onemissedcall2008

AC/AL/V 2008 87m ENGLISH

CAST: Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, Ana Claudia Talancón, Ray Wise, Margaret Cho, Azura Skye, Johnny Lewis, Ray Purvis & Meagan Good

CREDITS: Director: Eric Valette; Screenwriter: Andrew Klavan, based on the original screenplay by Minako Daira; Producers: Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Scott Kroopf, Jennie Lew Tugend & Lauren Weissman; Director of Photography: Glen MacPherson; Production Designer: Laurence Bennett; Editor: Steven Mirkovich; Costume Designer: Sandra Hernandez; Music: Reinhold Heil & Johnny Klimek

THE SYNOPSIS

College co-ed Beth Raymond (Sossamon) has a bad habit of losing friends via mysterious deaths. First, her friend Shelly (Good) “drowns” in her backyard koi pond. Then, her friends Leann (Skye) and Brian (Lewis) both die in some gruesome manners. The creepy part about it all is that the 3 friends die soon after receiving a strange voicemail on their cellphones.

Beth gets nowhere with the authorities, as lead detective Mickey Lee (Cho) shrugs it all off as strange coincidence. Luckily for Beth, however, Lee’s partner, hunky Detective Jack Andrews (Burns) is a believer. He just lost his co-ed sister in a similar & mysterious manner. Jack teams up with Beth to solve this mystery, just as Beth’s roommate Taylor (Talancón) receives her own eerie voicemail of impending doom.

The answers involve more death, mayhem and spirits: one, a vengeful specter...the other, a savior.

THE CRITIQUE

They should have called this one All Missed Calls.

Another movie in a long line of Hollywood-ized J-Horror remakes, ONE MISSED CALL is a rather deflated affair notable only for the long-standing concept of technology gone awry. Naturally, it’s all been done before...just like this movie, which is based on the 2003 Japanese version directed by Japan’s own Tobe Hooper, Takashi Miike. That version was, in turn, based on the very popular novel Chakushin Ari by author Yakushi Akimoto.

But let’s digress...

Headlining this wrong number is the lovely Shannyn Sossamon and and lantern-jawed Ben Affleck...er...Ed Burns (sorry, I still confuse the two actor/directors). I admire the brains that the filmmakers instill in her character, as well as the spunk that she contributes to it. Yet, Sossamon’s character still does the idiotic things that most horror movie heroines commit. As for Burns, I do like him--but he basically sleepwalks through an underwritten role.

Just curious: Is it wrong when you root for the inevitable destruction of all the other young & nubile characters in a movie? Probably; but it’s the creative way that they get clipped that makes this one almost watchable (the Final Destination movies did it better). The almost part lies in its technical execution.

Helmed with some crispness by French director Eric Valette (who’s making his Hollywood debut here), the movie can be credited with a speedy pace and an untaxed viewing experience. The adapted screenplay by author Andrew Klavan is dumber than it needs be.

Seriously, how many people have to die before the protagonists switch their phone plans? I have Verizon Wireless, and can claim myself to be a satisfied customer!

Anyway, the appropriately-creepy lensing is courtesy of veteran Canadian cinematographer Glen MacPherson (Trick ‘r Treat/Rambo/16 Blocks/Romeo Must Die). Exhibiting a post-modern genre palette (read: blue gels) and plenty of shadows, ONE MISSED CALL at least looks like a genre movie.

Other tech credits (editing, production design, score, etc.) are fine. Furthermore, attentive production values are there (a $30,000,000 budget should see to that), as is a desire to keep it in America. The movie was produced on location in Atlanta, Georgia--as opposed to Canada. It gets points for American pride, that’s for sure!

THE BOTTOM LINE

ONE MISSED CALL is another half-assed attempt at Hollywood-izing a potent J-Horror import. While it has some requisite genre scares, decent production values and a photogenic cast, the movie ultimately comes up short on those “minutes” (cellular pun intended). Stick with Verizon, like me!