Hello! Is that you Farrell?

The remarkable Farrell, turns in one of his best performances as the man who makes a cardinal mistake; he picks up a ringing public telephone.

Phone Booth

Director: Joel Schumacher

Cast: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell

Cert: 15.

The remarkable Farrell, once again working with Schumacher, turns in one of his best performances as the man who makes a cardinal mistake; he picks up a ringing public telephone.

Which you should never do, and almost certainly won't after watching this stylish thriller.

Farrell plays an over-confident New York publicist who picks up the phone on a busy Manhattan street only to find that the caller claims to have him in his sights and he will be shot if he replaces the 'phone.

Farrell is thereafter on screen, and facing a dreadful dilemma, throughout what is a nerve-tingling film. And he is absolutely magnificent as the unwitting victim.

Well, in many respects he is far from being a victim since his character is a fairly cynical and charmless one. He is what we all imagine brash, wife-cheating, smart-mouthed NYC go-getters to be.

But here he is a man who finds himself in a deadly situation, with a gunman training his sights on the booth, and facing a series of demands. And there appears to be nothing he can do about it.

The film has been long in reaching us - it has seen several release delays - but it has been worth the wait. Farrell's association with Schumacher is proving to be one of quality.

Star Rating: 4/5.