REVIEW: THE CALL

3/5

Storm Lines.

96 Minutes. Starring: Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Imperioli & Michael Eklund. Director: Brad Anderson.

Hello. Let me tell you about the call that changed Halle Berry's destiny...and let me tell you yes I am shamefully paying homage to the Backstreet Boys, but after James Franco and the guys did it in 'The World End' this year who isn't? The call that made Halle this year wasn't the one from Marvel and the 'Days Of Future Past' movie which looks to take the X-Men back in time and give her Storm character and career a second wind next year. No, right now it's traced to the 'The Call' that is getting great reception this year as Berry's 911 operator takes her from a career emergency into a real connection (and with her fellow mutant Hugh Jackman digging his Wolverine claws into this weeks arresting 'Prisoners', intense crime drama may be the new calling card for this original first class). It's time to pick up on something critics have been trying to put down. Are you with me? Please hold.

911 do you hear me? Yep that's tight Halle is on the line as the first response to an emergency and in this situation her desk job is anything but comfy. This is one tense situation room. Hung up, wrecked and racked with guilt after losing a kidnap victim on the other end of a line, our lead is disconnected with everything but who could have taken this innocent victims life. Unable to pick herself back up until a call that's all too similar comes through, will the person on the other side of the phone put an end to her closure? This movie is a race against the line that really shows the stress, panic, procedure and strategy that goes into an emergency call before the services of the law come into play. This is more than a behind the scenes manual of how this all works in this advanced age. Especially with it's clever ways of turning a desperate situation into a solved one that is anything but paint by numbers. This is a fresh ideal script for a diluted and recycled movie time. Now this is how it's really done.

Berry is back, bold and brilliant. Showing the brains she's always had behind the beauty, this is a matured and focussed performance. This is the most helicopter blade hovering tension you'll get not playing the latest 'GTA' on this world wildest highway ride. With a birds eye, directors view between the roads and skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles at night, to the tune of every emergency call on a Peter Parker like radius beginning that would make Michael Mann proud this is another Californian crime classic. Just like Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise showed in the taxi confides of 'Collateral', Berry proves that drama and tension can even be evoked from a seating position...albeit a braced one. With words refreshingly replacing weapons and hope calling in on fear this really will leave those able to hold the line on the edges of their gripped arm-rested seat. Halle would have helped make this movie one of the years best If released a decade ago, but even between all the Science Fiction and comic books of today the definitive drama created and crafted here makes this inspired independent picture stand out on it's own operation.

The little black book of the cast-list is full of familiar and favourable faces (the 'Bad Boy' and 'Goodfella' Michael Imperioli) too and with a vile villain (Michael Eklund) and a vulnerable victim (Abigail Breslin) all the individuals incoming on Berry's dial are set to make this a cord wrapped around fingers tense affair. Still it might be beat cop Morris Chesnut who wins over this patrol. The still young but veteran talent is having quite the comeback year after helping Jason Bateman track down his 'Identity Thief'. Now as a love interest and another strand of investigation to this service to call and response this is far from the end of watch for this actor. Cop this now because in years time this film will be called on for DVD and T.V. re-watches. Sure some parts may have you looking away from the call leaving a disconnect, but modern thrillers of horror and investigation don't come up with fresh leads like this. From 'Arlington Road' modern day, American suburban, aesthetics to a gripping taught tale of darkness lying beneath the L.A. shine, this is one Hollywood picture set to put it's star back on the digital times GPS map. Now to those trying to call time on the leads lines career...if you need help please try again. Goodbye...click. TIM DAVID HARVEY.