Sunday, March 9, 2008

This parking spot reserved for ... Terror

P2 (2007)


Ha, I think that is my current favorite review title. Just thought I'd mention it. I rule. 
So, you know when you kinda heard about a movie, but didn't really think too much of it, then it ends up finding it's way into your DVD player, and you're all like, I guess, since it's in there might as well watch it, and then it's awesome. Yeah P2, just like that.
So its Christmas, in what ever city they're in. Rachel Nichols (of one season of alias) plays a big time workaholic. She's rich, and seems in charge of more than a little responsibility. It's Christmas eve, and her family is all over her, trying to make sure she makes it for the gathering in time. She of course, though meaning to, works late, and leaves later. She's the last one out of the office, and heads down to her car, located in section "P2", to find that it won't start. She then tries to leave the parking garage, all her Christmas gifts that were in her trunk, now in hand. She finds the doors have been locked. She heads to the security office in the parking garage. There she meets a creepy young man, that offers to try to help her get her car started. She decides its best to get a cab. Thanks him, and leaves to lobby to wait for her cab. But when the transport arrives, the front door is locked, and she can't get to her ride. She again returns to the security office, to find no one there. So she wanders, then gets knocked out by the same guard, and wakes up chained to a table, Christmas dinner in front of her. 
From there this movie gets darker and darker. The whole film takes place in the parking garage, as the security guard (played with a wicked evil/creep/outkast take by Wes Bentley) gets more and more crazy, and the efforts of our young heroine to escape. There is a real old school vibe to this film, and it had been a while since I'd seen a good ol' crazy loser kidnaps dream girl and chaos ensues flick, and this one is just hella good (I had to, ha)
Rachel Nichols is freaking awesome as the lead, her desperation becoming evident, and her smarts helping her survive and outwit as the movie goes along. Though the security guards intensity matches her characters at every turn. This is a film of two leads. There are very few other folks in this film, and when they are, it's brief, and someone usually ends up dead.
The violence in  this movie surprised me a little bit, but wow was it crazy. I loved how they would have fifteen minutes of exchanges between the leads, and then all of a sudden, she's running and the blood is flying. The one setting really allows you to build a familiarity with the parking garage, so that you know it well enough to know where the next turn leads, or to almost yell at her to move from here to there. An awesome nod of the creative head to the director on that one. This is a film that if it had had a better push, and presentation, could have scared the sweet icky goo outta patrons for a while in theatres, but it got lost in the Christmas season, and then showed up to make me jump in the comforts of my living room.
This is an intense, violent, wonderfully acted, old school thriller. You will jump, you will hate the damn guard dog (oh man did I want his furry barking ass to get it), and you should press stop, feeling pretty damn good. I really enjoyed this one guys, Boony likes, Boony likes. I love those little caught me by surprise flicks, it don't happen to often.

movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars
horror scale 4 out of 5 stars 

Expect this one to get a word of mouth following on video, the first words to start that underground mouth train... courtesy of Chuck B. Boonsweet.

Lata Bitches

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