A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Panic Room

Date Viewed: Theatrical release: 2002

Details:

Jodie Foster

Kristen Stewart

Forest Whitaker

Dwight Yoakam

Jared Leto

Director: David Fincher

Score: +

The Review: A dramatic thriller, with a bit of a mystery thrown in, Panic Room illustrates as clearly as "The X-Files" did not, that cell phones cannot work everywhere.

Foster and her daughter (Stewart) are about to settle into a large multi-story Manhattan apartment, in the wake of an acrimonious divorce settlement (i.e., a younger woman). The apartment and its prior resident both have an interesting history, including a specially constructed "panic room" -- think of it as a hidey-hole or bomb-shelter on the third floor. If you listen carefully during the house tour, you will understand why the rest of the movie happens; but if you are not paying attention to quiet side-bar conversations, you will be quite puzzled and have to await the slow revealing of the plot device(s). For disaster comes the first night they stay over.

The word taut was made for just this movie. Several unexpected twists and turns keep your interest. The acting is pretty good. Foster is intense as the good-in-the-crunch but vulnerable mother; Stewart does a remarkable turn as the spoiled, cynical but ultimately realistic daughter (however, it took me a long while to recognize she was a she; apologies: mea culpa); and Whitaker is wonderful as the burglar with a conscience. The other two villains are pure scum: good foils for character development.

(13-Oct-02)

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