The Caller
Ring, ring
Time-traveling movies are always a
tricky thing to pull off. They always run the risk of plot-holes and
becoming a muddled mess. Most of these movies make things up as they
go along, but we let the mistakes slide if the movie is good enough.
The Back To The Future series is a prime example of how a movie can
ignore it's own rules, have a bunch of plot flaws, and still be
universally loved. Alternatively, you have a movie like Timecop which
is equal parts confusing mess and lousy entertainment. The most
important part of a time-travel movie, or any movie for that matter,
is to be entertaining first, and accurate second. Throwing in
time-travel to the horror genre is an interesting, if risky, venture.
The Caller is a 2011 supernatural
horror movie starring Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight, Swingtown) as Mary
Kee. Mary has just moved in to a new apartment in Puerto Rico after
finalizing a divorce from her violent husband, Steven (Ed Quinn,
Eureka, True Blood). Inside her new apartment is an old rotary phone
which she decides to keep. One night, the phone rings with a woman on
the other line asking to speak with someone named Bobby. Mary informs
her that, despite having the right number, no one by that name lives
in the apartment. Trying to get her life back together, Mary enrolls
in classes at the local university where she meets a math teacher
named John Guidi (Stephen Moyer, Priest, 88 Minutes). The mysterious
calls continue with Mary eventually having a conversation with the
woman. Her name is Rose (Lorna Raver, Drag Me To Hell, Armored) and
they begin talking about their lives. Rose tells Mary that she is
calling from the 1970's, which Mary quickly dismisses. Rose says that
she drew a picture inside Mary's pantry and wants her to look at it.
Mary sands down the paint on the wall to reveal a picture of a rose.
During this time, Mary is harassed by her ex-husband despite a
restraining order and her growing relationship with John. When Rose
reveal that she is in an abusive relationship with Bobby, Mary tells
her to stick up for herself. During the next call, Rose tells Mary
that she killed Bobby and may have hidden him inside the walls. Mary
refuses to take the calls for a short time, and is able to move
forward in her relationship with John. Mary asks her neighbor George
(Luis Guzman, Boogie Nights, Traffic) about Rose and he tells her
that she committed suicide many years ago. Mary starts to take the
phone calls again from a now irate Rose and time starts to shift as
Rose changes things in her past. Soon, no one remembers George and
eventually, Mary learns that John died as a child. One night, Mary
receives a phone call from Rose, who has a special visitor: Mary as a
little child. What will happen to Mary in the past and is there any
way she can stop her from the present?
Another thrilling action scene brought to you by The Caller
Time-traveling movies can work if
they're done with a mixture of subtlety, nuance, and cleverness. The
Caller has none of these traits, leaving behind a boring and
confusing mess. My biggest problem with the movie is that the simple
solutions of “not answering the phone” or “move out of the
apartment” are never presented as real options. This is the same
issue I have with the plot of the television show “American Horror
Story.” (Full disclosure: I could only sit through one episode of
AHS and hated every second of it). There were way they could have
forced Mary to pick up the phone early on, but she's presented as
just being bored. I understand and appreciate the parallel between
Rose and Mary in their respective relationship, but I never truly
believed that Mary would confide in an obviously crazy person and
feel a connection with her.
The movie spends far too much time with
character development and not enough with action and horror. The
time-changing aspect doesn't really kick in until the last ¼ of the
movie when it really should have started much earlier. It was an
interesting touch to have the young Mary involved, but then again, it
didn't really make much sense. I mean, where were her parents during
this time? And if George and John had been killed in the past, are
they still dead? They were just trying to help this girl out and they
get the short-end of the stick. Where's the justice in that? The
acting is fine, throughout with Lorna Raver putting in the best
performance just by using her voice. The movie isn't scary and there
were only a few times where Rose's voice became creepy. Without the
scares or action, we're left with a weak plot and mediocre directing.
I did also find it out that, with the exception of Luis Guzman, the
main characters in the movie are white, despite taking place in
Puerto Rico.
The most strategically-placed bush ever
The Caller is a decent idea for a story
that just isn't pulled off well on screen. Rarely can I enjoy a movie
where the simplest solution is to just stop doing something. The
movie tries to explain all the time-changing mumbo-jumbo, but they
should have focused more on the supernatural evil ghost talking
through the phone. There is very little action to speak of with only
the last 15 minutes of the movie providing any sort of excitement or
entertainment. Too much time is spent on relationships and not enough
of actual horror and thrills. It is simply not scary and not even
spooky. The acting is passable, but the direction is not particularly
good. Throw in all the time-changing and you're in for a boring and
confused movie. Do yourself a favor and don't answer The Caller.
3.5/10
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