Directed by:
Joel SchumacherScreenplay:
Larry CohenCinematography:
Matthew LibatiqueComposer:
Harry Gregson-WilliamsCast:
Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes, Paula Jai Parker, Tia Texada, John Enos III, Richard T. Jones, Keith Nobbs (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
A wannabe hotshot entertainment publicist who's more intent on posturing for his unpaid assistant than he is in actually working, Stu Shepherd (Colin Farrell) ducks into a phone booth to make his regular afternoon call to his girlfriend (Katie Holmes). Stu stops in the same phone booth at the same time every day to flirt with the young girl, who does not know that Stu is happily married with no intention of dating her seriously. When Stu says goodbye to his girl and sets down the receiver, he picks up a call from a threateningly sarcastic man with a deep voice. This man seems to have been tracking Stu's visits to this booth every day, and suddenly Stu knows that his secrets are no longer his own. Soon, the caller identifies himself as a sniper and begins shooting. Police are called in, and Stu must use his PR skills in a final test to get out of the booth, alive. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
Even after watching this film twenty times, it's still an inventive, clever, and suspenseful thriller where Joel Schumacher, constrained by budget and shooting days, lets the entire weight of the plot be carried by the polished dialogue of the Farrell-Sutherland pair. For this, the biggest thanks go to Larry Cohen, who did have some mistakes and logical question marks in the script, but the witty social criticism together with the escalation of the plot reliably carries the film for the entire 70-minute runtime.
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"Telephone booth" is still effective even after years, although it may seem that the booth itself is a relic that can only be found in a museum nowadays. It beautifully demonstrates how times evolve. However, it doesn't really matter because even in another 13 years, this will be an immensely powerful and claustrophobic drama, which will still have the same positive effect on the viewer. Joel Schumacher truly excelled in this.
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Joel Schumacher is truly a unique person, he can make crap like Batman & Robin, but he can also make gems like Falling Down or 8mm. This project, Phone Booth, is considered the pinnacle of his filmography because it has everything a film in this genre should have: a great main hero, a devilish villain, captivating atmosphere, excellent camera work, and solid music. That's why it is one of the best thrillers of the year.
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Yeah, when the phone rings in the booth nearby again, I can't even imagine going to pick it up... or can I? Joel Schumacher's film meets all the criteria of an "intelligent" thriller. Minimalist design, great acting (especially the rebirth of narcissist Farella is a delicacy!), interesting work with images (the twisting of shots increases the tension and gradient), decent music and especially a solidly written screenplay which, with a minimum of resources, escalates the absurdity and horror of the situation in which the hostage of the voice on the phone finds himself. I could probably do without tacky and theatrical ending. All in all, it's not a movie that I get overly excited about, but I certainly recommend watching it on movie night for sure...
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The maximum out of the minimum, there's probably no better way to describe Phone Booth. Joel Schumacher managed to turn a simple and unassuming idea into a thrilling and dynamic thriller that ranks among the best of the turn of the millennium. I was surprised by Colin Farrell, who pulls it all off with the grace inherent in the most brilliant actors and contributes greatly to the final quality of the film, which could not have been better given the premise. I hope that Schumacher is yet to say his final word.
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