Film Review: Panic Room (2002)

9 months ago

(source: tmdb.org)

While Hollywood films teach us that marriage represents an ultimate aim of every romance, on some occasions they also show that for some individuals can be solution of all financial problems, especially when it fails. One of those fortunate people is protagonist of Panic Room, 2002 thriller directed by David Fincher. For Meg Altman (played by Jodie Foster) the infidelity of her husband Stephen Altman (played by Patrick Bauchau) was good opportunity to divorce him, take away daughter Sarah (played by Kristen Stewart) and obtain enough money to settle in luxurious apartment in the elite section of Manhattan. Its former owner was billionaire who has equipped the apartment with “panic room” – impenetrable shelter equipped with separate ventilation and video cameras, which is to protect occupants in case of natural disaster or home invasion. On her first night in apartment Meg and Sarah are forced to use it when they see three men breaking in. At first, they are convinced that the burglars would simply go away, but it turns out that they specifically seek something that was stashed in “panic room”. One of them is Burnholm (played by Forest Whitaker), man who used to build “panic rooms” for a living, which would lead to Altmans having to endure long and exhausting siege within their own home.

Panic Room, at first glance, represents a film which is unusual for David Fincher, film maker who has built his reputation with dark and often almost surreal thrillers. Script by David Koepp delivers much simpler Hitchcockian thriller which could have been successfully directed by any competent Hollywood craftsman. Fincher, on the other hand, complicates his film by long (and for some critics too pretentious) shots that show Altman’s home from all possible angles and also display Fincher’s mastery with modern special effects. Dark cinematography, which is another characteristic of Fincher’s work, is this time provided by Conrad W. Hall, who has replaced Fincher’s old associate Darius Khondji.

Fincher indeed shows great directing skill, but he doesn’t compensate for the weakness of Koepp’s script. Too many plot developments in Panic Room are predictable, like Meg’s androgynous daughter (played by Kristen Stewart in one of her early roles) suffering from rare form of diabetes and thus having to leave panic room in order to survive. What ultimately rescues the film is the cast, most notably three actors playing the antagonists. Forest Whitaker gives tragic dimension to the character of burglar who, unlike his two confederates, still has something like conscience. Almost unrecognisable Jared Leto and menacing looking Dwight Yoakam are also great in their roles and much superior to Jodie Foster who at time appears quite disinterested for the role of protagonist. Despite somewhat unconventional ending, Panic Room leaves impression of being exercise in style more than genuine thriller in its own right.

RATING: 6/10 (++)