The Call

When it comes to suspense/thriller films, who does like a good nail-biter? As visual and special makeup effects have evolved to the expertise caliber they have become, we have seen a definite increase of this particular genre. Anywhere from "Fatal Attraction" to "Event Horizon" to "Silence of the Lambs" to "Psycho", we are kept sitting on our hands so we don't bite our nails down to the nub. We now have "The Call" to add to that never ending list.

When veteran 911 operator, Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), takes a life-altering call from a desperate teenage girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin) who has just been abducted, she realizes, through clues, that she must confront a killer, Michael Foster (Michael Eklund) from her past in order to save the girl's life.
After a victim from a previous 911 call that ends up falling prey to a killer, Leah (Evie Louise Thompson) ends up getting killed, in which Jordan blames herself for that situation. When she comes back to work, she is then placed in the same situation with a call coming from Casey. So determined that this situation would not end the same as the previous one, Jordan is fervent in her help to save this girl.

Others to round out the cast are Morris Chestnut as Officer Paul Phillips, Jordan's boyfriend, Denise Dowse as Flora, a co-worker of Jordan's, David Otunga as Officer Jake Devans, Michael Imperioli as Alan Denado, Justina Machado as Rachel, Jose Zuniga as Marco, and Roma Maffia as Maddy.

This was intensely and brutally directed by Brad Anderson ("The Darien Gap" '96, "Next Stop Wonderland" '98, "Happy Accidents" 2000, "Session 9" '01, "The Machinist" '04, "Transsiberian" '08, "Vanishing on 7th Street" '10). The intensity in which Anderson put his actors through was absolutely mind-bending in some cases. You could feel the fear, frustration, and anger these actors were experiencing which is a direct reflection of the director. It was written by Richard D'Ovidio ("Exit Wounds" '01, "Thir13een Ghosts" '01) based on a story by Richard D'Ovidio, Nicole D'Ovidio, and Jon Bokenkamp. This guy doesn't have a ton of experience, but considering this aspect, he gave us a story that actually stays with you.

Before I saw this, I felt it would be a fairly well executed film, but after viewing it, I've come to realize that this was a nice, tight script that deserves recognition. If you're into a solid film, one where you can nail bite yourself to the bottom of the popcorn bag, this definitely fits the bill.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                         Rated: R                          96mins.