Jake Gyllenhaal plays a police officer who’s been moved to the emergency call center after an undisclosed infraction. He soon ends up on a call where his basic 911 help evolves into a full-blown telephone investigation. This is basically a one-man show. There are a few people in the background with minimal lines, but he’s mostly playing off the callers and their dilemmas. Director Antoine Fuqua, who certainly knows his way around police action, starts the movie with a compelling setup, but by the last third, things have deteriorated into overwrought drama. Gyllenhaal is fine when he’s angry, but the heavier moments fall flat, along with any potential tension or empathy that might have developed. This concept has been done better, most notably with Halle Berry in The Call (my review). 
(2.5 / 5)
