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Talking To The Screen
Panic Room :2002
A new leaf in this hobby.  A review before the movie has been released.  
Preview, arguably.

Lately, suspense/thriller flicks have been letting me down.  The last one I saw 
was 'Don't Say A Word' (2001), an enjoyable movie, but very predictable and 
ultimately a let down.  'Panic Room', directed by Gary Fleder of 'Kiss the 
Girls' (1997) fame, while still a variation on a classic suspense theme, is a 
well-made, thoughtful film in a genre that still mourns the passing of it's 
godfather, Alfred Hitchcock.  (Tangentially, never has this mourning been so 
clearly shown as in the remake of Psycho.  Identical to the original shot for 
shot. That anyone would opt to see the '98 version instead of the '60 is one of 
those truly baffling human phenomena.) 

Quick premise recap:  Meg Altman (Jodie Foster), recent divorcee, moves into a 
townhouse in Manhattan that's far too large for her and her daughter, Sarah 
(Kristen Stewart).  Among the obscene luxuries of the house is the *drum roll* 
panic room.  This is a room where the residents can go for safety in the event 
of a house being invaded. foreshadowing? The first night the Altmans stay in the 
house three men (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yokem) break in.  The 
women retreat to the panic room.  The men let them know (through surveillance 
cameras) that "what [they] want/is in that room".

So I'm thinking grown-up 'Home Alone'. 

What makes this film work so well is the flux of power between the two factions. 
In this boys-versus-girls struggle, the two sides move so fluidly from offense 
to defense it resembles the dance-like beauty of martial arts.  In an attempt to 
preserve your enjoyment I will refrain from offering any examples here, and 
instead give my highest recommendation to see this movie.  So often have I been 
disappointed in the current state of film, and suspense in particular, 'Panic 
Room' is a panacea for this weary watcher.