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Panic
Room
The Panic
Room Cast :Jodie Foster
(Meg Altman ), Jared Leto (Junior), Kristen Stewart (Sarah
Altman), Forest Whitaker (Raoul), Dwight Yoakam (Burnham),
Patrick Bauchau, Ian Buchanan (Evan), Holt McCallany,
Ann Magnuson (Lydia Lynch), Mel Rodriguez, Andrew Kevin
Walker (Meg's sleepy neighbor) Director : David Fincher
Written By : David Koepp
Producers : Cean Chaffin, Judy Hofflund, David Koepp,
Gavin Polone
Other Known Crew Members : Darius Khondji (Director
of Photography)
One of the greatestest concerns in our modern world is that
of safety. People spend thousands of dollars on alarms, weapons,
defense classes, and homes in safe areas, in an effort to obtain
a sense of security for their families. Recent world events
have shaken many people to their very cores, as the sense of
security once enjoyed by many has been disrupted by the reality
of senseless violence.
In the new film Panic Room audiences are introduced
to Meg Altman (Jody Foster), a woman who is in the process of
divorcing her wealthy, yet adulterous husband. Meg purchases
a new home in New York City where she believes she can start
her life over and care for her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart).
One of the unique features of their new home is that it features
a panic room, a hidden chamber that allows the occupants to
hide safely from any intruders to the home. During their first
night in the new house, Meg is startled to see three figures
moving about her home on the security monitors. Grabbing Sarah
quickly, Meg heads into the panic room and seals them in.
It seems that the three intruders are looking for a safe that
is located in the panic room, and had not expected anyone to
be in the house for another week. The intruders are lead by
Junior (Jared Leto), a tense individual who is attempting to
rob the safe in an effort to collect the inheritance he believes
his late grandfather owes him. Burnham, (Forest Whitaker), a
security expert who is along to get around the security system
and open the safe and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), is a heavy that
is brought in as little more than an afterthought by the group,
who soon shows himself to be a dangerous character.
What follows is a cat and mouse game as the group tries to roust
Meg and Sarah from the panic room so they can get what they
want. Fearing for their safety though, Meg fights the intruders
in a battle of wits and wills for their safety.
The film was directed by David Fincher who did some outstanding
work with the films Fight Club and Seven
but seems to be unsure of what to do in this film. His distinct
visual style is evident as the look of the house, the darkness
that envelops the cast, and the attention to detail are evident
in every scene. What is missing is a sense of tension, Foster
and Whitaker are great, but they are given little to work with
aside from a stock situation of intruders in a home and without
edge of your seat suspense, the film falls flat. Even when danger
is present, the audience does not get as caught up in the situation
as a film of this type would require. The big problem is the
character of Meg, as she is far too intelligent for the intruders
and she is always one step ahead of them. She also possesses
some unexplained yet outstanding practical applications of science
and electronics, which she uses to thwart the bad guys. Another
fact I had problems with is the history of Burnham. Junior explains
to him that he needs them money, and he has to be there, and
he makes mention of his family, yet we never learn of his motivation
even when he starts to question what the group is doing.
The film has some entertaining moments, but there is little
to make the film stand out aside from the outstanding Foster,
but in the end, even that is not enough to raise this movie
up from being a middle of the road suspense film.