Alone in the house, no way out, and three ruthless criminals waiting for you to make that one decisive move that will finally put you in their hands. Director David Fincher delivers his latest film with the same intensity and paranoid frenzy he injected into "The Game," "Seven" and the cult film "Fight Club." This time around Fincher takes a much simpler story, penned by David Koepp, and uses his formula of fear to try and carry this movie.
The Panic Room has no supernatural beasts, no evil, anonymous serial killers stalking in the night. The plot is based on the much more realistic scenario of burglars. Instead of relying on the fantastical nightmares of its audience, "Panic Room" conjures the more pressing fears of helplessness and entrapment.
Jodi Foster plays Meg Altman, recently divorced from a rich husband and bitterly looking to find a new house that would strain his pockets. Along with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart), Meg finds an enormous towne house in Manhattan, a rare gem of a property. Four floors and expansive rooms impress them, but the house's secret Panic Room is what closes the deal.
Meg, a worrier with a diabetic child, has her fears quelled when she discovers the over-the-top security system, installed by the former owner, a filthy rich financier who has recently passed away. This sense of security is there only to be breached their very first night in their new home.
There is something in the house that draws three men there, although they expect the house to be empty. The criminal crew is composed of three very distinct personalities, all hungry for the millions that lie in the house. Forest Whitaker plays Burnham, the tender-hearted thief with a family, valuable for his firsthand knowledge of the Panic Room's construction. His calm character is countered by that of manic Junior, played by Jared Leto. The third is Raoul; a quiet, masked man brought into the scheme at the last moment by Junior. Played by country singer Dwight Yoakam, Raoul appears to be the most dangerous of his group, maybe it's the mask or maybe it's because he's got the guns.
Immediately after discovering the men's presence, Meg awakens her daughter and rushes to the Panic Room, where she believes she and Sarah will be safe. Fear strikes, however, when Meg and Sarah discover that what the men want is in the Panic Room and that they're not leaving until they get it.
Hitchcock-style suspense and sophisticated camerawork kidnap the imagination. While the final outcome seems a bit predictable, each scene leaves the viewer anxiously awaiting the next as the psychological tension builds within the Manhattan home.
Whitaker is as engrossing as always, giving one of the more shining performances. While Burnham is terrorizing the protagonist, he is also winning sympathy, with his mention of custody battles and his peaceful demeanour. Junior is a little too comical to be frightening. A spoiled, rich drug addict, Junior provides at least half a dozen laughable punch lines, which seemed inappropriate for this type of movie.
Junior's performance was, however, admirable and it seems he may have found a niche for playing disturbed druggies desperate for crime. The disparities between Raoul and Burnham's personalities set up a great deal of the suspense, leaving the audience wondering if one will turn on the other and if Burnham can control Raoul's violence.
Foster also delivers one of the most notable performances, playing the part of the strong and protective single mother facing her fears and the alarming reality to the bone.
Fincher, who is often identified as a director who can throw a curve ending, keeps this finale easy and ordinary yet somehow still satisfying and effective.
