"The Call" - 2013 - movie review

"The Call" could have been a prolonged snoozefest ala "Phone Booth". That's certainly what I was expecting. What I got however was something entirely different: an intense, edge-of-your-seat experience that's the most pure fun I've had at the movies in some time.

Halle Berry is a 911 operator in LA. One day she takes a call from a young lady whose house is under seige from an intruder. Berry makes a fundamental mistake that leads to the situation going bad and winds up being taken off live calls and given the job of instructor for new 911 operator wannabes. After being on the job 6 months she's present in the call center when a woman calls in. The particulars of this call hark back to the call 6 months earlier that went bad and the newbie operator is quickly overwhelmed by the situation. Berry is forced to replace her and the story takes off from there.

Many of the situations that occur within "The Call" strain credulity but they're never enough to sink the ship which is kept upright by the brisk pacing, the writing and the intensity of the action. Care was also taken in setting up the characters before thrusting them into hell so I'm less concerned with whether or not a guy could actually drive around in LA with an arm hanging out of his trunk while the entire LAPD is looking for him and not get stopped than I am with what happens to the girl whose arm it is. And that is as it should be: strong characters played well trumping ancillary tidbits of questionable nature.

Halle Berry gives a strong steady performance as operator Jordan Turner. She's never less than believable and occasionally even outstanding in a role that probably would have left a lessor actor scratching their head. Abigail Breslin does a fine job as the damsel in distress and Michael Eklund is creepily effective as the guy with serious issues and a place to act them out in.

Michael Imperioli makes another of his unusual appearences (where he shows up for a few minutes, I begin thinking he's going to become part of the narrative and then he's gone) and TV veteran Brad Anderson makes an effective leap to the big leagues in his feature film directorial debut. I assume this is going to lead to bigger and better things for him, if he wants them.

The Call is not a complex movie that requires a lot of analysis. Endless dissection of characters won't really lead anywhere useful. It's a straight forward sicko-on-the-loose story but it's executed with a level of skill and passion that leaves the competition in the dust. Oh yeah, and make sure you stay to the end which contains a nice little twist.

"The Call" represents the most pleasant surprise I've had at the multiplex in a long time. It's not a great or important film but it left me walking out of the theater glad I went in. I love when that happens!

Verdict: ★★★☆☆