The Calling (FILM REVIEW)
The Calling
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Headline: Susan Sarandon Stars as Small Town Detective in Adaptation of Cat-and-Mouse Murder Mystery
Hazel Micallef (Susan Sarandon) was thinking
about retiring from the Port Dundas police force because of the herniated disc
which left her addicted to both booze and painkillers. But the hobbled detective
decided to put those plans on hold the day she stumbled upon the body of an
elderly neighbor whose throat had been slit from ear-to-ear by a deranged
intruder.
After all, this was her beloved hometown’s first homicide in years,
and there’s no way she could leave the investigation on the shoulders of the
only other two detectives on the force, veteran Ray Green (Gil Bellows) and
newcomer Ben Wingate (Topher Grace). Soon, the three unearth evidence which
indicates that the murder might very well be the work of the same serial killer
responsible for several other recent slayings elsewhere around Ontario. .
Apparently, the creepy lapsed Catholic was practically taunting
the authorities by leaving clues online, which is where he preys on each of his
vulnerable victims. The question is whether, with the help of a priest (Donald
Sutherland), the police will be able pinpoint the prime suspect’s locale in
time to prevent him from striking again.
That is the intriguing setup of The Calling, a multi-layered
mystery marking South African Jason Stone’s chilling directorial debut. Based
on the Inger Ash Wolfe best seller of the same name, the film unfolds less like
a whodunit than a cat-and-mouse caper, given how the perpetrator’s identity is confirmed
about midway through the movie.
Still, the picture proves compelling, thanks to a powerful
performance on the part of Susan Sarandon. The talented Oscar-winner (for Dead
Man Walking) is uncharacteristically unappealing playing a familiar archetype, one
of those substance-abusing souls in decline who summons up the strength to solve
one last case.
Fair warning: the film is tarnished slightly by periodic displays
of grisly crime scenes apt to upset audience members averse to gratuitous gore.
Otherwise, the picture earns accolades as a taut thriller about a religious zealot
on a ritualistic killing spree.
Bless me father for I have slain!
Very Good
(3 stars)
Rated R
for violence, profanity and disturbing content
Running time: 108 minutes
Distributor: Sony
Pictures
To see a trailer for The
Calling, visit:
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