Phone operator Jordan (Halle Berry) works in the busy 911 emergency call center in Los Angeles. Everyday she sits, listens and helps those in distress, always cool and methodical as she was trained to be.
However when she answers the call from a young girl whose home is being invaded everything changes. Always the professional Jordan tries to calm the girl down but suddenly the perpetrator is on the other end telling her: “It’s already done.”
This sentence haunts Jordan and when a few days later the body of the young girl is found she swaps her headset for a clipboard and teaches new applicants how to do her old job. While on the floor of ‘the hive’ as the bustling call-center is dubbed a call comes in from Casey (Abigail Breslin) and a breathtaking journey begins.
Casey is calling from the boot of a moving car, confused, crying and very scared. With the help of Jordan she manages to create a trail and the search is on. Her abductor Michael (Michael Eklund) is at first quite unaware of what is happening behind his back but as soon as he finds out his rage takes over.
The Call is a fast-paced movie filled with suspense. And even though a lot of it is filmed inside the boot of a car it doesn’t feel overly claustrophobic. Both Breslin and Berry manage to be believable, Breslin obviously filled with terror and Berry desperate to help. However it does seem odd when Jordan leaves her desk and turns into the hero who saves the day. Eklund is brilliant in his sweaty lunacy, menacing, furious and utterly deluded.
However The Call does have its weaknesses. The prologue to the story is a little long, which is odd as the film is only 94 minutes long. But director Brad Anderson seems to want to set the scene and create too much of an unnecessary back-story. And although the ending may be surprising and somewhat satisfying for some it makes little sense to find Jordan as the one who takes action.
Overall The Call is much better than it may first appear, even if the plot does have a few weaknesses. It is a film that is carried by strong actors, a lot of suspense and great filming, a thriller in every sense of the words.
jensinewall 