Cellular (2004)

Director:

David R. Ellis

Writers (WGA):

Larry Cohen (story)
Chris Morgan (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

If the signal dies so does she.

Plot:

A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. The catch? The woman claims to have been kidnapped; and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.

Plot Keywords:

Cell Phone | Family In Danger | Fishbowl | Conspiracy | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Caroline Aaron	...	Marilyn Mooney
Brenda Ballard	...	Irate Customer #1
Kim Basinger	...	Jessica Martin
Will Beinbrink	...	Young Security Guard
Jessica Biel	...	Chloe
Chase Bloch	...	Timid Boy
Chelsea Bloch	...	Surf Girl's Friend
Chantille Boudousque	...	Chloe's Chilly Friend
Robin Brenner	...	Excitable Customer
Richard Burgi	...	Craig Martin
Paige Cannon	...	Girl at Concert
Nikki Christian	...	Porsche Girl
John Churchill	...	Young Guard
Greg Collins	...	Aging Security Guard
Valerie Cruz	...	Dana Bayback

Also Known As:

Final Call - Wenn er auflegt, muss sie sterben (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror situations, language and some sexual references.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Denmark:11 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41056)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Inspired partly by the LAPD Rampart scandals in 1999.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At Santa Monica Pier, Ryan was caught by Chloe when he was talking on the phone with Ethan. The cops came, but Ryan jumps off the pier and into the sea. Then we saw him coming out off the water and hiding inside a warehouse under the pier. And when Ethan is about to kill Mooney, Ryan calls him with his cellphone. Unless the Nokia 6600 were waterproofed he wouldn't be able to do that call.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ricky Martin: Mom, will you still be a science teacher when I get into high school?
Jessica Martin: Hmm... You never know. Why?
Ricky Martin: 'Cause I think it'd be kind of weird to have your mom as a teacher.

Movie Connections:

References Final Destination (2000)

Soundtrack:

Kicking Back

An entertaining and intense movie from beginning to end

A kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger) frantically dials a random number on a broken telephone, reaching the cellular phone of a young man in a different state (Chris Evans) who begins a race against time to find and save her before the connection is lost or she is killed.

Cellular is a fast paced, exciting and entertaining movie. It is a simple film yet an interesting one. The plot isn't new or anything but the execution is pretty good. They manage to keep the audience glued to the screen and at the edge of their seats. Keep in mind though that the film is highly unrealistic. There are a few eye rolling moments and some of the scenes may be hard to buy. I didn't have any real problems with it but some other people may complain about it. The movie is also pretty predictable. It is easy to see where things are going and the inside man is also easy to figure out.

The acting is pretty good with the best being William H. Macy. He plays the cop role pretty well and he has a few funny lines. Chris Evans gives a decent performance and he is now forgiven for appearing in the Perfect Score. Kim Basinger gives an okay performance. Sometimes she was a little too weak while other times she was just average. Jessica Biel was in the movie for about 10 minutes so it's not really worth watching. Jason Statham gives a pretty convincing performance as the bad guy though sometimes he seemed a little bored. Noah Emmerich gives an awful performance as Jack. He was just reading his lines the entire time. One of the worst performances of 2004.

David R. Ellis does a good job at directing. He keeps the audience entertained and he never lets stupidity bring down the movie. If you do give the movie a shot, just ignore any plot holes. Cellular is a thriller/action movie and if you take it seriously then you will hate the movie. The film is advertised as a harmless thriller and it succeeds as one. In the end, Cellular is a "B" movie at heart and a pretty good one. It never takes itself too seriously and it never becomes dull. Rating 8/10