Review: 'Panic Room' Screams Hitchcock
Fincher Fills Film With Suspense
POSTED: 12:01 a.m. EST March 29, 2002
'Panic Room' (R)
Director David Fincher ("Fight Club," "Seven") must have seen every Alfred Hitchcock movie and paid close attention, because "Panic Room" is chock-full of the suspense master's style and technique.
The film follows a just-divorced mom (Jodie Foster) and her young teen daughter (Kristen Stewart), who move into an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One of the home's features is a steel-lined inner room with security monitors, telephone, and emergency supplies -- a secure fortress in case of home invasion.
So when a late night break-in occurs, mom and daughter barely escape their attackers (led by Forrest Whitaker), and have no choice but to lock themselves into the "panic room." The problem is, the three thieves are familiar with the apartment and desperately want something that's hidden inside the safe area.
From the outstanding opening title sequence in which the credits are layered into an imposing New York skyline, to Howard Shore's nerve-racking score, to the bumps and surprises and also the occasional bits of comic relief, "Panic Room" plays very much like a Hitchcock film. It's that way at least for the first three-quarters of the movie, but then "Panic Room" suddenly starts to get a little carried away with some sequences that are unnecessarily harsh and violent.
Hitchcock shocked us more by what we didn't see on screen; Fincher bludgeons us by leaving too little to the imagination.
Considering that virtually the entire movie takes place at night in one apartment (although it's one huge apartment), "Panic Room" doesn't lack at all in movement or scope.
Indeed, the photography is outstanding. One especially impressive technique is the use of a tiny camera that takes us on a tour through the walls, ceilings and plumbing to show us exactly how the apartment is laid out and where everyone is in relation to each other. The characters may feel claustrophobic, but the audience is taken on a visual thrill ride.
Foster is her usual solid self as a woman who's trying to cope with the breakup of her marriage and her new role as a single mom. Nicole Kidman was originally cast in the part, but she injured her knee and had to drop out, and Foster came in just nine days before the scheduled shoot date.
Newcomer Stewart plays her teen daughter, and she looks so much like a young Foster you'd swear the two were related in real life. She's very natural and believable in her scenes with Foster. Whitaker does a nice job as the thoughtful lead thief, combining empathy with desperation.
It's hard to give plot specifics without giving away too much, so I'll just say that "Panic Room" falls short of being a classic in the category of Hitchcock. Still, it's still a stylish, involving, well-acted thriller that's worth the price of admission. --Dave McGuigan
Director David Fincher ("Fight Club," "Seven") must have seen every Alfred Hitchcock movie and paid close attention, because "Panic Room" is chock-full of the suspense master's style and technique.
The film follows a just-divorced mom (Jodie Foster) and her young teen daughter (Kristen Stewart), who move into an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One of the home's features is a steel-lined inner room with security monitors, telephone, and emergency supplies -- a secure fortress in case of home invasion.
So when a late night break-in occurs, mom and daughter barely escape their attackers (led by Forrest Whitaker), and have no choice but to lock themselves into the "panic room." The problem is, the three thieves are familiar with the apartment and desperately want something that's hidden inside the safe area.
From the outstanding opening title sequence in which the credits are layered into an imposing New York skyline, to Howard Shore's nerve-racking score, to the bumps and surprises and also the occasional bits of comic relief, "Panic Room" plays very much like a Hitchcock film. It's that way at least for the first three-quarters of the movie, but then "Panic Room" suddenly starts to get a little carried away with some sequences that are unnecessarily harsh and violent.
Hitchcock shocked us more by what we didn't see on screen; Fincher bludgeons us by leaving too little to the imagination.
Considering that virtually the entire movie takes place at night in one apartment (although it's one huge apartment), "Panic Room" doesn't lack at all in movement or scope.
Indeed, the photography is outstanding. One especially impressive technique is the use of a tiny camera that takes us on a tour through the walls, ceilings and plumbing to show us exactly how the apartment is laid out and where everyone is in relation to each other. The characters may feel claustrophobic, but the audience is taken on a visual thrill ride.
Foster is her usual solid self as a woman who's trying to cope with the breakup of her marriage and her new role as a single mom. Nicole Kidman was originally cast in the part, but she injured her knee and had to drop out, and Foster came in just nine days before the scheduled shoot date.
Newcomer Stewart plays her teen daughter, and she looks so much like a young Foster you'd swear the two were related in real life. She's very natural and believable in her scenes with Foster. Whitaker does a nice job as the thoughtful lead thief, combining empathy with desperation.
It's hard to give plot specifics without giving away too much, so I'll just say that "Panic Room" falls short of being a classic in the category of Hitchcock. Still, it's still a stylish, involving, well-acted thriller that's worth the price of admission. --Dave McGuiganCopyright 2002 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
