The Call Review

The Call is one of those movies that I heard such mixed things about that I felt like I had to see it so I could at least weigh in and see just how good (or bad) it was. I never intended to see the movie, I thought it looked pretty mediocre and not worth my time...but it couldn't be worse than some of the shit I watched this year...right?

The Call follows the story of Jordan (Halle Berry), a 911 operator, and how her life changes when she takes a call from a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who has been abducted. While this doesn't sound like a very exhilarating story, I think this film benefited from some good direction, and solid performances from Berry and Breslin.

The writing in this film was pretty mediocre. I wouldn't call it bad, because it strung together a pretty good story, but with some fairly bland dialogue. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the story was entertaining, but what people were saying seemed fairly to very irrelevant. At some points, I though that Breslin's character was attempting to turn her mouth into a dog whistle. Not only was it irritating, but it was also nauseating. But, hey...it wasn't that bad.

The direction in this film was, surprisingly, above par. I thought that the director did a great job of building tension with cramped shots, and used odd angles and interesting framing to increase the tension throughout the film. It was no surprise that this was the same man that directed the phenomenal The Machinist.

While this was, by no stretch of the imagination, and Oscar winning performance for Berry, I was really impressed with what she did with the role. Her character isn't inherently likeable for the first...let's say 40% of the film, but towards the end I actually found myself rooting for her and wanting her to find the kidnapper. Berry is an amazingly capable actress, and she really showed it in this movie.

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While I wouldn't say you should rush out and see this film immediately, I would say it's worth it if you want something to watch on a Saturday night and it's available on RedBox. The story is thrilling, thanks to some excellent direction, and the acting will keep you enticed until the very end.

Writing: 5/10

Directing: 7/10

Acting: 7/10

Pacing: 6.5/10

Rewatchability: 5/10

Score: 6.1/10