Panic Room

I was leery after seeing the first trailer for Panic Room, but as I saw it each time I noticed something I liked about it. First, the story looked okay, but then I realised Forrest Whitaker was in it (usually a great sign!) and then I saw Jared Leto and noticed Dwight Yokam's name in the credits, and I was ready to see it. Then I realized this was the new David Fincher film, and I was HOOKED! I loved Seven, Fight Club, and I even admired Alien3, simply because of Fincher. The movie is fantastic, full of twists, turns and jolts. The performance of Jared Leto was awesome. His character was funny and seemed to hold the action together. Jodie Foster is great, as usual, and Kristen Stewart was very good as the Sarah (although from the trailers, it was hard to tell if it was a boy or girl...)and Dwight and Forrest were great as well. This is the best suspense film in a while, and Fincher once again proves he is at the top of his profession! "Go see Panic Room!"

This was a very suspenseful and exciting thriller from David Fincher who is responsible for my all time favourite film which is Seven. This new film has another very good performance by Jodie Foster but the acting standout of the film has to go to Dwight Yoakam with awesome performance as Raoul. The only problem i had with this film was its ending which was a bit of a let down but did not really spoil the film at all.

8 out of 10

David Fincher directs this cleverly conceived thriller about a mother and daughter trapped inside a panic room by three criminals. The film is well-paced and the camera work is slick. The film does well in exploring the confines of the house. Jodie Foster is effective and maintains a high intensity throughout. Kristen Stewart is decent as her daughter. Forest Whitaker plays a slightly sympathetic criminal and does well. Unfortunately, after an engrossing game of cat and mouse, the conclusion is weak. Staple clichés crop up and the film goes for a crowd-pleasing finale that doesn't quite feel right. Still watchable.

Overall 7/10

Director David Fincher lays out a tight simple thriller. It takes place all in and around the house. Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) is recently divorced and buying a house in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has a panic room. On their first night in the house, they get invaded by three criminals (Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto) intend on getting something from the previous owner left in the panic room. Only Meg and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) get there first.

Fincher has striped away all the unnecessary filler from the story. It's a simple cat and mouse game. Nothing could be simpler. Even at almost 2 hours, there isn't a slow moment. All the actors get their fair share. Jodie and Forest lead the cast, but Jared and Kristen also shine. I wouldn't say this was the greatest or the most original. It is simply a good movie.

This claustrophobic suspense thriller sets itself up well with a remarkable, if digitally enhanced, one-shot that neatly and necessarily establishes the geography of the central location, while also planting the seeds for the seedy uses of various tools laying about the house, so that the action that comes later is clean and clear without ever needing to slow down for the sake of audience reorientation. 'Panic Room (2002)' is pretty pacy and nicely gritty to boot, being unusually violent for pictures of the kind but never less tense either. It manages to make a compelling home-invasion seem suitably layered, presenting the bad guys as rounded individuals with differing yet believable motives and personalities. It still feels immediately dangerous, though, never losing sight of its protagonists and the escalating peril they're placed in, until it finally reaches its truly edge-of-your-seat and slightly unexpected finale. 7/10