"The Call" _ Long a bit player in movies, the 911 dispatcher finally gets a starring role. It would seem long overdue, since Halle Berry is apparently among their ranks. She's an emergency operator in Los Angeles, where the trauma of a first kidnapping case has forced her to hang up the headset. But, having shifted to a trainer position, she's lured back for a second kidnapping call when a rookie dispatcher can't handle the frightening pleas from a taken teenager (Abigail Breslin) trapped in a car's trunk. Director Brad Anderson ("Transsiberian") working from the simple, high concept screenplay by Richard D'Ovidio, ably cuts between the fraught strategizing at the call center and the frantic police pursuit of the kidnapper (Michael Eklund). The film dials up a shallow thrill ride, but one efficiently peppered with your typical "don't go in there!" moments. But what once was usual for Hollywood _ reliable, popcorn-eating genre frights _ isn't so much anymore. A rudimentary, almost old-fashioned 90-minute escape, the film achieves its low ambitions. R for violence, disturbing content and some language. Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Halle Berry says all she wants is a normal life for her daughter.
Halle Berry says all she wants is a normal life for her daughter.
Forget glamour girls Jessica Chastain versus Jennifer Lawrence. By the end of a long Oscars telecast, the only person who could have stolen the fashion conversation was first lady Michelle Obama _ and she did.
Forget Jessica Chastain vs. Jennifer Lawrence. The most heated contest on the Oscars red carpet could be the one between Giorgio Armani and Dior Haute Couture.
With all the pressure to strike the right style note at the Golden Globes _ the kickoff to Hollywood's award season _ Claire Danes had one more: a post-baby body.
"Argo" is in big with the Golden Globes, but not so much with the Academy Awards. "Lincoln" is sitting pretty with the Oscars but was mostly left out in the cold at the Globes.
Jennifer Lawrence and Marion Cotillard were Dior Haute Couture twins on Sunday night's Golden Globe red carpet.
"Argo" is in big with the Golden Globes, but not so much with the Academy Awards. "Lincoln" is sitting pretty with the Oscars but was mostly left out in the cold at the Globes.
