Small Room, Big Film (Panic Room (DVD))

Member Name: Whitehorse

Product:	Panic Room (DVD)
Date:	27/06/03 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great acting, Lots of tension

Disadvantages: A little cliched

Panic room was one of those films I hadn't managed to catch up with yet but in the face of the final episode of Angel and the demise of the fantastic Buffy there was a large gap in the evening begging to be filled. I didn't take much persuading, afterall I will watch anything with the gorgeous Jodie Foster.

Jodie plays Meg Altman, the soon to be ex-wife of a big shot in pharmaceuticals, trying to piece her life back together after her husband runs off with another women. Meg and daughter Sarah find themselves viewing a massive apartment in Manhattan - the kind of place you'd happily die for! The apartment, despite it's airy spacious design instantly seems to portray a forbidding air. Up in the master bedroom the agent enthuses over the 'panic room' - a room which can be secreted away behind a mirror. Inside is a phone separate from the mainline of the house, monitors eyeing all parts of the house, and a few necessities such as water and a fire blanket. Reinforced with steel - once inside, you are protected from anything on the outside. Once the door slams shut however, Meg instantly starts to feel the panic of claustrophobia. Despite this, she succumbs to the urgings of the agent and her friend and puts in an offer which is duly accepted.

First night in the house and all is not good. Three men break inside whilst Meg and Sarah are sleeping. The ringleader is Junior (Jared Leto) the whining grandson of the previous wealthy occupant who is determined to get the rest of what he thinks is owed to him inheritance wise. To help he has enlisted the services of Burnham (Forest Whitaker) and scary Raoul (Dwight Yoakam). Of course Junior has messed up - there was no one meant to be actually living there. Of course Meg hears them and grabbing her daughter ends up in the panic room. There's just a couple of problems, Sarah is diabetic and hasn't got her medication and the three robbers want to get into the panic room.


As far as pace and tension go this is a fantastic movie. Jodie as ever plays the 'I'm frightened out of my wits but will still fight you the hell to death' with grace. Her performance harks back to The Accused and Silence of the Lambs but not in a typecast way. I did find the action utterly gripping and the suspense at times almost unbearable. Young Kristen Stewart is excellent as Sarah and delivers some humorous lines that lighten the mood every now and then.

Leto is particularly good as Junior who's character becomes more and more unstable as the story progresses. The brooding presence of Raoul and Burnhams increasing discomfort with the whole situation serve to make the story even more tense.

I guess my main niggle would be that until Meg finally comments on sugar levels, I was unaware that her daughter was diabetic. I completely missed the references to the sugar level monitor which Sarah wears on her wrist, thinking she was looking at her watch.

The storyline is not necessarily the most inventive and casually reminded me of such films as Desperate Hours and Demon Seed. The three robbers are neatly packaged into the old favourite of stupid, unhinged criminal, dangerous criminal and criminal with a heart - Junior, Raoul, and Burnham respectively. Characterisation is perhaps a little one dimensional with us only momentarily seeing Meg upset about her marriage problems and Sarah is perhaps only a device to give Jodie something to panic about. That said somehow the movie just works and can be forgiven for these little moans.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Panic Room is director David Fincher's amazing camera work which sweeps through keyholes and closes in on some micro photography that gives the film a very swish feel. Watching on DVD my friend urged me to take note of the beginning credits which are highly imaginative and classy. Clever work shows the main credits hanging on high rise blocks without
any visible seams. Fincher is of course celebrated for films such as Se7en and Fight Club. Whilst Panic Room is not in the same class as these, it certainly makes it's mark on his CV.

Writer David Koepp does a good job with the screenplay offering us a script that keeps the story moving forward. His previous limelight's were Alien 3, Spider Man and the Jurassic films amongst others.

Viewers of sensitive characters should note that there is some violence in the movie, particularly towards the end. Although never nice to watch, I feel that this only serves to heighten the fact that there are consequences to crime.

My friend informed me that Nicole Kidman was hired to play Meg but having injured herself whilst filming Moulin Rouge, Jodie was next choice. Much as I like Nicole, I think Jodie Foster brings more to this character than Nicole would have done. As a little piece of trivia however, Nicole is uncredited as the telephone voice of Meg's husbands girlfriend.

Panic Room is tense, stifling and sophisticated. Highly recommended - especially for Jodie fans.

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