Watched Panic Room with Jodi Foster and Forest Whitaker on Sunday.

The premise is simple enough that there wasn't need for much back story. The movie's a decent drama about a woman and her daughter dealing with a break-in and robbery on the first night in their new home. The home belonged to a rich guy who was believed to have had money no one found. The robbers were seeking the booty.

Due to a fumble-minded miscalculation, the robbers assumed the house would be empty. The otherwise good-willed Burnam (Whitaker) wants to turn back when he realizes there are people in the house. The evil Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) persists, goading the greedy relative of the passed, Junior (Jared Leto). They adjust their plan to just keep the occupants out of their way, further prompted by the understanding that they are being videotaped.

Meg (Foster) stumbles upon the men arguing in the kitchen from the safety of her bedroom via the video. She gathers her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart) and they hide in the panic room off the master suite.

This complication drives the film as the heroines are hiding in the very room the robbers sought. The movie presses on as the bad guys try to get the good girls from the room, and as the good girls try to get help.

The heroines are complicated because Sarah has diabetes, which raises issues while they wait in their unprepared room.

The movie moved quite believably. We were given just enough back story to know the details of the former owner, and through creative dialogue, the relationship of the burglars to the previous owner (disliked nephew Junior).

The attempts to get into the room are realistic, and while a little slow on the response sometimes, the foils are likewise realistic. The ultimate resolution is believable, and the characters are easy to read and empathize with.

I recommend the film.

Pages: 1· 2