Panic Room (2002) Review

"How do you live in New York and not have a single percocet?"
-Junior



Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) is recently divorced and moves into a new house with her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart).  The house is large for New York City and even has a panic room built in.  Their first night in their new house, a group of thieves break in.  Meg and Sarah lock themselves in the panic room and tell the thieves to take whatever they want and get out.  Unfortunately, what the thieves are after is inside the panic room and they are desperate to get in.


What Works:

I really enjoy films that mostly take place in one location.  It's an exciting way to build conflict and I enjoy watching the characters trying to solve the problem with the limited resources they have.  Panic Room definitely delivers in this way and we get some very cool and clever sequences in the film from both the thieves and Meg and Sarah, my favorite being the propane gas scene.  I don't know enough about propane explosions to say how accurate the sequence is, but it looks amazing and is a highlight of the film.

The cinematography is fantastic, as is to be expected when it comes to David Fincher films.  I love the way the camera travels around the house in such a fluid manner.  Even though we're stuck in one location for the entire film, the cinematography definitely adds some life to the film.

The acting is superb all around, Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart are both great as are the thieves.  Forest Whitaker's character is fascinating as he is morally conflicted with what they are doing and doesn't want to see anyone get hurt.  Dwight Yoakam is pretty terrifying as the wild-card who will do anything to get the money.  And Jared Leto, thought over-the-top in his rich-kid-turned-thief role, is still very entertaining.

As a huge David Fincher fan, once again his directing is fantastic.  The guy can make a movie and is truly one of the best in the business.


What Sucks:

There are a few character decisions throughout the film that aren't very smart or just don't jive.  It's nothing major, just little things that bothered me throughout.

I also didn't care for Forest Whitaker's final scene.  I don't really get why he threw the bonds away.  Maybe I'm missing something, but I just didn't see the point.


Verdict:

Though it has a few questionable character decisions, an odd character resolution, and is certainly not David Fincher's best movie, Panic Room has a very entertaining and interesting story, excellent acting, amazing visuals and cinematography, and great direction.  Without a doubt, Panic Room has got it going on.   

 8/10: Really Good 

     

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