Cellular [Blu-ray]

Director: David R. Ellis David R. Ellis

Overview

A thin thread of electronic data may be the only thing that can save a women and her family in this thriller. Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) is a biology teacher who is kidnapped by Ethan (Jason Statham), a vicious criminal who has threatened to murder her husband and son if he doesn't get what he wants. Ethan destroys the only working telephone in the cabin where she's held, but Jessica manages to put enough of the pieces together to send out a call that's picked up by Ryan (Chris Evans), a college student, on his cellular phone. Jessica manages to convince Ryan of the gravity of her situation, but she has no idea of where she's being held, leaving his cell phone as the only link to her whereabouts -- and his batteries are starting to wear out. Cellular was scripted by Larry Cohen, the exploitation film auteur who enjoyed a major comeback with his script for another telephone-based story, Phone Booth.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/17/2012
UPC:	0794043157745
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Warner Home Video
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	21,395

Special Features

Deleted/Alternate Scenes Three Riveting Featurettes: Dialing Up Cellular Celling Out Code of Silence: Inside the Rampart Scandal Filmmakers'' Commentary

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kim Basinger	Jessica Martin
Jason Statham	Ethan
William H. Macy	Sgt. Bob Mooney
Noah Emmerich	Jack Tanner
Richard Burgi	Craig Martin
Eric Christian Olsen	Chad
Rick Hoffman	Lawyer
Will Beinbrink	Young Security Guard
Erin Foster	Surf Girl
Brenda Ballard	Irate Customer #1
Paige Cannon	Girl at Concert
Caroline Aaron	Marilyn Mooney
Chantille Boudousque	Chloe's Chilly Friend
Robin Brenner	Excitable Customer
Marco DiMaio	Superior Officer
Eddie Driscoll	Crewcut Officer
Tagert Ellis	Kid in Phone Store
Eric Etebari	Dmitri
Willie Gault	Detector Operator
Matt McColm	Deason
Lara Romanoff	Eurotrash Girlfriend
Al Sapienza	False Craig
Lin Shaye	Exotic Car Driver
Gene LeBell	Driving Instructor (uncredited)
Brandon Osborne	School Boy (uncredited)
Peter Weireter	Sergeant (uncredited)
Rayveness	Party Girl (uncredited)

Technical Credits

J. Gruber

David R. Ellis	Director
Dean Devlin	Producer
Lauren Lloyd	Producer
Marc Roskin	Producer
Toby Emmerich	Executive Producer
Douglas Curtis	Executive Producer
Richard Brener	Executive Producer
Keith Goldberg	Executive Producer
J. Gruber	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A good gimmick can go a long way, so it was a decent idea to film the ultimate contemporary challenge: sustain a cell phone signal as though your life depended on it. Add the fact that it's L.A., and Cellular could have had some sly social commentary thrown in for good measure. The film never quite attains its goals, but it does rebound toward something halfway decent after a clumsy beginning. During the under-thought opening half, L.A. might as well be the Lesser Antilles for all it resembles the actual city -- geographically, traffic-wise, or in terms of its internationally recognizable airport. But along the way, Cellular gathers some momentum and does interesting things with both the possibilities and limitations of mobile communication. Tear-streaked, a quaver in her voice, and always just a shade unconvincing, Kim Basinger leads a cast that's far better than such a B-movie might expect. Especially surprising, though surprisingly effective, is William H. Macy as the obligatory retiring cop. Not that they behave like real people most of the time; no more would the kidnappers let Basinger bang around unshackled in the attic, than would Chris Evans' character hold up a cell phone store for what might be a prank caller, for all he knows. But the real hero is Evans' cell phone, which takes a beating, yet still perfectly transmits sounds and voices from 15 feet across the room. As gimmicky thrillers go, Cellular needed a lot more Speed and a lot less Phone Booth to be truly worth your anytime minutes.

All Movie Guide

It's an honest, unpretentious, well-made B picture with a clever, silly premise, a handful of sly, unassuming performances and enough car chases, decent jokes and swervy plot complications to make the price of the ticket seem like a decent bargain.

New York Times - A.O. Scott

This unpretentious little bit of superior craftsmanship will be utterly mesmerizing to two kinds of people in particular: those who love cell phones and those who hate them.

Washington Post - Stephen Hunter

By occupying their roles believably, by acting as we think their characters probably would, they save the movie from feeling like basic Hollywood action (even when it probably is). This is one of the year's best thrillers.

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert