Movies 2004.12.19 - Phone Booth / Nurse Betty

I think Phone Booth has one of more original plots around. The movie happened in just a matter of hours. The story is tightly edited, one main location, a handful of characters: the two-timing husband, the loyal wife, the girlfriend, the vengeful sniper, the police captain.

Colin Farrell's performance is just a joy to watch. I thought he's really bad in Daredevil (one of the worst movies I've seen), but he's just great in Phone Booth. (Maybe he's so bad he's good). From a swaggering PR hustler to a blubbering helpless victim, his transition is remarkable. I mean, how expressive can you be when all you're doing is talk into the phone for most of the movie? Colin Farrell manages to pull it through. Special mention goes to the prostitutes. They're just hilarious.

Watched Nurse Betty a few days ago. That's another Renee film I enjoyed. Renee plays this innocent housewife who's obsessed with this soap opera called "A Reason to Love". She was in a room watching the show, while her husband was is in the living room drug-dealing with some guys. The deal goes wrong, and Betty looks out just in time to see her husband being scalped and killed. Her mind adapts to the trauma by taking on the character of a nurse in that TV medical drama.

So Nurse Betty heads off to LA California to look for her Dr. David Ravell. She finally meets the character in a charity dinner, but in her demented mind, she sees the guy's as her fiance. The cast thinks she's a wannabe talent, so they all play along. She's such a "natural", they even offered her a role in the show. Upon seeing the sets and all the people she knew "acting" their parts, she regains her old memories. Meanwhile, the bad guys catch up with her, and demands back the drugs.

I specifically remember the part when Morgan Freeman takes a liking to Renee, and he says to her, "I'm appreciably older than you, but my health is good. I take care of myself, and I got some money socked away.....I'd treat you like a queen.....I like the symphony, walks in the rain, sunsets, animals and children. I read passionately, and I like to discuss things. I'm basically conservative, but flexible.....Here, listen to this, "If who I am and who I hope to be should meet one day, I know they will be friends." Now that's beautiful.....I've chased you across the country, Betty, and I come to find out we're a lot more alike than you'd think." And that's coming from a gangster. Wow. All this time, his son is out in the living room watching "A Reason to Love" with the hostages. So funny.