The Calling (DVD REVIEW)
The
Calling
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Screen Adaptation of Cat-and-Mouse Murder Mystery Arrives on DVD
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 Home Entertainment
DVD
Extras: Divine Intention: Making The Calling.
To
see a trailer for The Calling, visit:
To
order a copy of The Calling on DVD, visit:
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