... Thankfully my relatives and friends had not let me down and had provided me with a good choice of DVD’s to pick from and top of the pile was Phone Booth.
I must admit to being one of those slightly annoying people who know very little about films, other than “knowing what I ... Read review
For a film confined almost entirely to one tiny location,Phone Boothhas been the centre of ... more
a lot of off-screen action: changing lead man from Will Smith to Jim Carrey to Colin Farrell, with various directors attached, and finally postponed as a result ...
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Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is an arrogant publicist lying his way to success in New York. ... more
Everything changes however when he unknowingly answers a call in a phone booth he's been using to cheat on his wife. Now he is at the mercy of the caller (Kiefer...
For a film confined almost entirely to one tiny location,Phone Boothhas been the centre of ... more
a lot of off-screen action: changing lead man from Will Smith to Jim Carrey to Colin Farrell, with various directors attached, and finally postponed as a result ...
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A single phone call can change a man's life...or possibly end it. Stu Shepard is a ... more
self-centered New York City publicist who suddenly finds himself on the deadly end of a high-powered rifle scope. Now it's a real-time race against the clock as Stu must...
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Stu Shepard (Colin Farrel) is an arrogant publicist lying his way to success in New York. ... more
Everything changes however when he unknowingly answers a call in a phone booth he's been using to cheat on his wife. Now he is at the mercy of the caller (Kiefer Sutherland) who, as an invisible sniper somewhere in the buildings above, is holding him hostage with demands to come clean with his wife (Radha Mitchell) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes). Relying on his wits and the unlikely help of Capt. Ramey (Forest Whitaker) Stu's life will change even if he does manage to escape alive. This highly original suspense thriller from director Joel Schumacher (Tigerland, 8mm, Falling Down) is filled with action and unbelievable moments when all of New York comes to a standstill for one harrowing conclusion.
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Advantages: Clever, original and a few laughs as well Disadvantages: The film runs out of ideas and is too short
...top of the pile was Phone Booth.
I must admit to being one of those slightly annoying people who know very little about films, other than “knowing what I like.” Well, I like Phone Booth. It was always going to stand a good chance of success with me once I had looked at the cast list. Any film featuring Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whittaker and Katie Holmes is certainly going to grab my attention. Especially Katie Holmes! ... ...Phone Booth is not your normal, run-of-the-mill sort of movie. It is very different right from the start. It has a modern, cool feel about it from the first shots. As far as the plot goes it is not really very substantial. You could even say it is more of a set piece than anything else but, however you describe it, it seems to work. The movie opens with Stu Shepard, played superbly by Colin Farrell, strutting down a New York sidewalk issuing instructions ... more
Christmas Day television schedulers have a lot to answer for. With absolutely nothing to watch but repeats and tired old films on the biggest TV watching day of the year I was at a loss. I had no option other than to break in to my Christmas presents for a little entertainment. Thankfully my relatives and friends had not let me down and had provided me with a good choice of DVD’s to pick from and top of the pile was Phone Booth.
I must admit to being one of those slightly annoying people who know very little about films, other than “knowing what I like.” Well, I like Phone Booth. It was always going to stand a good chance of success with me once I had looked at the cast list. Any film featuring Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whittaker and Katie Holmes is certainly going to grab my attention. Especially Katie Holmes!
There is no doubt that Phone Booth is not your normal, run-of-the-mill sort of movie. It is very different right from the start. It has a modern, cool feel about it from the first shots. As far as the plot goes it is not really very substantial. You could even say it is more of a set piece than anything else but, however you describe it, it seems to work. The movie opens with Stu Shepard, played superbly by Colin Farrell, strutting down a New York sidewalk issuing instructions and throw-away lines to his young sidekick. Farrell plays what is charmingly called a “low-rent media consultant” but is probably best described as an arrogant, sleazy P.R. man. He issues wisecracks and instructions to people he passes in the street and, more importantly, to those he communicates with on his mobile. He treats everyone as a commodity to be used and all this not very subtly sets Stu up for his “set piece.” The viewer now knows that Stu Shepard is not a nice man.
Stu reaches the phone booth in question in the first few minutes of the film. Being the sort of guy that he is, he uses the booth to call a client of his, Pamela McFadden, so that no records of his call are available on his mobile. He removes his wedding ring before making the call and the viewer again gets a message that says here we have a man thinking of cheating on his wife. Pamela McFadden is played by Katie Holmes of Dawson’s Creek fame and to be honest her role is not too demanding. But being Katie she does it impecably well!
It is at this stage that the fun and games begin. A moralistic serial killer has staked the booth out and knows all about Stu. He has set him up and quite chillingly issues him with a message – hang up and you are dead. The killer is played brilliantly by Kiefer Sutherland but with an unusual twist. Until the final few seconds of the film you never actually get to see his character. You can hear everything that is said down the telephone and this adds to the drama immensely. The audience gets to hear every word that Stu hears, whilst the other characters hear nothing. It works well and there is no doubt that it also emphasises the full range of Sutherland’s acting abilities. To be able to covey the feelings that he does only with the use of his voice takes some doing.
For the vast majority of the film Farrell’s character is tormented without mercy by the anonymous caller. Some of these moments are painful as you see Stu Shepard being ripped apart and made to dance to the callers tune. It does not take long before the viewer starts to feel sympathy for Stu as the façade that he hides behind is slowly but cleverly destroyed. Sutherland pulls his strings with a great deal of menace but also, surprisingly, some humour. Some of his one-liners made me laugh out loud and this was totally unexpected. Other characters are gradually introduced as the story develops. Radha Mitchell appears as Stu’s wife and the caller takes great delight in bringing her into their conversations. The main drift of the callers anger is that Stu is an unpleasant man and has been planning to cheat on his wife and this is dragged out as first the “girlfriend-to-be” and then the wife are called. They both appear at the scene but hilariously on separate sides of the booth in another none-to-subtle attempt to symbolise the difference between the two. Stu is then made to humiliate himself by explaining to everyone, including a breaking news tv audience, of his intentions to cheat on his wife. To be honest Mitchell does not have much to do as the wife and is very much in the category of minor support when it comes to the story.
Apart from Farrell and Sutherland the only other character of any substance is Captain Ramey, played by Forest Whittaker. He appears as the police chief who turns up when the caller shoots dead a local pimp who had been trying to get Stu out of the booth. The Captain and everyone else believe that it is Shepard who has the gun and he starts the process of talking him out of the booth. Although the role is relatively substantial in terms of this film, it is hardly an opportunity for an award winning performance. The Captain is very much a stereotypical New York cop with a broken marriage, a questionable reputation and an ambitious colleague trying to undermine him at every opportunity. But of course, he is really a nice guy and as soon as he arrives he can see that there is something not quite right about Stu and the situation. Where would script writers be without a cop’s intuition! Having said that, the character compliments the situation nicely and Whittaker underplays the major scenes allowing Farrell to shine.
I will resist the temptation to detail every scenario that gets played out in and around the booth. Needless to say some of these are very tense and dramatic and some less so. Some of them are funny and the outrageously overacting hookers made me smile. I also liked the way Farrell treated the pizza delivery man right at the start of his session in the booth. All of the situations however involve Stu and the caller, and the movie does become a bit of a double act at times, with the ever reliable Captain popping up to help when required. The camera lingers on Radha Mitchell and Katie Holmes on a regular basis as the situation develops and Stu confesses his sins but neither get to really do much more than look attractive and show the appropriate emotion. The climax to the film when it arrives is exciting but predictable. There is a nice twist in the tail but I was left feeling just a little let down. The film could have done with being a little longer as, at just over 80 minutes, it is probably the shortest feature film that I can remember.
The special effects used compliment the film extremely well. The use of in-screen shots so that two or three different scenes can be viewed at the same time gives the film a certain style as well as making it easier to keep on top of what is happening. The use of Sutherland’s voice over is also a success. Both of these are in some ways representative of a steroetypical music video which this film undoubtedly takes idea’s from. It probably explains why the film has been more of a success with the younger, MTV inspired generation rather than a more mature audience. Having said this, I liked this film. Whilst it will probably never be an award winner, I found it original, dramatic at times and funny. Probably for the first time in a major film I found I enjoyed Colin Farrell’s acting. It also confirmed for me that Kiefer Sutherland just gets better and better every time I see him (or hear him in this case!). And as for Katie Homes…well, what more can I say!
Having watched this on DVD I have to admit that the extra’s were disappointing. Far fewer than in a normal package, there were only two to view with Phone Booth, an audio commentary provided by the director and a short feature about the making of the film. I know some find these additional extra’s to be a waste of time (myself included) but when you only get just over 80 minutes in the main film I can understand it if someone feels short changed. The Making Of Phone Booth extra was an enjoyable look behind the scenes and showed the actors as they no doubt do not like to be seen! One interesting aspect was when Kiefer Sutherland turned up for his part on the last day of shooting, having completed the vast majority of his work away from set and his acting colleagues. Nice work if you can get it! A few interviews with the stars and the director are included but I am sure that many fans would have appreciated much more.
Cast
Stu Shepard Colin Farrell Kelly Shepard Radha Mitchell The Caller Kiefer Sutherland Pamela McFadden Katie Holmes Captain Ramey Forest Whittaker
Advantages: Great idea and story, brilliant performance from Colin Farrell, exciting. Disadvantages: The ending is a bit of a disappointment.
...a man stuck in a phone booth be exciting? I guess that was the question on my mind, with such a simple idea, could it be kept exciting without losing any of it’s appeal? Without knowing much beforehand about this movie, one could easily dismiss this as slow and boring, common sense would make you think there couldn’t possibly be any car chases, huge explosions or so how on Earth could this movie be under the action/thriller genre? Well that’s one ... ...he can make a private phone call from a phone booth. He does have a cell phone but he always phones a certain woman called Pamela McFadden from that same phone booth every single day. Pamela is an actress wanting to make it big and Stu says he’s going to help her. Obviously being the dishonest man that he is, he obviously only wants to help her for one thing and one thing only. The reason he uses this phone booth and not his cell phone is because ...
BabyGirl 20.10.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
Advantages: well acted, great direction, intelligent script Disadvantages: mystery man is no mystery
...you ever been in a phone booth and the phone has rung? If so, did you answer it? And if you’ve not been in that situation, would you answer it? Chances are that you did or would, and it was a boring wrong number. But would you do it again after watching Phone Booth?
Phone Booth opens with the best opening credits I’ve seen in a long time. It takes the hustle and bustle of New York, throws in some lettering and splits the screen into a hundred blocks ... ...more when he enters the phone booth he enters each day to call a naïve young woman he is promising to make into a star but really just wants to sleep with. He uses the booth to call her as his wife checks his cellphone records.
So far it’s just an ordinary day of lying, cheating and making money. And then a pizza is delivered to the booth. It is for him. And then the phone in the booth rings. Either out of curiosity, or as an automatic reaction ...
sandrabarber 18.10.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
Advantages: Good concept, well acted Disadvantages: Mixing of Sutherlands voice
Phone Booth was a movie that drifted from director to director for a few years. Pearl Har’bores’ Michael Bay was interested but apparently wanted to take the film out of the phone booth. Stars such as Jim Carrey were also attached at one point. Then it landed into the lap of Joel Schumacher, he’d just worked with Colin Farrell on Tigerland, it got good reviews and hence the movie was made in only 12 days.
This is a concept movie revolving around ... ...his regular call from the phone booth and is surprised to see a pizza delivered to him. Next the phone rings and a commanding voice tells him not to hang up the phone, Stu dismisses the caller as a nutter but soon realizes that the caller has a rifle pointed straight at Stu. Soon there’s a dead body, the police show up and Stu is at the centre of media frenzy, as he can’t leave the booth for fear of being shot. Plus the women in his life have turned ...
utero 18.08.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
Advantages: Great conceptual thriller Disadvantages: We know who did it
...you walk past an empty phone box, the phone inside rings? You might in the past have been tempted to see if it is a wrong number, or something more interesting. Perhaps you would think again having seen Phone Booth.
The movie starts with a silly bit of CGI showing you the route to the satellite your next call might take; this is the worst thing in the film though. The opening credits redeem the whole thing, anyway - huge horizontal tower blocks ... ...approaches a metal and glass phone box - the regular type, with a sliding door. Our voice-over introduction tells us he will be the last inhabitant of said booth, and it will be destroyed on the morrow.
It won't be long before we are hearing more than that voice...
This is a very decent concept movie, tying in with recent people-in-peril situations, but turning the idea right on its head. For one, the whole action from now on takes place within ...
theediscerning 31.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
Advantages: interesting concept for a film, storyline mostly entertaining Disadvantages: acting a little wooden in places
Finally, Phone Booth has arrived in our cinemas. After months of speculation about how they could possibly make the seemingly easily exhaustible plot into an entire film, the answer became clear. Yes, they managed it all right, but only, it seems, by making the film incredibly short. 81 minutes is definitely at the lower end of the range of film lengths, but trust me, it seems much longer...
Meet Stu Shepard. Stu is a relatively unimportant New ... ...he goes to the same phone booth in the same street, removes his wedding ring (you see, he obviously has a conscience) and phones his girlfriend Pam.
But one day, Stu's life takes a dramatic turn - as he is leaving the phone booth, the phone starts to ring. Curiously, he picks up the phone, and finds himself speaking to a sniper threatening to kill him if he leaves the booth - he must do exactly as the sniper says if he wants to stay alive...
So, ...
emmorticia 02.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
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Advantages: FAST MOVING SUSPENSE FILM. Disadvantages: Set in One location, more or less.
... Stu Shepard
Kiefer Sutherland ... The Caller
Forest Whitaker ... Captain Ed Ramey
Radha Mitchell ... Kelly Shepard
Katie Holmes ... Pamela McFadden
Paula Jai Parker ... Felicia
Arian Waring Ash ... Corky (as Arian Ash)
Tia Texada ... Asia
John Enos III ... Leon
Richard T. Jones ... Sergeant Cole
Keith Nobbs ... Adam
Dell Yount ... Pizza Guy
James MacDonald ... Negotiator
Yorgo Constantine ... ESU Commander
Directed by Joel Schumacher.
You can purchase PhoneBoothDVD from Play.com for £4.99
http://www.play.com
Thank you for reading.
Electra 2007. ...
Morning_Becomes_Electra 07.10.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Phone Booth (DVD)
Advantages: Some good performances in a reasonable thriller Disadvantages: Too opened out, and the baddy realy does stink
needed, and there's a deadline of 10am. Funnily enough, this isn't as straightforward as it sounds.
This DVD was picked off the shelves at the sale price of just £3 in the hope of a PhoneBooth cum Cellular style taut, real-time, claustrophobic, little film with a high concept. Unfortunately, that wasn't what was on offer.
The plot of course can't be discussed further, as certain people have it in mind that the crook getting to the courthouse on time would be a bad idea, and if there's any thrills to be had it's in who that actually is, why, how many of them there are and what their success or failure will result in. But as far as everything else goes, things can be talked about.
And the biggest talking point must be the acting, which will also let you know the high concept thriller is not in evidence. Mos Def is what we have to ...
theediscerning 21.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of 16 Blocks (DVD)
Advantages: good splater scenes, original, imaginative even not bad acting. Disadvantages: Rose McGowan dies
)
David Booth .... Mr. Becker
Liev Schreiber .... Cotton Weary
Kevin Patrick Walls .... Steven Orth
DVD is great value for money, certificate 18 running time of 106 minuets. Runs in widescreen format like most good horrors do, its duel layer format might trigger a slight pause now and then but I never noticed any at all. Region 2 Pal and has English subtitles.
Special Features:-
Audio commentary with Wes Craven, Cast and Crew
Production Featurettes
Behind the scenes
On set with Drew Barrymore (thumbs up from me)
Question and Answers with Cast and Crew
Special Effect Gallery (which I really liked)
Cast and Crew Profiles
Did you know Trivia information.
And 2 extra theatrical trailers.
All the Special Features on this DVD are ace and go into more detail than other behind the scene footage on others I ...
Self-centred, arrogant, public relations man, Stu Sheppard goes into a phone booth to call his mistress without his wife knowing. As soon as he hangs up, the phone rings and he hears a stranger's voice telling him that if he tries to leave the booth he will be shot dead... He starts to believe what he is hearing when a man tries to get in the booth and is gunned down...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
"...[Farrell] shows energy and intensity " (Chicago Sun-Times, p.29, 04/04/2003)
"...Schumacher keeps his camera in a state of high agitation, bumping and swirling around the spectacle of Farrell's motor-mouth frenzy..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.52-3, 11/04/2003)
"...Director Joel Schumacher, with the help of the gifted cinematographer Matthew Libatique makes a tight, tense job of it....Farrell is a dynamo..." (Rolling Stone, p.111, 17/04/2003)
"...[Farrell] makes lowlife media pimp Stu Shepard his own....A high velocity thriller..." (Total Film, p.100, 01/05/2003)
DVD Description
Joel Schumacher (8 MM, FALLING DOWN) directs this suspense drama set in New York City's Times Square. 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. This compelling drama, expertly crafted for maximum tension, will keep audiences nervously awaiting its outcome, unable to look away from the screen for even a moment.
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