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Phone Booth

Phone Booth

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Operator, operator!
Review: You're walking down a busy street. You pass a phone booth. The phone starts to ring. Do you pick it up? It must be part of the human psyche, but it seems that there is just something that makes us want to pick up that phone. We do.

The same thing happens to New York City publicist Stuart Shephard, when he thinks nothing of picking up a phone on a Downtown street. On the other end is an unnerving voice that tells Stu not to hang up the phone. Stu soon realizes that the man--whoever he is and wherever he is--has a rifle. A sniper rifle.

The Caller (Kiefer Sutherland) tells Stu that his lack of honesty and inhumanity has made him the target for this extortionist plot. If Stu hangs up the phone, he is dead. If Stu tells anyone who is on the other end of the phone, he is dead. The Caller wants Stu to confess his sins, which includes telling his wife why he uses a payphone every day instead of his cell phone.

The reason is because Stu has been having a fling with a wannabe actress. The actress has no idea Stu's married. But when the Caller forces Stu to tell his wife the truth on television, everyone knows. But the Caller still won't let Stu go. He's never going to. Stu will be killed before the day is over.

If the cops surrounding the place don't do something about it very soon.

"Phone Booth" is brought to us by Joel Schumacher, a man many hate yet many adore. He is the man responsible for the previous two "Batman" installments. Many claim him of ruining a series, when, in fact, the series was ruined by the first sequel. Joel Schumacher is too heavy on the darks in his "Batman" films, and his directorial efforts can be very bad. But he also brought us the wonderful character breakdown story "Falling Down," a film I have been quoted as saying is one of the best films of 1993. He also brought us the Brat Pack film "St. Elmo's Fire," the other Kiefer Sutherland film "The Lost Boys," and, among others, the tragic "Bad Company" and "8MM." But "Phone Booth" has some of the attributes of all those films. It has some "Falling Down" in it, some "Bad Company" in it (shudder), some "Lost Boys" in it, and yes, even some "Batman & Robin" in it. But it's on the same level as "Falling Down," i.e. it's a very watchable, if somewhat repetitive thriller.

My first impression upon seeing previews for "Phone Booth" was that I thought it had some real potential. Given the right dialogue and director, a boring situation can be turned into an intense one. Take, for instance, the scene where Stu is being commanded by the Caller to take a hidden handgun from the phone booth and wave it at the cops. We don't know how he's going to get out of it. But then when he does, we think to ourselves, "Why didn't I think of that?" I like thrillers that make a situation seem inevitible, then suddenly solve the problem.

Colin Farrell sports a good New York City accent, and Kiefer Sutherland sports a good Willem Dafoe voice. He's creepy, strange, and thanks to the film's technique of Hitchcockian suspense, we don't see him. At least for most of the film.

...

And next time you walk down a street, think twice before picking up that ringing phone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Must See!
Review: I only went to see it because my friend really wanted to go. I was one of those people who figured I'd fall asleep watching a guy on a phone for almost an hour and a half. It turns out my guess wasn't even close ' I had all my nails chewed down to the quick by the end of this suspenseful film!
Yes, the main part (pretty much all, actually) has the main character Stu (the very delectable Colin Farrell) fighting for his life over the phone when he picks up a public phone. On the other end is Keifer Sutherland - a madman from an unknown location - who refuses to explain why Stu has been singled out for murder. Our evildoer uses a sharpshooter to shoot a man in the back as he stands outside the booth and people blame Stu. The police show up and there is a stand-off. The rest of the film has Stu and the caller in an odd relationship. Stu is made to deal with the dark parts of his character and admit to them. The madman taunts and threatens Stu and others while Stu develops a cunning plan to escape the phone booth.
The acting by Farrell was fabulous. I'm still not sure what Katie Holmes' acting or character brought to the film, but I guess they needed a name to bring people in? The movie was tense and suspenseful and totally enjoyable. You hate Stu, learn to love him, fight his battles with him and cheer the ending.
A must see!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Phone Booth"
Review: I really enjoyed this picture! It was very suspensful and overall well made. The direction was good, and the acting was great! Colin Farrell was truely amazing. Then ending could of been better. My only real conplaint was the swearing. To many "f" words and sexual references to adultry, masturbation and intercourse. They only put those in to get it an R rating. There was no need. Overall this was a great film and can't wait for the DVD. a little slim on the extras but the film makes up for it! Give this one a rent but keep the kids in bed!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great premise that makes a short but sweet thriller
Review: Tense, gritty, and sometimes powerful, Phone Booth is the best thriller of the year so far, and there is little evidence to suggest anything will top it.

Colin Farell once again showcases his immense talent as an actor is stunning versatility and incredible screen presence. And this is absolutely necessary, given that 80 minutes of the feature is centered on the drama playing out in a phone booth where Farell is pinned down by sniper who communicates with him through the phone. You'd never guess this guy was a native Irishman while he delivers he perfect, if a bit sterotyped, silver-tongue New Yorker accent.

It's a great return to what Schumacher is used to (the most radical of the mainstream) after the regrettable BAD COMPANY. It was postponed from its September release after the sniper shootings in DC, for obvious reasons.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: FARRELL IS IMPRESSIVE, "PHONEBOOTH" IS NOT
Review: Seeing the new film starring Colin Farrell, it was definitely not what I expected. I will admit that the film was original, thrilling, and somewhat of a fable with a universal moral. But that's being generous. PHONE BOOTH is on the edge of terrible. It's uneven and rough. It confuses itself between a tale and an action film. Farrell plays Stu, a fast-talking publicist who gets trapped in a New York phone booth when a sniper hunts him down and threatens his life. For the next hour, Farrell is forced to admit all of his faults, all of his lies. Not an act of cruelty, the sniper's goal is to teach Stu a lesson he will never forget. I suggest that if you want something different, then see PHONE BOOTH. If you are into likeable films, then pass. The film has an interesting premise. Forrest Whitaker plays a cop trying to figure out what is going on. Witnesses claim to have seen Stu shoot a man, when in fact it was the sniper. The story becomes more and more twisted. The script is a little creative, and Colin Farrell is surprisingly intense and excellent. The film runs 80 minutes, and its strange how it seemed so much longer. There's a lot of crude language. A lot. And despite being one of the most original movies of the year, I'm just going to say, DISCONNECT. I advise you do to the same.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: hmm
Review: I thought this film was interesting to say the least I wont repeat the plot as has been done above I will only mention that this film has a similar footing as 'Liberty Stands Still' both captors by a sniper. Phone Booth was a very good concept, I just felt that it was lacking in some areas, Katie Holmes character although showing that Colin Farrell was tempted did little else and I think was wasted.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Hmmm...
Review: Well I've been waiting for this film since a little bit before 2002...I think. The Washington Sniper case was the reason this film wasn't released the day it was supposed to be, and was postponed until April 2003.
I was so excited about this movie. Such a rich, inventive idea, my favorite actor, one of those great films that keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very end...
...So why wasn't I impressed?
My friend didn't want to see this movie with me frankly because he thought an 80 minute film was not going to be an entertaining movie. Well, he was wrong. It was very entertaining, but, yes, it was a little short. They could've layed off the vulgar language (this film is DEFINATELY not clean material). It had a great moral though (that you will have to discover for yourself, if you haven't already). Then again, why wasn't I impressed?
Maybe it just happened so fast, or maybe the real-time 80 minute scene just grew tired after a while. I cannot say this was a bad movie; it was great, but after the police arrive, there really isn't a lot left of the film.
Kiefer Sutherland, excellent job at the voice. Very pursuasive. Five stars for that horrific yet smooth voice of his.
For the movie itself, three stars, simply because it ran out of air after the first 30 or so minutes.
Great time-killer and for anyone who liked movies like "Basic" or "Spy Game", or any ransom/hostage movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What could have been?
Review: As with many other films, Phone Booth fell short on its potential. Instead of expanding the horizons of the movie, the director(Joel Schumacher)decided to cut the film in half. Don't get me wrong, I was on pins and needles waiting to see what was going to happen next. But at the conclusion of the movie, I looked at my watch and noticed that it was only 88 minutes long. Katie Holmes' character was a waste at best. I kept waiting to see why the hell she was in the movie at all. However the two main stars ( Colin Farrell and Keifer Sutherland) were superb. Keifer had me forget about his day job ( the hero on 24). He was back to his evil ways, just where he is at his best. Colin Farrell seems to be getting stronger as an actor but he needs to do a movie that will let him spread his wings.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Phone Booth
Review: Phone booth was a great movie hardly no negatives at all great plot great acting I would give it 4 stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: cuts too the chase
Review: In a nut shell-this movie is about a self made professional prompter who claims too have connections too all the biggest stars.When in fact he is one ofthe biggest louse in the wolrd.He lies too clints cheets on his girlfreind ect.Untile one day a disgruntled clint and all around civil dogooder(in his mind).Decides its time for the big shot too pay the piper. And the only thing in the way of his life ending is for him too just tell the truth.This movie wast no more then five minutes too get into the meat of the story and stay there...all the way too the end.


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