Tuesday Night is Film Night is back yet again. This week we are going for another drama, this time from 2013 and starring Halle Berry, but will anyone answer;
The Call
Well crikey Moses, by jingo and words to that effect! What a film!
A quick synopsis, before telling you what we thought. Halle Berry stars as Jordan Turner a Los Angeles 911 operator, who we soon establish is brilliant at her job and is highly respected by her colleagues. The film starts with Jordan on the end of a 911 call for a suspected break-in, which turns to an abduction, followed by tragedy for the young girl concerned. Jordan is helpless on the end of the telephone and soon realises that all her attempts to help are in vain. This marks a massive turning point to her career, as her confidence is severely dented and she ends up moving away from the telephone and starts training new recruits.
That covers the first twenty minutes of the film, with the scene set. We then fast forward six months to pick up the story and we start to build upon this initial set up and we soon find Jordan back on the shopfloor, as she steps in to takeover a call to one of her new operators. The similarities between this call and the one six months ago, start to evolve. Casey Welson, played brilliantly by the young Abigail Breslin, is abducted from a shopping mall and is bundled into the boot of a car. Luckily, she has her friend's mobile on her and calls 911, this is where the call is picked up by the new operator, who hands over to Jordan. Jordan has to calm Casey down and start to find out where she is, who has taken her etc. This is where we see Jordan's professionalism kick back in and she starts to take control of the situation. What then follows is basically a cat and mouse tactical battle between Jordan, the kidnapper and the police.
It is very difficult to actually put down exactly the plot of the film, as it will detract from your enjoyment, should too many spoilers be broadcast here, needless to say what seems to be an abduction, turns into so much more, with plot twist after plot twist. And it is this constant variance away from formulaic plot lines, that makes The Call such a gripping film. Every turn seems to go another way, as layers of drama are added. It is certainly a thriller, it is certainly compelling and it is certainly dramatic. We were sweating with fear here at TNiFN Towers!
Halle Berry is absolutely fantastic as Jordan. Abigail Breslin also, as the young teenager caught up in this somewhat gruesome adventure. Michael Eklund is particularly brilliant as the mad Michael Foster, the abductor of Casey. There are crime dramas and thrillers, but The Call is almost in a league of its own. Brilliant story, brilliant acting and superb dramatic twists to keep you on the edge of your seats and hiding behind the sofa in equal measure.
It is always good to watch a film where you think you know where you are going, but then you get taken off on a tangent, which puts a whole new spin on the story. The Call ticks all the requisite boxes and more. There was certainly no falling asleep with this movie, gripping, thrilling edge of the seat stuff!
The supporting cast also play a vital role in maintaining the tension. The music also provides that extra layer of dramatic effect and even the way the film is shot, with the camera angles used, add to the overall effect. It is one of those films where you want to look away, but can't. Even at those most gripping moments, where you know something bad is about to happen, but you can't take your eyes off the screen. Fantastic stuff.
Hopefully we have whetted your appetite and intrigued you with enough storyline to make you want to see it, it will certainly be worth your while. Although the ending may deviate slightly from what you might consider should happen in reality, it does provide some major plot twists, which will have you shouting at the TV screen, then cowering behind a cushion too! You know things will end up alright in the end, but how they get there and what route and how "alright" it will be, is not known until the very end, so keep watching.
We often say that film is a "must-see", but if you like your drama's dramatic and your thriller's thrilling, then The Call must be on your list of films to see, because it is all those things and more.
TNiFN Rating 98%
IMDB Link
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