The Call
Director: Brad Anderson
Writer: Richard D’Ovidio
Cast: Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund

Plot:
Jordan (Halle Berry) is a 911-operator who got a call from a young girl during a burglary. When they get disconnected, Jordan doesn’t think and immediately calls her back. The ringing of the phone gives the girl away, who is kidnapped and murdered by the burglar (Michael Eklund). Jordan is still barely coping with that several months later when she takes another call from a kidnapped girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin).

The Call is a tense thriller that works perfectly until the last five minutes or so, when they jump the shark. But if you ignore the ending, you can really enjoy this one.

It was really interesting to get a look behind the 911 scenes and see how the operators work. It looked and felt realistic though I don’t have any actual idea if it is. It was also nice to get a feel for the importance of the operator’s job and everything they do. They have a herculean task and somehow they mostly manage just fine.

But that was also the first point were the movie fell apart a little bit. Because first it basically sings the praises of how awesome and important the operators’ jobs are and how the emergency system wouldn’t work if they didn’t do exactly what they do. And then Jordan still has to break out of her role as coordinator, mental support, escape guru and whatnot to become the active-in-the-field heroine. And fine. It is a movie. It is allowed to do those things.

But this then gave way to the one of the worst endings ever. And I mean ever. [SPOILER] So, Jordan goes after Casey and the kidnapper and she finds them and they knock him out and flee and Jordan is about to call 911 when they decide that they’d rather, actually, tie him to a chair in his secret lair and let him starve to death. [/SPOILER] Which is not only morally reprehensible, but again undermines the 911-operators are awesome angle and it’s just stupid.

Nevertheless The Call was an excellent thriller, especially up to that point. It kept you on the edge of your seat and even though the bad guy becomes less and less credible and more and more insane, you can go along with him and the story just fine. Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin delivered good performances. While the film probably won’t make movie of the year, it is engaging and tight.

Summarizing: If you like thrillers, you should definitely give this a go. And even if, like me, you’re not much of a thriller person, this one will probably entertain.