Review of The Call (2013) by Bradley F — 02 Nov 2013

This film has many problems, but the huge problem is that "The Call" doesn't know what it wants to be. Don't know what I'm talking about? Well let me explain.

Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is a 911 dispatcher who tries to help a kidnapped girl (Abigail Breslin) escape a violent serial killer over a suspenseful phone call. Despite the problems this film has, it does a really good job keeping you interested and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also, it's an interesting premise to see how the system between Police officers and 911 dispatchers work. However, I felt as though "The Call" could've gone deeper in some way. I don't know, it just feels like something was missing from this movie. Also, the characters seemed to be one noted and not really interesting. Even the psychologically warped serial killer isn't really that interesting. With that being said, I do have to admit the acting in the film was pretty solid. Halle Berry was so enjoyable to watch, I almost forgot she is a Razzie winning Actress. And no, I am not letting that terrible performance in Catwoman go.

The writing in "The Call" can be really distracting as well. This is obviously a really serious film then why in the middle of a 911 phone call is the dispatcher asking the victim what her favorite movie is? Why is she asking about her Zodiac sign? This might work in a thriller parody, but it certainly doesn't work in a film like this. But, here is the huge issue I have with this movie. By the time the climax starts to unfold, "The Call" goes from a suspenseful thriller to a cheap and rather graphic horror movie. It's okay to have horror elements in a crime thriller, but you shouldn't change the tone of a film altogether. It makes the whole them and point of the film seem rather pointless. Another big issue I have with the film is the theme a matter of fact. It's a good moral, it's all about keeping calm under pressure and not to get too emotional doing a serious job. Well the point becomes rather pointless when the dispatcher becomes the crazy woman from "I Spit On Your Grave". It just breaks the purpose and we all feel like idiots for caring about a movie that seemed so serious and ended up being something we seen in other revenge flicks.

There is some good things about "the Call" and indeed it's not the worst film this year, but there are still so many cinematic mistakes that it makes. A screwed up moral, hokey writing and not so interesting characters make this film just another forgettable thriller when it could've been so much more.