Panic Room | Review

Fincher’s new thriller has more lows than highs.

Moving into a new home always calls for an adjustment of sorts- a new pot to pee in, different balcony views and the need for a rock-scientist understanding of the new alarm system. Did you ever wonder what would have happened to the kid in Home Alone if the bad guys were in reality-extremely determined? Well put away the floor full of marbles and the whipped cream pies for David Fincher’s new thriller Panic Room.

Bathed in the typical Fincher fashion, this film follows the playing-in-the-dark-pattern as seen in Se7en and Fight Club where the quality of the image depends heavily on a detailed mixture of lighting textures and use of shadowing. The sequences that involve the specially-designed- a security guard’s wet dream-room are lit with a neon-aqua blue that helps in creating a perfect claustrophobic setting for the film protagonist’s unfortunate predicament. The camera tracking shots are particularly effective in showing the complete layout of the home and the aid of special effects gives the impression that the camera seems to be floating around swooping from one room to the next over counter tops and up and down flights of stairs and through walls- the sort of technology which would make yesterday’s Hitchcock envious. Fincher knows the tricks, and is good at building the many climax’s to make the film as entertaining as possible-a little slow-motion here, a blurring of the sound there and a couple of peek-a-boo out of the dark moments help carry the film forward. The storyline is nothing as meaty as his last three films; a lack in substance is made up for by the film’s punches. The role reversal-cat and mouse-game is somewhat arduous and the who-has-the-upper-hand craze gets a little weary. Possibly, the premise of modern day pirates hunting for the treasure should have included a little back-story possibly how the money got there or why they would they go through so much Tom and Jerry-get the mice out of the hole trouble without a more explanatory motivation.

Jodie Foster (The Accused) as the freaked-out home owner looks great and her daughter a young Natalie Portman look-a-like is very believable scared and tough little teenager played by Kirsten Stewart. The comic relief of the picture comes from the Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream) as Junior the idiot burglar is a riot you can see he had fun with the other intruder played by Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) plays the guy that wants the money but cares for human life. The violence is a little on the no-it-will-take-me-some-major-scrubbing-to-get-these- stains-out side and will keep those not seeking the newest romantic comedy satisfied. The film’s finale is a blood splattering surprise but leaves much to be desired, as the direction of the film seems destined to go choose the same route of lack of common sense, the same sort of problem that could be attributed to Fincher’s last two films. Kudos to a director who takes a serious pleasure in film’s beginning screen credits with this time a kind of title imprint onto Manhattan New York. Panic Room is a little bit better than the your average thriller and but makes Fincher’s The Game look better than it actually was, but with a low brow script and weak ending this film still manages to keep you at the edge of your seat and too many movie-goers this in itself is worth the price of admission.

Rating 2.5 stars