Somewhere in The Call is a fantastic thriller, but
the end result is not that film. Instead of being a completely effective film, The Call is 2/3 an excellently executed
police procedural thriller, and 1/3 Hollywood
dribble. While the accurate technical details make the procedural section
engaging, it also serves as a stark contrast to the absurdly illogical manner
in which the story concludes. Had the entire film being unrealistic and
inaccurate, perhaps The Call could
have been dismissed as mindless entertainment, but instead it is an uneven
disappointment of greater magnitude. Director Brad Anderson (Transsiberian, The Machinist) is an
effective director of suspense, though even he could not save a film from an
ending like this. All that can be hoped for is an hour of enjoyment before a
groan-inducing ending.
The
informational tagline of The Call
informs us that there are 188 million 911 calls made each year, which sets up
the premise for a film in which the operator is our protagonist. The biggest
problem the screenplay seems to have is keeping the 911 operator at the center
of the action, and this is done with an unbelievable coincidence and an asinine
detour from any believable character decisions. Halle Berry
On the other end
of the call is a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who is abducted by a psychopath
serial killer (Michael Eklund) and shoved in the trunk of his car. With the
help of Jordon, this teenager is able to fight back in finding a number of ways
to aid the authorities in finding her, from kicking out the brake lights to
utilizing tools found in the trunk. Helping to tie in the police investigation
to the call Jordon is on is the fact that she is in a relationship with one of
the lead cops on the street (played by Morris Chestnut).
This portion of
the film is suspenseful while also remaining fairly intelligent. My biggest
complaint in the first hour of the film merely has to do with the amount of
time we must hear Breslin inaudibly crying her lines out, and the unbelievable
way that the operator understands every word she is saying. Realism aside, it
is simply unpleasant to listen to someone panic and cry for such a length of
time. It deters from the suspense in the situation, focusing a bit too much on
engaging the audience in forced emotional attachment which will help make the
terrible ending easier to swallow.
The Blu-ray
includes an exclusive alternate ending, but it is too little, too late to save
this film. There are also some deleted and extended scenes, two set tours, a
stunt featurette and Eklund’s audition tape. The Blu-ray also has the DVD
special features, which include a making-of featurette and a commentary track
with Berry
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Disc Features: 7/10
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