The Call - C-

Rated R, 95 minutes

"The Call" is a forgettable, silly thriller

Halle Berry

You'll want to disconnect the flavorless, contrived new Halle Berry thriller "The Call." Though it starts out serviceably well, it falls apart midway through under some highly implausible circumstances. When veteran 911 operator, Jordan (Berry), takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer (Michael Eklund) from her past in order to save the girl's life. Directed by Brad Anderson, who made a vivid impression with Christian Bale in "The Machinist," "The Call" is a modestly entertaining but dumb thriller that's mostly memorable for Berry's bushy bad wig (sorry I couldn't take my eyes off of it) and a very grown-up Abigail Breslin a.k.a. "Little Miss Sunshine." The movie's initial, taut chapters work well as we see little of the bad guy and Berry and Breslin's 911 phone conversation make for some interesting fodder. But midway through the movie gets dumber and sillier by the minute as Berry and her wig go on a personal mission to save the young girl, making the police look pretty stupid. Second-rate acting, bad dialogue and weak writing only make this a below average effort from a lovely Oscar-winning actress who, no pun intended, dials in another rote performance that only makes her recent film choices so dubious. On the flip (phone) side, "The Call" gives us a new impression and perhaps a transition to adult roles for the more mature Breslin, who no longer resembles the pudgy girl of just a few years ago, and we hope she has a brighter future in films than this dreck. "The Call" is for Berry's fan base, who'll energetically turn out for this banal, unoriginal popcorn film and make it a hit in spite of itself.

Wes's Grade: C-