Phone Booth (2002)

HomeFilmPhone Booth

This 2002 fast-moving psychological thriller, directed by Joel Schumacher, is told in real time. It opens with PR man Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) striding the Manhattan streets, making deals on his mobile and barking orders to his scurrying minion. Then he slips into a public phone booth to make an untraceable call to Pamela McFadden (Katie Holmes), the young actress he hopes to seduce. The call finished, he's leaving as the phone rings; curious, he picks it up and his nightmare begins.

The caller is a sniper who soon proves his deadly prowess to Stu and tells him if he puts the phone down, he will kill him. As the police, led by Captain Ramey (Forest Whitaker) arrive, Stu has to convince them he's not a killer and not mad while obeying the sniper's commands: commands that will force him to display his deceitful, two-timing, amoral self to the world.

Schumacher is a director of extremes; on the one hand, he can direct taut thrillers like Falling Down and 8mm, on the other hand, he was responsible for two poor Batman films. Phone Booth belongs firmly in the first category. Farrell's assured performance swiftly reduces Shepard from cocksure wheeler-dealer to a terrified man forced to abandon his dignity for his life. The film would effectively be a single hander for Farrell were it not for the calmly psychotic caller, superbly voiced by Kiefer Sutherland.

Phone Booth is a Film programme that first aired in 2002 and has been rated 15.

Phone Booth is a 3 star programme.

Next Show Times

• United Kingdom
• United States

You may also like

• The Departed
  [2006, 5 Stars, Film]
• Panic Room
  [2002, 3 Stars, Film]
• Paycheck
  [2003, 4 Stars, Film]
• Hostage
  [2005, 3 Stars, Film]
• Ocean's Eleven
  [2001, 4 Stars, Film]
• Inside Man
  [2006, 4 Stars, Film]

Tags