PHONE BOOTH is an interesting film-school exercise adapted for the big screen with a big star. Its short running time is merciful, although my complaint is not with the performance of Farrell, who is required to carry the movie entirely on his shoulders and manages admirably.
My major issue is that the film's hook - that of spending 84 minutes watching Stu talking on the phone with a madman - calls for irritating split-screen and picture-in-picture execution, which is used continuously until we're accustomed to it. Then, for no reason that I can discern, the director abandons the device for long stretches of time - 45 seconds, a minute - during which the protagonist, as near as I can tell, does nothing.
I could overlook how fast and loose the story plays with police procedure (no photographs taken of a body at the scene before it's carted off in a coroner's van, for example), but not how fast and loose it plays with its own supposed theme. (Potential spoilers follow.) We are supposed to believe that Stu is in the same league with other victims of this sniper, who seem to have deserved their executions; however, Stu is neither so nice as to gain our sympathy nor so bad as to deserve what he's getting. The point of the film, therefore, seems to be that "everyone is guilty of something and will hate themselves for it if enough pressure is applied." I'm not sure I needed to spend 84 minutes of my life being told that.
This may be worth watching for Farrell's performance, depending upon whether you're a fan, but I don't recommend it as a great film. 6/10.
My major issue is that the film's hook - that of spending 84 minutes watching Stu talking on the phone with a madman - calls for irritating split-screen and picture-in-picture execution, which is used continuously until we're accustomed to it. Then, for no reason that I can discern, the director abandons the device for long stretches of time - 45 seconds, a minute - during which the protagonist, as near as I can tell, does nothing.
I could overlook how fast and loose the story plays with police procedure (no photographs taken of a body at the scene before it's carted off in a coroner's van, for example), but not how fast and loose it plays with its own supposed theme. (Potential spoilers follow.) We are supposed to believe that Stu is in the same league with other victims of this sniper, who seem to have deserved their executions; however, Stu is neither so nice as to gain our sympathy nor so bad as to deserve what he's getting. The point of the film, therefore, seems to be that "everyone is guilty of something and will hate themselves for it if enough pressure is applied." I'm not sure I needed to spend 84 minutes of my life being told that.
This may be worth watching for Farrell's performance, depending upon whether you're a fan, but I don't recommend it as a great film. 6/10.