SUSANNE PEREZ
"Cellular," the new thriller about a man who receives a call on his
cellphone from a kidnapped woman, is a cut above the typical "lady in
distress" movie.
Based on a story by Larry Cohen (who wrote last year's intense
"Phone Booth"), it generates suspense and even humor.
But what makes this movie so involving is the performance by Kim
Basinger, her willowy, blond vulnerability used to full effect. She
plays Jessica Martin, a devoted mom suddenly wrenched from her
Brentwood home by armed men and taken to a remote location. We are
kept in the dark as to the motives of these men until halfway through
the film. But it doesn't matter, because the story has you hooked
within the first five minutes.
True to textbook thriller form, Jessica -- a high school science
teacher -- is one tough cookie. Not only is she able to hook up a
smashed phone and start making calls for help, she can also take out
a couple of bad guys on her own. She convinces 20-year old Ryan
(Chris Evans) to ditch the girlfriend at the beach and help save her
and her family from certain death.
She does all this with hair, makeup and wardrobe intact, except
for a couple of discreetly placed buttons. Our mothers were right,
always wear the good underwear -- you never know when you'll be an
action movie star.
Ryan finds inventive ways to keep the cellphone connection -- and
Jessica -- alive as he frantically winds his way through Los Angeles.
It turns out he has a real aptitude for stunt driving, carjacking,
holdups and kicking some serious bad-guy butt. Get this kid a movie
contract!
The wonderful William H. Macy, as the aptly named Officer Mooney,
also gets a chance to channel his inner hero and shoots up Santa
Monica Pier like Dirty Harry.
"Cellular" is good fun if you just go with the flow and don't
think too much about the preposterous situations. Look for Rick
Hoffman in a small but very funny role as the most obnoxious Porsche
owner on the planet.
* SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant
for a financial services company.
'Criminal' doesn't
do justice to genre
Well crafted but completely derivative, "Criminal" takes another
stab at the con game variation of the crime-drama genre.
The screenplay steals many elements from other past productions,
including "The Sting," "The Grifters" and "House of Games." If you're
not familiar with these previous efforts, you may find this film much
more intriguing than those of us who have been down this beaten path
