In the hands of a lesser director, "Panic Room" could have been all too routine and conventional. But thanks to the directorial skills of David Fincher, it rises above the average thriller coming out of Hollywood these days. It might seem at times that Fincher's too concerned with things like the film's visual style and CGI-assisted "camera movement" (e.g. there is an incredible scene where the camera glides down from the second floor into the kitchen, and then *through* the handle of a coffee pot and straight *into* a keyhole--and back out!), but that's part of what I like about this film. It's by a director that really loves and is a master of the craft of filmmaking, and is willing to shoot scenes in a creative, unconventional way. The suspense, after the initial set-up, is pretty taught and it never really lets up until the end. All-in-all, although Fincher fans might be somewhat "disappointed" that "Panic Room" isn't up to the level of "Fight Club," I think Fincher's latest effort is still worth seeing. It doesn't break new grounds, but it's a lot better than most so-called "thrillers" in recent memory ("Memento" being a definite exception).
Review of Panic Room
