Film Review: Phonebooth

Director: Joel Schumacher

A tense psychological thriller from Joel Schumacher who was behind one of the earlier Batman franchises. The film's release was delayed due to the Beltway Sniper attacks in 2002 round the Washington D.C and Virginia area of America.

Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a cocky publicist from New York City who is married to Kelly (Radha Mitchell) but is secretly starting to see Pam (Katie Holmes) behind her back. He makes a call to Pam from a payphone booth and is interrupted by a pizza man attempting to make a delivery to him, he rudely dismisses the man. After he completes his call to Pam he receives a call from a man who threatens to shoot him with a sniper rifle if he leaves the booth, the caller wants Stu to do things for him if his life is to be spared.

Colin Farrell as Stu Shepard

The film is full of suspense for good portions of the movie, Farrell is capable as the cocky city slicker whilst Forrest Whittaker is the most impressive as the troubled Police Captain. The setting for the film being only on block on New York all revolving round Farrell in and around a phonebooth works in terms of creating claustrophobic tension as Farrell's character has nowhere to escape to.

There are limits to how entertaining a film like this can be, the dialogue does go back around in circles at times as the film goes on. It does become tiresome but succeeds in giving you a much needed jolt back into action when the plot loses your interest. After a while it becomes apparant that they weren't sure how to end the movie, it disappoints after your initial interest.

2.5/4 tense slick thriller but lacks killer punch