The Calling

I like intelligent mysteries, and generally avoid simple-minded cop movies. But this one makes the grade as an above-average cop film, even with the obvious comparisons that will be made with Fargo. Sarandon is not as good as Frances McDormand, but she does look good for her age. She is believable as a substance-abusing chief of police in a small town in Canada. The plot's the thing, though. Good stories make for good films, and this one is fairly original, considering all the crappy remakes of remakes that are popping up all over the place. The dialogue is crisp and the characters are believable. I also like the twists in the film; I will not reveal what they are, but they are entertaining. Sutherland gives a very nice performance, as does the rest of the cast. Worth viewing.

Sometimes we want a fast paced thriller, but in reality life is not like that! Nowadays I like films with more realism, its not to say that a film cannot have more crammed into it. Silence of the Lambs - that's my favorite creepy serial killer film which had plenty of material rammed into that.

The drunken drug worn out sheriff, doesn't matter who you are in life that part can get anybody, she wasn't legless but needed a tipple here and there and painkillers for some ailment she had.

I quite liked the film, bit empty in some areas, and as said slow paced. Its not a film i would pay to watch at the cinema but if I sat at home one evening and watched it on TV i would not feel cheated out of any hrs watching it.

Very watchable - Not a bad film, far from it!

'The Calling' is one of those movies that never tries to stand out in any way. It never tries to shock its audience and win points with extra levels of violence or shocking plot twists that leave your mouth gaping open. It is simply content being a solid, well acted film that audiences can appreciate and then most likely forget. And that's OK. It's better than a film trying to be more than what it's capable of and turning into a bombsite. Director Jason Stone, in his feature film debut, made the call to go down this route and I think it was a good decision all things considered.

The movie has a solid cast, but not an overly exciting one. Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn - all fine actors, however none of them are going to steal a scene or bring a lot of energy to the film. That was one issue with the film, was that it always felt a little flat. No real action scenes or plot twists can find the movie going through the motions, discovering clue after clue, until the final showdown and then it's over. Solid, but a little tedious at times. Nevertheless it's more watchable than a number of thrillers being released today and it certainly isn't going to offend anyone. Give it a look.

"When all the sacrifices are complete God will forgive the trespasses." Hazel (Sarandon) is a detective is a town where nothing ever happens. When she stops in to see a local woman that hasn't been answering her phone she is shocked to see her murdered. When more and more bodies are found she suspects a serial killer. New officer Ben Wingate (Grace) starts to help her investigate and what they find is more chilling then they imagined. There are some movies that are very slow moving and hard to stay focused on. This is a slow moving movie that actually manages to hold your attention. This is kind of a mix of Seven and Boondock Saints in the way that the killings are related to the Bible but when you find out the reason for them you start to wonder if it's really a bad thing. This is a movie that you can not talk too much about without giving away something but I will say that I did enjoy this even though it did seem to drag in a few parts. Overall, a creepy movie that is worth seeing but you have to be in the mood for it. I give it a B.

This movie's genre is mis-named. It's contemplative. It's also as dark, northern & cold as its Canadian landscape. Could the same effects not have also been achieved by a director or movie from Finland or Sweden or even Germany? (Compare the slow tempo of much German cinema.) It's a story about a state of mind with little light & much darkness -- and death is just a kiss away. Of course it also has a thriller, hunt-'em-down narrative. But I do not think that is the point. The story masks an attempt to portray a state of mind -- where do I go now? life seems hopeless, pointless & what's the use? -- concerning which mood of mind all of the actors are superb, first rate older (& younger) pros. This is definitely not a fun flick. But definitely first-rate in its own quirky way. Thank you. PS: Why is so much Canadian-based cinema so bitter and dark?