.— I “RM-N
llrlrlt_;.l l1 PHONE BOOTH (15) 81 min COO
Great premise, cop out ending
Director Joel Schumacher had a helluva time getting Phone Booth made. Sounding like the kind of prestigious project that could do good things for wealthy Hollywood players in urgent need of credibility, this urban crime thriller attracted all kinds of A and B-list celebs - including Jim Carrey - to what is virtually a one-man show. Eventually the role of low-rent media consultant Stu Shepherd went to current It Boy in Hollywood, Colin Farrell. The film - in which Stu, for 90% of the running time, is trapped in a Manhattan phone booth by an unseen sniper - got made. Then the Washington sniper murders commenced and Phone Booth got shelved for a couple of years. Finally, it's come calling.
‘A ringing phone has to be answered, doesn’t it?’ says an intriguing voice (which sounds remarkably similar to Keifer Sutherland) to Stu after he picks up the phone in the booth. Stu’s there to talk off-mobile and out of earshot of his wife (Radha Mitchell) to an aspiring actress (Katie Holmes) on his books that he wants to shag. The caller wants to play moral conscience to Stu, threatening his captor with a bullet should he hang up, even when the police (lead by Captain Forest Whitaker) arrive and, unaware of the big picture, lay siege to the booth.
Written by the great hack Larry Cohen (writer of everything from Columbo to NYPD Blue and director of the trash classics It’s Alive and The Stuff), Phone Booth has a great central premise. Happily, the hack in Cohen doesn’t push the ringing phone/nagging conscience metaphor anywhere near pretentiousness. Unfortunately, neither does Cohen push elements of the film that might have made it so much more vital. Stu, who's initially introduced as a seedy Sidney Falco type (see Tony Curtis in Sweet Smell of Success, which film the first ten minutes of Phone Booth pay homage to), ends up as nothing worse than a wannabe philanderer - big deal. And the cop-out ending is as flat as a dial tone.
Maybe Schumacher’s to blame here. Having sold his soul to Hollywood and his nose to coke for so many years (during which he made Bratpack crap such as St Elmo’s Fire and Lost Boys before plumbing the depths with Batman & Robin), the director’s been at pains to make more credible films. The Wetnam drama figerland (which gave Farrell his big break) and the snuff movie thriller 8mm followed. But Schumacher just don’t walk the razor’s edge, and Phone Booth, just like 8mm, ultimately plays it safe. It’s a shame, because there’s a great film in Cohen’s script. Still, it lets Farrell shine. (Miles Fielder)
I General release from Fri 78 Apr.
lest thetr glfl IS undermined. (15) 108mm .00.
an allegory for the gulf petvxee" In thus world the God of Chance men and poOr across the globe.
ls Sam (Max von SyOOW). who Arded by Xavrer Jnrenez's SICBK Survwed the Holocaust and who cinematography, Fresnadulo now reSIdes In the bunker of a "‘akes r'tte Lger‘t use o‘ hrs
desert casmo. at whtch he Canath lsiands locattorzs. to challenges nvals to games of conjure up an ermrohrre'm that Russan roulette. Federrco feels StrhultarteOus'y farhritar yet lEusebro Poncela; was once hts oddly other-worldly.
protege. untrl he mod to leave Scattered through the rxarratr‘xe therr partnershrp and was are a sertes of set-preces. Irt 'deactrvated'. He has now hooked '.‘/h!C’l the gar'1p1ers test out therr .rp ‘.‘.’iil‘: plane CraSh Sumvor lLlCK agamst telio-V carpettors er: Tomas lLeonardo Soaragllat. and :err asmgly rrsky contests: the
t r' :s groowrng the yOurtg thief to 'Y‘OSI :emfyng IS the grOup sprrrit Clever genre-bending fable challenge the seerr‘trtgn ll‘.‘/tltClDi€ thrOugh a torest. .vhere the Sar“. On Tomas trarl. however, ts contestants are plrndfoided and
Juan Carlos Freshadtllo's annawi- a oonce'.'.rornan. Sara rMohtca thezr hands tted pehmd the bacms. WWWQ debut feature IS a LopeZa. who was herseti Ionh/ed ArtcltOIed by the .vhtte-Suted VOl‘. tuturrstrc. 't‘etapmstcal thrrller. " a car acordent nahct‘. cost the SydO'H'S eertl,’ cai'r‘ performance. winch th‘agrries a utthrse where .es of her husband and crittdreri. .zrhch. orzhgs an nt‘portaht depth luck has beco"‘e a 't‘aterta: "‘racto rnventlvely Cuts aoross a of humaflll‘, to the fable. lhtacto CO'll'l‘OClll‘» a Cw'e’lcy WHO“ ca" ' .'t‘ber of genres. It's a clever should ce see" now. rse‘Ore the be bought and 8041. .von and to ‘t. : end of SOsence frctron crr'he sheutaoe HCEI‘,’.‘.C)C;’J remake Those watt?‘ speca: powers ca". (“"1118’. road "movie and romantic d‘lates 'ts pleasures.
lllelall) steal the ruCK of others :tra't‘a. ".Vlthh rrhtle suggestlng To't‘ Dawson
merely c1. touc'tmg out that 53-: .ied 'good luck' mght I Se/ected release from Fr/ 7 7 hate to a. c :1 Deg photographed he an az-rfu' curse. aiso senes as Apr. See ore/rem. page 22.
Film
lHNTHIS WORLD (15) 88min 0...
Serving as a wake up call
May it‘s exec. est "0:; ‘.!r' fix" erthae‘ ‘./'/."‘.<,>"t/;t‘.',"‘ u'flflfmrnr: .‘i, Sara (37:). [/4 Hour Part. Perm"). soul: as a mam; ',a'.
The p'e'11.se 5; 8"‘l,‘:i ‘2~,r;a' o '1 Java at‘d "is our,” Erta,at..t.;: set o..t "oh. the a" Sharrtsl'tatsoa refiner,- ';ar":, Pawstar‘ 'a (garrzr, .‘x'tosr: popuiaf has doubt/2 sue the '
‘II' 1_/-/'~,1II’V‘A Y
d“: .l .' Q {1 00’.) ’J":’ ’.":’1'(t."l.’/
.HC i)‘, Jl/“:'.) nil.) {,._).
./ J H}, I.) f} I
TBYHH SAT u... .::..‘, «t . .:2,./,
.J‘J/J- J .) (,1 1 I. J I 1 l ‘1'. (t l
'1’. .{J l)./..J tr. _>, t/..I t‘, 1
G'SJ. (.1 1d ’31?) ~.r:deo camerar'a" Marat; Zymr ': ’JU ‘ fwd!“ ‘Ijr rv]/JIV'{;IITI
3.8 L: G “I’Lui’. 3’, 3/87.". E ‘1'“:"3‘, ’J.‘ CO""".G"IL:‘, it“; 'XJCEiSt/J'ta ,' C‘J'VlS r,’ 'r X‘J'J a!) '3'..." ' €1.18‘131‘t"’.3 Natural st", but ire sese 0‘ 9'8" .' r; ‘Qii' 8 SC t""n‘;'3t62t{; ’J'l‘: L "C‘ '2" '
. 1 (3 "lira; 1d .1? 1 ‘, .. 1", lo ,.‘o S, ,.I¢.,.rr , f r f‘, ( ¢,. 6,. r,‘(
4| i/uAJ 51 {I / "
' sea t" s i,’ " r;°.'v" r Mr» T’ T”; needing a', are 4 get. Pas See
I F/lmho'Jse, Edrrmurgh from Fr; 7 7 Apr; OFT. a'asgoxx from Fn 2 Ma;
,- 2.1 [-11 k] THE LIST 23