5 Responses to “Cellular”

1. Joseph Haschka on 3月 28th, 2010 12:50 AM

   Review by Joseph Haschka for Cellular
   Rating:
   I’ve yet to succumb to the temptation to own a cell phone. CELLULAR has me thinking that perhaps life is passing me by.

   Jessica Martin (Kim Bassinger) lives the good life in the SoCal suburb of Brentwood – you know, where OJ lived – with her realtor husband Craig (Richard Burgi) and 11-year old son Ricky (Adam Taylor Gordon). One day, after waving Ricky off on the school bus, Jessica’s home is invaded by three thugs led by Greer (Jason Statham). After shooting the housekeeper – perhaps one of the shortest bit parts in history, the intruders carry Martin off to a house in the hills (with a million $ view of the San Fernando Valley), where she’s locked in the attic with a smashed phone until Craig hands over an item about which she knows nothing. Being a high school science teacher, Jessica coaxes the phone back to life and dials out by touching two wires together. Calling blindly, she manages to reach the young and irresponsible Ryan (Chris Evans) cruising the coast down by Venice Beach. After much tearful pleading, Martin convinces Ryan that her plight is real, and this launches the latter off on a day-long odyssey of chases and violence as he tries to rescue Jessica and her soon-to-be-abducted son, all the while maintaining that tenuous phone connection to the near-hysterical woman. Obviously, Ryan has never heard the old adage, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

   CELLULAR has everything necessary for a vicarious, nail-biting thrill ride at the movies. There’s the truly vicious villain (Greer), the gorgeous damsel in distress (Jessica), and the completely engaging knight-errant (Ryan), all perfectly played by their respective actors in an ingenious plot. Then there’s the delicious supporting role of William H. Macy as Mooney, the police desk sergeant who reluctantly gets involved in the mayhem when all he really wants is to retire and run a day spa with his girlfriend. And to top it off, the film’s creators bedevil Ryan with those little daily annoyances that the viewers will personally know so well: a patronizing sales clerk, having to “take a number” in a crowded store, an obnoxious lawyer, bad cellular reception in tunnels and stairwells, an officious security guard, a driver in the next car playing the stereo too loud, slowpokes in the fast lane, and street delays caused by inopportune construction.

   CELLULAR isn’t one of the year’s greatest cinematic achievements, but, for pure entertainment value and fun, it rates 5 stars if you’re not too discriminating and willing to overlook a few credibility gaps. I mean, you can’t actually park your car curbside in front of the terminal at LAX.

   Finally, Jessica’s knowledge of human anatomy, when combined with a sharp object, gives fair warning that you probably don’t want to p.o. your high school science teacher.

2. Matt Kratz on 3月 28th, 2010 1:42 AM

   Review by Matt Kratz for Cellular
   Rating:
   This is one of my favorite movies in recent years. In the film, Jessica (Kim Basinger) is kidnapped and manages to click the wires on a smashed phone to place a call. She reaches beach slacker Ryan (Chris Evans) and manages to convince him that she’s telling the truth and to get help. What ensues is a mad rush through downtown Los Angeles as Ryan tries desperately to assist her. The DVD has some good features on it (interviews, scene selection, etc.), and the movie overall was well made. If you are into this sort of movie, I recommend it. You will not be disappointed in the least bit.

3. L. Mintah on 3月 28th, 2010 2:18 AM

   Review by L. Mintah for Cellular
   Rating:
   Cellular is a sleeper hit. A long overdue example of a real edge-of-your-seat thriller that is well-written and well-acted. Great driving and action scenes are complemented by humor.

   The story is about a carefree California youth who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving dirty LA cops and a kidnapped family. Kim Basinger turns in a great performance as the wife and mother fighting for her life against Ethan, the leader of the corrupt cops. Played by Jason Statham (The Transporter), Ethan is a competent bad guy.

   My husband and I loved this movie. It has the wake-up equivalent of black coffee.

4. mirasreviews on 3月 28th, 2010 2:24 AM

   Review by mirasreviews for Cellular
   Rating:
   “Cellular” is a fast-paced action/suspense from the get-go. It has barely set the scene when a group of men burst into Jessica Martin’s (Kim Basinger) suburban home, abduct her, and imprison her in an attic. To make sure she is unable to communicate with the outside world, her captor, Ethan (Jason Statham), takes a baseball bat to the only telephone in the attic, and old but functioning rotary dial model. Unable to find any means of escape, a terrified Jessica places her hope in the shattered telephone, whose wiring still works in spite of having no dial or handset. Eventually, she gets through to someone: a flippant self-centered young man named Ryan (Chris Evans) who is intent on running an errand for his girlfriend and annoyed by the unexpected caller on his cell phone. Initially incredulous, Ryan becomes convinced of Jessica’s kidnapping story and tries his best to help her her while driving around Los Angeles trying desperately not to lose her signal.

   “Cellular” excels at being fast and exciting. Accepting that Ryan cannot find any police officer to help him requires suspension of disbelief. The car chases are nothing that I haven’t seen so many times before that I really didn’t want to see it in this movie. And Ryan’s personality will rub some members of the audience the wrong way. He’s annoying. But none of that is enough to undermine “Cellular”‘s compact, energetic entertainment value. Kim Basinger is really quite convincing as a terrified, desperate wife and mother. She’s a strong character who tries to control what she can of her situation, so avoids any “damsel in distress” cliché. And since there is no romantic interest between Jessica and her would-be savior, Ryan, “Cellular” sidesteps another cliché. Cell phones are ubiquitous in contemporary film, but this is one of the few that succeeds in using them to advance the plot in a believable well-integrated fashion. Most of the acting in “Cellular” is actually speaking into a telephone. It can’t be easy to make so much dialogue phone conversations and hang the film’s arc on that. Characters who are glued to a telephone conversation are isolated even in a crowd -a concept not lost on screenwriter Larry Cohen, who also wrote “Phone Booth”. “Cellular” isn’t a great film, but an entertaining one. You won’t fall asleep!

   The DVD (New Line 2005): Bonus features include 3 documentaries, an audio commentary, a theatrical trailer, and a DVD-ROM (Windows only). “Calling Out” (18 minutes) is about the history of telephones and the social implications of mobile (cellular) phones. Telecommunications engineers Dr. Martin Cooper and Joel Engel, technology journalists, and a psychologist talk about how cell phones work and what they mean for us and for the future. “Dialing Up Cellular” (25 minutes) is a documentary about making the film, including comments on the film’s conception, performances, and filming the car chases. Writers Larry Cohen and Chris Morgan, director David Ellis, the cast, and various crew are interviewed. “Code of Silence: Inside the Rampart Scandal” (25 minutes) is about the 1999 police corruption scandal that involved the LAPD’s Rampart Division. I found it very interesting since I am not an Angelino and was not familiar with the details of this case. The audio commentary is by director David Ellis, his sister and assistant stunt co-ordinator Annie Ellis, and his daughter and Associate Producer Tawny Ellis. Over the course of the commentary, they call various members of the film’s cast and crew on their cell phones to get their comments. Subtitles are available for the film in English and Spanish.

5. Mark Jones on 3月 28th, 2010 3:02 AM

   Review by Mark Jones for Cellular
   Rating:
   This film has three main characters, wonderfully played by Kim Basinger, Chris Evans and Jason Stratham. Basinger’s character is constantly terrified, but always resourceful in a crunch. Evans’s character is cheerful, energetic and opportunistic in the best sense. Stratham’s character is menacing. There are many hilarious situations and the cell phone (and all it can do) is always moving the plot along. Great minor characters and performances add to the mix. Not deep at all, but exceptional entertainment!

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