Phonebooth

What's the Plot?

Stu Shepherd (Colin Farrell) is a man who thinks on his feet and always ends up smelling of roses. A small player in the world of media, Stu is a publicist who dresses, acts and convinces everyone that he meets that he's "big-time". Everyone except one person; someone who seems to know him all too well. After Stu has made a call to his client - and hopeful girlfriend Pamela (Katie Holmes) - from a public payphone, it rings and Stu picks it up. This proves to be Stu's biggest mistake as the caller tells him that he has a powerful sniper rifle aimed right at him and if he hangs up, he's a dead man! The caller wants something very simple from Stu - for him to call his wife, Kelly (Radha Mitchell), and to tell her that he has been trying to bed Pamela. In short, the caller wants Stu to confess all to everyone, no matter how bad it may be and what the consequences are. Everything seems to be under control for Stu, who still believes he can talk his way out of the situation, until some local prostitutes demand to have "their" phone booth back and send their heavy in to sort it out. However, when the mysterious caller shows how serious he is by dispatching the heavy, Stu finds himself the centre of police attention when witnesses identity him as the killer. All Stu has to do is remain in the booth to survive the sniper - keeping him a secret - whilst the police want him out, believing him to be armed. Not so easy.

The Review

In one of those life imitating art scenario's, Phone Booth found itself put on hold - pun intended - due to the "Washington Sniper" situation with people believing that the two were a little too close for comfort. Of course, also delaying a film that's headlined by a little-known actor until his high profile movies have been released (Minority Report and DareDevil) wouldn't hurt either, and so we finally get to see the movie that the likes of Will Smith and Jim Carrey passed on. And luckily for us they did because none of the big stars originally attached could have given the edge that Stu's character needs.

Right from the outset, Farrell's character is a total slimeball - trying to cheat on his wife; belittling his assistant all the time; trading one company off against another to make himself look good - and when he picks up the phone, you feel that he deserves everything that the mysterious caller is going to dish out to him. What then transpires in the movies' surprisingly short running time - less than 90 minutes - is a master class of script manipulation as you realise that you're beginning to root for Stu as the caller begins to loose control of the situation, and himself, and shows himself to be a psycho in the true classic celluloid mould.

What also helps to keep this thriller truly engaging and edge-of-seat stuff, is Director Joel Schumacher's return to form, bringing back the tautness that made Falling Down a hit. Using split-screen and hand-held camera techniques, he is able to create a tension that builds consistently and helps to create a feel not too dissimilar to the TV programme 24 (which ironically has a very strong link, but I shall say no more!) which more than makes up for the painful memory that was Batman and Robin. A fast-paced, cracking thriller with a new slant on hostage scenario, Phone Booth is truly worthy of your attention, the film that should finally break Farrell into the big-time and could do for phone booth's what Psycho did for showers.

STEVE'S SCORE