Directed by:
David FincherScreenplay:
David KoeppComposer:
Howard ShoreCast:
Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, Patrick Bauchau, Ann Magnuson, Ian Buchanan, Andrew Kevin Walker, Paul Schulze (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
As David Fincher's PANIC ROOM begins, recently divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) halfheartedly tours an old New York City townhouse with her restless young daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart). Using money from her divorce settlement, the unhappy mother decides to buy the spacious home. The former abode of a wealthy eccentric, this townhouse contains an unusual extra feature, a supposedly impenetrable "panic room" equipped with surveillance monitors, a separate phone line, and other survival aids, where residents can hide in case of emergency. When three men--Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Junior (Jared Leto), and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam)--break into their new home, Meg and Sarah end up using the panic room much sooner than they could have possibly imagined. And, unfortunately for them, these intruders are not simple burglars; they possess knowledge that makes the situation much more perilous. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
A suspenseful and novel plot. There is no Fincher's darkness this time, "only" a very solid thriller, spiced up with a few gimmicks (the camera passing through the ear of the teapot). Jodie Foster is great as always, and it’s nice to see Forest Whitaker again, even in a villain role, but with a good heart. It couldn’t have been any other way with him :)
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David Fincher's beloved toy for his entertainment, which raises credit in three aspects: the perfect atmosphere of constant unease in the house, from which the camera only emerges sporadically, the ambiguous character played by Forest Whitaker, about whom you cannot guess which side they are on until the last minute, and most importantly, Jodie Foster, who can play with surprising bravado the kinds of hysterical scenes most of her colleagues would break their teeth on. Because of her, those three stars are better, but it needed more twists and script ideas. As it is, the flyovers, details, and slow-motion shots get lost in their own purposelessness several times.
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First of all, I praise the great performance of Jodie Foster, who actually doesn't even need to heartbreakingly cry and wail to express her despair and stress, the look in her terrified eyes is enough. And Fincher's precise and, as always, brilliant direction orchestrates her acting and gives the film a typically dense and uncomfortable atmosphere that gradually builds up until it finally culminates in a powerful and unforgettable finale. I thought Panic Room would be a lot weaker than the best Fincher films, but I was wrong. This guy has done another great job. 90%
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A decent crime thriller that is intriguing in terms of direction. While David Fincher is capable of even better films, here he works his magic with the camera, choosing unusual angles, playing with silhouettes behind doors, utilizing shadows to emphasize the atmosphere of the abandoned house. A weaker aspect is the screenplay, which occasionally stumbles (such as the late arrival of the police considering it's a luxurious prominent neighborhood) and above all, spoils the ending of the film. It could have been more imaginative; a similar ending is already familiar to audiences from many other films. As expected, Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker dominate the cast. Overall impression: 75%.
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David Fincher knows how to dose the tension in his thrillers. It is always based on a great idea and when it starts unfolding, it is clear he really enjoys his work, scene after the scene. When I was watching Panic Room, I was quite surprised why he is currently stuck with movies which quite contradict the things he is best at. However, I enjoyed this movie. I wish they would make more harsh and exciting thrillers like this in Hollywood. But I have a feeling that movies like this one are slowly becoming rare in the States.
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