. The film seemed too rushed at moments. Another thing to pick at is the use of slow motion and fast motion effects throughout the course of the feature. Some of them were well placed but many were unnecessary. This was also a problem in another Colin Farrell feature, Daredevil. Also some of the characters could have used better character developments then they received. Other then those small things, Phone Booth is highly recommended except for those who may have bad memories about the recent sniper shootings in Washington or any terrorism attack for that matter.
My Rating: **** out of 5
I don't think it is...
