Phone Booth (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #45

I forget exactly when I first saw this film or even why I bought it. It was released in 2003, but I probably didn't see it until a few years later. I'm sure that my review in November 2010 wasn't the first time I saw it. Amazon keeps a perfect record of the date when I bought films online since 2003, but in my early years of collecting DVDs I bought a lot of films over the counter at Virgin Records and HMV. I didn't keep my receipts, so I can only vaguely remember the dates. I really should have started my blog in 2003 when I bought my first DVD player. It was a mistake to wait seven years.

In my past reviews of this film I haven't written much about it because not much happens. I'll try to write more today. The plot and the location are minimalist, but the emotions are intense. Stu Shephard, a wheeling, dealing public relations man goes into a public phone box at the same time every day to ring his girlfriend. He has a cell phone, but he doesn't want his wife to see his girlfriend's phone number listed on his bill.

Someone rings the phone box, and Stu answers. It's a man who knows everything about him. The man is somewhere in a building looking down on the phone box, and he threatens to shoot Stu if he hangs up. The man says that he's already executed a paedophile and a crooked banker in the street, but it isn't obvious why he's picked Stu for his next victim. Stu has never done anything wrong except for cheating on his wife.

The frantic conversations continue. The man proves how serious he is by shooting a pimp who tries to make Stu leave the phone booth. The police arrive, suspecting Stu of murder, even though he isn't carrying a gun. Forest Whitaker plays one of the best roles of his life as the police captain talking Stu into leaving the booth.

I've always liked Forest Whitaker as an actor, but in this film he excels. He's fully credible as he portrays a man who is trying to make an arrest while plagued by emotional problems in his past. It's the subtleties in the portrayal of emotions that make the difference between good actors and great actors.

I only found out today that Jim Carrey was originally cast as Stu Shephard. He dropped out shortly before filming began. The more I think about it, the more I can see Jim Carrey being perfect for the role, but Colin Farrell can't be faulted.

The film was a box office success. I don't know how well it's known today. That depends on television broadcasts more than anything else. I'm not aware that it's available on any streaming services, which is a disadvantage. It's a film that's too good to be forgotten.

Success Rate:  + 5.5

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