Cellular

USA / Germany, 2004. Directed by David R. Ellis. Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, William H. Macey, Jason Statham, Eric Christian Olsen, Adam Taylor Gordon.

Kim Basinger has been kidnapped and held prisoner in the attic of her own home by a gang of ruthless thugs for reasons she does not understand. Her son and husband are also at threat and in a desperate attempt to try to rally help she clicks together the wires of a wall phone smashed by her captors, hoping to connect to someone at random and convince them she’s being held prisoner. She can do this because we have learned in the opening minutes of the film that she’s a science teacher. She reaches Ryan (Chris Evans), convinces him she’s in danger and it’s up to him to save the day but to do so they have to keep the connection open. This plot gimmick then carries us through the film, with Ryan facing all manner of threats to the connection and eventually, to himself. Preposterous? Yes. Does it work? Surprisingly well. From its opening scenes of calm suddenly shattered by vicious assault this film rattles along, keeping the action moving and its audience gripped as Ryan solves one difficulty after another and demonstrates the versatility of the humble cell phone. They should have called it 101 Things To Do With A Mobile Phone. The acting’s fine – Jason Statham makes a convincing bad guy and it’s a real bonus to find William H. Macey – an actor I am happy to watch in any movie – in the cast playing a weary but principled cop. For me, the film benefits from two things in particular, which I often mention in reviews. The first is that it succeeds in drawing in its audience and keeping them hooked by keeping the action going. If you are telling an unlikely or implausible story the worst thing you can do is to give the audience time to figure out the illogicalities of the plot. The second thing, which connects with the first, is that this film runs only just over an hour and a half. I seem to have watched so many films lasting two hours which would have benefited from having 20 minutes or so chopped off. Cellular is definitely one of the better thrillers I’ve watched in recent times.