Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDavid Fincher directs another winning thriller with "Panic Room"
By Christopher Reilly
Posted: 3/28/02, 12:48 AM EST Section: Feature
"Panic Room"
Starring: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker and Jared Leto
Director: David Fincher
*** (out of five)
Acclaimed director David Fincher is the master of the unconventional.
Moviegoers first took notice of Fincher's distinctive style with the 1995 release of "Seven," which shocked audiences with its murder-by-sin plot and head-in-the-box conclusion.
He followed that up in 1997 with the Michael Douglas flick "The Game," a twisted take on the mystery genre that throws surprise curveballs at every turn. And then of course, there is "Fight Club," which has become somewhat of a cult hit for our generation.
Fincher returns to theaters this weekend with the release of "Panic Room." He has managed to take a relatively simple tale — the story of a mother and daughter terrorized by a gang of robbers — and craft it into a dark and effective thriller. Call it "Home Alone" for grown-ups.
Considering all the production problems this flick faced, nobody would have blamed Fincher if he was in a panic about "Panic Room." Original star Nicole Kidman was forced to step down after a knee injury. Kidman's replacement, Jodie Foster, was pregnant during shooting and the pregnancy began to show. Fortunately for Fincher, none of this behind-the-scenes drama is evident in the final product.
Backed by an engrossing script, strong cast performance and a fantastic set (which really becomes a character in and of itself), "Panic Room" is pure cinema candy that will satisfy an audience's craving for thrills.
When we first meet Meg Altman (Foster, last seen in "Anna and the King"), she is clearly trying to put on a brave front in the face of a shattering divorce from her cheating husband. House shopping with her teen-age daughter Sarah in Manhattan (newcomer Kristen Stewart), they are taken to see a luxurious brownstone. But something seems strange about the new place.
"Is this room smaller than it should be?" Meg asks in one of the bedrooms. Her real estate agent then shows her the panic room, a 20th century bomb shelter to protect homeowners from robbers. It has all the latest in-home security: a separate phone line, emergency supplies and surveillance monitors. The room is crafted out of thick steel.
Starring: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker and Jared Leto
Director: David Fincher
*** (out of five)
Acclaimed director David Fincher is the master of the unconventional.
Moviegoers first took notice of Fincher's distinctive style with the 1995 release of "Seven," which shocked audiences with its murder-by-sin plot and head-in-the-box conclusion.
He followed that up in 1997 with the Michael Douglas flick "The Game," a twisted take on the mystery genre that throws surprise curveballs at every turn. And then of course, there is "Fight Club," which has become somewhat of a cult hit for our generation.
Fincher returns to theaters this weekend with the release of "Panic Room." He has managed to take a relatively simple tale — the story of a mother and daughter terrorized by a gang of robbers — and craft it into a dark and effective thriller. Call it "Home Alone" for grown-ups.
Considering all the production problems this flick faced, nobody would have blamed Fincher if he was in a panic about "Panic Room." Original star Nicole Kidman was forced to step down after a knee injury. Kidman's replacement, Jodie Foster, was pregnant during shooting and the pregnancy began to show. Fortunately for Fincher, none of this behind-the-scenes drama is evident in the final product.
Backed by an engrossing script, strong cast performance and a fantastic set (which really becomes a character in and of itself), "Panic Room" is pure cinema candy that will satisfy an audience's craving for thrills.
When we first meet Meg Altman (Foster, last seen in "Anna and the King"), she is clearly trying to put on a brave front in the face of a shattering divorce from her cheating husband. House shopping with her teen-age daughter Sarah in Manhattan (newcomer Kristen Stewart), they are taken to see a luxurious brownstone. But something seems strange about the new place.
"Is this room smaller than it should be?" Meg asks in one of the bedrooms. Her real estate agent then shows her the panic room, a 20th century bomb shelter to protect homeowners from robbers. It has all the latest in-home security: a separate phone line, emergency supplies and surveillance monitors. The room is crafted out of thick steel.
