CELLULAR: Ryan (Chris Evans) receives a random phone call on his cell phone from a panicked Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) and is thrown into a race to save her life. Now playing at AMC Fenway.
One of the best things about Cellular is its brisk pace. It wastes no time getting to the action and diving right into the plot. Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) is walking her son to school, and their short conversation reveals just enough information to make the story work - that she is a high school science teacher. When she returns home, three men break in, kill her housekeeper, kidnap her, and lock her in the attic of an old house. The chief bad guy, Ethan (Jason Statham), makes sure to smash the wall phone next to her, though there's still enough left for Jessica to use her skills to piece it together and place a call to whomever will pick up.
The person who picks up is Ryan (Chris Evans), who, according to his ex-girlfriend, is shallow and self-absorbed. When he receives Jessica's call, however, he shows amazing kindness and patience when going to the police. He speaks to Officer Mooney (William H. Macy), who tells him to go to another part of the station, but something in Jessica's voice leads Mooney to believe the story enough to write down Jessica's information and check it out later.
Soon after hearing Jessica's kidnappers on her side, Ryan realizes what he's getting himself into and ends up racing around West Los Angeles on the trail of a grand conspiracy. The different obstacles he has to overcome, from staying on the line with Jessica to convincing people he's not crazy, are the real fun. Some of the action scenes may seem over the top, but we go along with them because the drives of the characters are strong.
The plot itself sounds like a gimmick, but only because it is one. The surprising thing is how convincing it is and how easily it draws you in and involves you.
Suspense also draws you in, and Cellular is full of it. The film stays honest, with Ryan even putting Jessica on hold when he doesn't really believe her. Jessica pleads with the sincere love of a mother for the life of her son. Even the criminals seem honest, with Ethan clear-cut and solid in his determination to get what he wants, leaving nothing to chance. Mooney is a great, quiet, professional cop, not what we typically find in Hollywood, but he definitely gets the job done.
Another great thing the movie does is integrate the versatility of cell phones into the plot. It also uses their annoyances, such as people driving while talking and the hell of waiting in line at cell phone stores. There are bits of well-placed humor all throughout the movie, and for those of you who liked Last Comic Standing, comedian Dat Phan has a small role as well.
The film really plays on human nature and is definitely one of the year's best thrillers. It is well-acted, well-written, and a great time.
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