Sunday, November 14, 2021

The Guilty (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Peter Sarsgaard, and Christina Vidal.

Sometimes there are those movies that just grab you, from minute one, and don't let go. This was one of those for me. Gyllenhaal is almost the only face we ever see in this film, and he carries it beautifully, keeping the tension up even while most of the time we're just watching his face. It feels like a play in the best way, in that it's so easy to get caught up with what's happening in front of you that don't even *notice* how narrow the focus is. The cinematography finds ways to keep things energetic, the dialogue is smart and well-written and does so much to show us Gyllenhaal's character and how his personal life and work life are converging. It reminded me of what I wanted Halle Berry's The Call to be, except this one actually sticks the landing. Powerful and intense and wonderfully crafted.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Guilty > Hustle & Flow
The Guilty > Chronicle
The Guilty > Crimes and Misdemeanors
The Guilty < The Orphanage
The Guilty > Nosferatu
The Guilty < The Apartment
The Guilty > The Usual Suspects
The Guilty < Saving Mr. Banks
The Guilty < Sister Act
The Guilty > Pitch Perfect
The Guilty > Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Guilty < Eighth Grade
Final spot: #293 out of 3485, or 92%.

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