Columbus Circle

Before watching this movie I wanted to like it. Being a fan of many of the actors in this movie I thought it had the potential to be unknown yet good movie, unfortunately that is not the case.

The premise was interesting a murder takes place in the room opposite from a woman with Agoraphobia and hasn't left her apartment in 11 years and from then on the direction of the film follows around this character. From then on the movie starts to fall apart, some of the acting verges on being poor,many of the films concepts become implausible and the films conclusion is just embarrassing.

However, the film isn't a complete loss, the story is enough to keep the movie at least quite interesting and is filled with many twists some of which lead to the films finest moments. Also, Kevin Pollak and Giovanni Ribisi put in performances that are at least rather good which is a shame due to their limited screen time.

In the end the film is so concerned in throwing as many twists as possible into it that it forgets in how to carry a story and in the end is left in a mess. In my opinion the movie is watchable yet but not good and I would be shocked if anybody were to find this movie anything higher than good. If presented with the opportunity of watching other movies viewers should look into taking a chance elsewhere.

The story might be so predictable that it could actually hurt you, but the movie is still really entertaining. Maybe you have to have a little love (in you) for those kinds of thrillers, but the actors are giving their best with the material they have. Jason Lee might actually be the weak link here, but it's the character that doesn't seem to suit him. He tried something different, but I'm pretty sure most people will find him not convincing enough.

You could read a bit of social critic in this I guess, if you wanted to, but I saw it more as an entertaining thriller than anything else. The ending might not be to everyone's taste (morally or otherwise), but I thought it was a nice fit.

This interesting suspense movie deals with a young woman named Abigail Clayton (Selma Blair) who lives deeply alone . She is a heiress who's been shut inside her apartment building for nearly two decades is forced to confront her fears after one of her neighbors is killed . The famous daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Abigail disappeared from the prying eyes of the press and the intrusiveness of her family on her 18th birthday, the day she received her massive inheritance. During years of self-imposed isolation, Abigail has had contact with only two people-her building's Concierge, Klandermann, with whom she communicates via notes-and Dr. Raymond Fontaine (Beau Bridges) , a longtime family friend . When there happens the death of her elderly neighbor , Police arrives to begin the investigation and prompts NYPD Homicide Detective Frank Giardello (also producer Giovanni Ribisi was previously in George Gallo's earlier movie Middle Men) and Detective Jerry Eaans (Jason Antoon) to launch an investigation, the Abigail is distressed to find him outside her door, asking to question her. Having tried to acquire the dead woman's now vacant apartment to ensure her privacy, Abigail is further upset when her requests go unanswered, and new tenants Lillian and Charlie move in. Abigail anxiously monitors her new neighbors from the safety of her front door's peephole, but her well-ordered world begins to unravel when she finally encounters Lillian (Amy Smart) and Charlie (First non-comedic film for Jason Lee since The Ballad of Jack and Rose) face-to-face-and her sheltered existence becomes threatened in unexpected and terrifying ways.

This is a nail-biting and exciting thriller well directed by George Gallo . The film contains suspense , thrills , twits and turns . From start to final the intrigue and thrilling scenes are continuous . This is a picture made among friends , as most of them either play , write or produce such as Giovanni Ribisi , Jason Lee and Kevin Polack . Good performance from Selma Blair as the attractive agoraphobic heiress who has not left her Manhattan loft apartment for almost two decades. All-star-support-cast formed by known actors as Jason Lee , Kevin Pollack , Robert Guillaume and the veteran Beau Bridges as a Doctor and her sole confidant for most of her life . Suspenseful and moving musical score by Brian Tyler . Colorful though sometimes dark cinematography by Anastas Michos . The flick was compellingly written and realized by George Gallo . He is a prestigious writer such as ¨Bad boys I and II ¨ and ¨Midnight run¨ ; being an expert filmmaker on comedy genre as proved in ¨My mom's new boyfriend¨ , Double take¨ , and ¨Trapped in Paradise¨ . His greatest success is ¨The middle man¨ and ¨Colombus Circle¨ results to be his only thriller .

When I accessed the reviews for Columbus Circle, I couldn't believe all the negativity surrounding this production. Apparently, after this was made, there was no studio willing to release it theatrically. It went straight to video. I sometimes don't listen to the multitude of reviews that surround a certain film, preferring to make my own opinion. After viewing this, I found it to be a surprisingly good and watchable film with a good story, good acting and good directing. This was an original story which had a good denouement, very satisfying. I suppose that there was not enough sex and violence in this production to serve the prurient tastes of the mass audience. Tastes have changed much in recent years and I guess that there isn't much of an audience for a film that does not rely on CGI effects or gratuitous sex and violence. I even liked the main title sequence, which would not have been out-of-place on a suspense film made in the fifties or sixties. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I liked this.

A collection of good, underused actors and actresses have been assembled in "Columbus Circle". It's the type of place that is described as anything can happen there. I'll take their word for it. The events that occur in the movie get increasingly far-fetched as we go along, and unfortunately, to the detriment of the enjoyment of the film.

An old woman is found dead in her apartment. The simple answer is that it was an accidental fall but the police are there investigating it as a homicide. The main character, Abigail (Selma Blair) lives across the hall. When a detective questions her, we are supposed to believe that is the very first time she has opened her door for anyone.

Abigail isn't really Abigail. She's a wealthy heiress who disappeared from home when she was a teenager, never to be seen from or heard from again. Her family doctor (Beau Bridges) is her only confidante, and she communicates via letters with the Columbus Circle doorman. The detective is curious about her because he sees her as a victim. If this were a better film that would have been a very intriguing element.

It's not a bad film per se, it's just that the characters that interested us at first start acting in unrealistic ways and we're left scratching our heads over the point of it all.

After the old woman's body is removed, Abby wants to buy the place just for her peace of mind, but instead it goes to a young savvy couple (Jason Lee and Amy Smart) who are constantly at physical odds with each other. Apparently, Abby is so distraught over the welfare and safety of her new neighbour that she invites her into her apartment. As you can likely guess a whole host of problems, crimes, double-crossings and shady connections come with her.

The actors were all good. The characters could have been good if there was a bit more development. The plot moved fine for its short run time. I was mostly impressed with Jason Lee and Giovanni Ribisi. This is one of Lee's only dramatic ventures in his filmography and it's a great divergence for him. Ribisi played a smart, shrewed and caring detective which is a welcome change to his usual parade of drugged-out dopey teenagers. If the other actors more closely portrayed characters that resembled real people with normal or interesting traits and attributes, then I could have appreciated them too.