The Caller (2008)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Richard Ledes

Writers:

Richard Ledes (writer)
Alain-Didier Weill (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

When you can't control your life, control your death

Plot:

An energy business exec is assisted by a private investigator in his effort to expose his corporation's corrupt practices.

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Frank Langella	...	Jimmy Stevens
Elliott Gould	...	Frank Turlotte
Laura Harring	...	Eileen
Anabel Sosa	...	Lila
Chandler Williams	...	Sammy
Axel Feldmann	...	Young Jimmy
Grégory Ellis	...	Lulu
Corey Johnson	...	Paul Wainsail
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Bagnell	...	Jeff
Edoardo Ballerini	...	Teddy
David Ballog	...	Peter
Jean Brassard	...	Young Jimmy's Father
Julia Carothers Hughes	...	Attractive Girl
Maria-Jose Davo	...	Waitress
Kyle Emelander	...	Restaurant Doorman
Laura Holloway	...	Secretary
Edward James Hyland	...	John
Julie Jones Ivey	...	Religious Young Woman
Devin Luke	...	Limo Driver
Charles Nordeen	...	Waiter
Marion Servole	...	Young Jimmy's mother

Also Known As:

On the Hook (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent images.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Chapeau Films

Trivia:

The silent movie playing on the TV is _Nosferatu (1922)_.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The device Mr. Stevens plugs into his phone to morph his voice when talking to Frank is actually a power adapter for the iGo charger.

A Self-Indulgent and Over-Processed Exercise to Nowhere

This film is not about corporate scandal, suspense or mystery; all those elements were simply the vehicle to get to the point: Death & how one deals with inevitable death. The story is extremely contrived and overly elaborate, which became dull and frustrating because every single character, item or action is just a device to metaphor.

At the end, the plot really isn't important nor the characters because the film intentionally presents every one as a wooden puppet without the slightest emotion or expression (The golden rule of filming art: do not smile, remain expressionless, and add bleak).

It ends as you expect it to: The same death metaphor and the same dreadful indictment against the capitalistic brutalities in every other film.