VERSUS THE SCARECROW: Living in New Orleans away from the rest of the FTS crew, I feel guilty sometimes not contributing a whole lot. So I decided to challenge myself and really open the doors of my film knowledge and take on “The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide”. It’s 808 pages of movies and movie reviews from some of the most knowledgeable movie people you don’t know. It’s a book put together by a staff that praises, and destroys, some of our favorites and not so favorites.
Each episode, I’m going to tackle three films from three different categories. Two films will be films I’ve never seen before and one will be one I’ve seen before or own. For the new films, well, new to me, I’m going to review them like a typical FTS review using the TOAST Rating system. But, for the films I’ve seen, I’m going give a quick paragraph or two about why I like or don’t like the film. We’ll try to include the poster and trailer for each film.
First I tackled Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, now it’s on to David Fincher’s Panic Room, and then The Godfather.
Panic Room (2002) Directed by David Fincher. Written by: David Koepp. Starring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart and Forest Whitaker. IMDB says: “A woman and her teenage daughter become imprisoned in the panic room of their own house by 3 criminals.”
I’m a sucker for anything Fincher. Since his debut with Aliens 3 in 1992, to me, Fincher has done no wrong. Yeah some of his films might not have been as strong, but they were never flat out duds. This film is one of his films that, while it isn’t as strong, still has many great qualities that make it a stand out Fincher film. The look is your standard Fincher with dark tones and smooth characteristics against a dark setting. It looks fantastic even in the dark. Colors don’t bleed, but instead, are pronounced enough for you to distinguish. Another great thing about the film is the growing tension from the second the robbers enter the home. Jodie Foster buys a home for her and her daughter during a divorce with her millionaire husband. What she doesn’t know is the previous owner hid money in the house. Now, his former employees, robbers played fantastically by Jared Leto and Forrest Whitaker, are breaking in to steal it. What they didn’t realize is someone has moved in. When Foster discovers someone is in the house, it’s a battle of wits as Foster tries to survive the night with her daughter (Kristen Stewart. Yeah, THAT Kristen Stewart) while they try to get into the panic room.
The soundtrack is minimal, but great at adding to the tension and the performances are solid. It keeps you nervous and guessing, hoping for the best possible outcome. A few curveballs are thrown and the ending result makes for an all around great film. Nothing more can be said other than this solid film from Fincher, while not his greatest, is worth checking out on a rainy day or night. Just lock your doors first.
Read the first part of the episode here, where I review Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. Also, check back tomorrow for the conclusion of episode 1 with my thoughts on The Godfather.