The Guilty

Clearly made during the Covid restrictions of 2020, this remake of a Danish film is actually well worth a look.

A powerhouse performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, when does this man ever disappoint, he brings his A Game here, and elevates the movie. Credit to him for doing another somewhat quirky movie. Credit also to the voice actors, they did a terrific job, it felt authentic.

A few twists and turns, lots of moments to surprise and shock the viewer. For the most part they keep it subtle, only at the end do they go a little over the top.

Joe was definitely having a bad day, they threw everything at him.

If you enjoyed 2013's The Call, with Halle Berry, you'll very likely enjoy this, 7/10.

JametGylenhaal is an amaziy actor, he's able to enthral an audience for the entire 90 minutes when all focus is on him, virtually 99% of the movie.

This movie was shot in 11 days, which is impossible to believe. JG was able to hone in on his character in such a short amount of time, you're able to sense his anguish, his feelings throughout the movie - not just from a well written script, but his facial expressions, his demeanour, his body - make no mistake JG 'owns' this movie and OWN it he does....!!!

Director Antoine Fuqua also did his best with the screenplay he had, and created the perfect amount of non-stop tension and suspense - also due to Jake Gyllenhaal's outstanding performance. The cinematography and score were also on point, and the 90 min runtime and pacing just right. But the story itself was just nothing spectacular and easily forgettable - and written better in other 911 films. There were also too many plot and technical issues, and unrealistic actions and procedures taken by both the police and 911 operators. It's a generous 7/10 from me.

This story follows the world's most incompetent crisis negotiator, Joe, as he attempts to keep a situation from getting out of hand. When I say incompetent, I mean that thanks to Joe's endless blunders and impulsive behavior, this movie was just one soundtrack away from being a dark comedy. Instead it got labeled a thriller due to the thrill the of pure rage the audience feels as they watch Joe pick one poor choice of words after another.

The acting was pretty good and the story was new to me. The fact that Fuqua was able to make a movie like this from virtually one location and on such a frugal budget is pretty impressive, but come prepared to yell at Joe for being more than a little useless for an hour and a half.

Jake Gyllenhaal once again proves how good of an actor he is, especially a character actor. He plays this role, Joe Baylor, a 911 phone operator with such intensity has he battles inner struggles alongside the torment of an abduction. For me the film isn't as entertaining as it is without Gyllenhaal in the lead role. Others may disagree but this reminded me slightly of his performance in 'Prisoners' in which he plays a detective battling similar demons.

I really enjoy films that take place in one location as it immerses you more into the narrative and I think director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) does a very good job in keeping the tension centred around Gyllenhaal's character.

I don't think the writing is anything spectacular, it's really Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as well as some stellar voice acting via the phone calls that carry the film.

It's an enjoyable watch that I had a good time, albeit it wasn't a great film, but it had a great performance from a great actor.

Great.