Panic Room

Panic Room 

Directed by David Fincher

 

I recently watched an analysis on the career of David Fincher, one of my favorite directors, and it put me in the mood to rewatch a lot of his films. It had been a while since I'd seen Panic Room, so I decided to start with that one. 

Panic Room is often considered to be a lesser work by the talented Fincher, but I think that's very unfair. I've always really liked the film, ever since I saw it in the theater during its release in 2002, but after watching it again, I think it may be one of Fincher's best - and a nearly perfect film. 

I think some of the criticisms of Panic Room may stem from the fact that it's a relatively simple film: a recently divorced woman (Meg, played by Jodie Foster) and her pre-teen daughter (Sarah, played by Kirsten Stewart) move into a new home, an extravagant three floor Manhattan brownstone with a secured "panic room" off of the master bedroom. The real estate agent explains to Meg how the room operates and how "you can never be too safe these days". On their first night there, a trio of men (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam) break in and intend to rob them. Fincher, by way of his technical expertise and ability to direct his talented cast, manages to elevate the film quite a bit. 

The film starts out with a staple of Fincher's films, an interesting opening credits sequence. While not at the level of Se7en or Fight Club, the credits for Panic Room are first rate. Thanks to the score and title design, Fincher is able to evoke the feeling of a Hitchcock-like thriller and sets up what is going to be an intense and exhilarating film. I'd even go as far to say, this is the exact type of film Hitchcock himself would have made if he were making films in the 21st century. Like the best thrillers, the backstory and set up is handled well and very quickly - within ten minutes or so, we have all the pertinent information we need about Meg's separation, Sarah's medical condition, the layout of the house, and the previous owner's family squabbles. 

As Meg and Sarah go to sleep on that first night, the three men break into the home and Meg retreats to the panic room with Sarah in tow. It's soon revealed that the men want something that is in the panic room itself and the film is at full tilt speed very quickly, and it barely lets up at all during its 112 minute running time. 

Meg and Sarah are fully realized, believable, and strong female characters. Foster, who replaced Nicole Kidman early in production, gives one of her very best performances as the terrified and angry mother who would do anything to protect her child. Stewart, best known now for not being able to fully close her mouth and the Twilight franchise, showed a lot of promise as a youngster. Sarah is, at times, brash and defiant, but then also scared and childlike. Stewart is able to handle both sides of the character with ease. Their chemistry together is palpable - you really believe they're mother and daughter. 

The three intruders - Burnham (Whitaker), Junior (Leto), and Raoul (Yoakam) - also work well together. Each one is a bit of an arch type - the mild mannered Burnham, the spoiled hothead Junior, and the sadistic wildcard Raoul - but are all so interesting and well acted that it hardly matters we've seen these types of characters many times before. Fincher introduces us to this trio with a marvelous "floating" camera trick - digitally stitched together in post production - that goes through the whole house in seemingly one take, following them from one door to the next as they attempt to gain access. The shot is so masterfully done, it's really a sight to behold. 

I mentioned the score for the opening credits, but it's really wonderful throughout. It helps build and maintain the tension all through the film, up until the breathtaking finale, where everything comes to a head. Considering I've seen Panic Room at least four or five times and know exactly what's going to happen, you wouldn't think I'd be tense and on edge while watching it, but I was. There are several moments where I caught myself actually holding my breath, due to my excitement and fear. 

Generally, I don't care for the use of slow motion in films, but Fincher uses it in a couple of key sequences to add to the tension and dread, and he does so with his usual technical brilliance. These moments are heart racing affairs, where I found myself wishing things would speed back up just so I could see the outcome that much sooner.

Considering how suspenseful and tense the film is, it might be a bit of surprise to hear there are some great moments of comedy, as well. Most of these instances come from Leto and Yoakam's performances, but Foster manages to add a couple of her own, too. It's a perfect mix, so that you don't get overwhelmed by the darkness and the dread. 

My only complaint in regards to Panic Room, is that some of the character's backstories (especially Burnham's) are handled in such a stiff and obvious manner. I'm not sure how else this important information could have been delivered, but I'm sure there had to be a better way.

Overall, this is a tiny nitpick, though, and in the end Fincher has managed to create one of the very best thrillers I've ever seen. I can't recommend it enough.