On the Line – movie review
The career of Mel Gibson, a former A-lister, has faltered due to off-screen indiscretions. He now seems to appear in a number of B-grade movies. And it’s unlikely that his latest film, On the Line – a claustrophobic thriller mainly set in one location – will resurrect his stalled career.
Gibson plays Elvis Cooney, an abrasive and rude shock jock who hosts a late-night talk show on an LA radio station who courts controversy. His boss (Nadia Fares) warns him that, one day, he may go too far on the air. She also urges him to use social media to raise his profile. But on this night, when he’s breaking in eager new intern Dylan (William Moseley), the show is far from routine.
A caller named Gary (Paul Spera) phones in and threatens Elvis, claiming that because Elvis ruined his life, he’s going to ruin him. He wants Elvis to learn a vital lesson about how words have consequences. Insisting that Elvis not cut him off, he threatens Elvis’ wife and young daughter. Gary says that Elvis abused a female employee at the radio station, who subsequently committed suicide. He forces Elvis to answer a couple of deeply personal questions truthfully before turning the screws further. The sounds of gunshots and breaking glass set in motion a deadly cat-and-mouse game between Elvis and Gary as he desperately tries to learn the caller’s identity. Gary insists that Elvis stay on the line or else something bad will happen to his family. Elvis and Dylan prowl the deserted stairways, corridors and offices of the radio station searching for clues. They discover that the doors and car park of the station have been wired with explosives, which further increases the tension of this ticking-clock scenario. And as the drama plays out live on the airwaves, listeners post comments on the social media feed.
French filmmaker Romuald Boulanger writes and directs On the Line, and this marks his English language feature debut. Like Phone Booth and the recent The Guilty, much of the action plays out in a single location and seemingly in real time, which adds to the tension. With its central plot featuring a radio station talk show host, On the Line also shares elements with Oliver Stone’s 1988 drama Talk Radio, which featured Eric Bogosian as a rude shock jock, the 1995 Korean drama Midnight Caller, and the short-lived 90s TV series Midnight Caller, in which Gary Cole starred as a former detective turned talk show host who helped solve problems for callers. Boulanger leavens the tension with touches of black humour.
On the Line offers an intriguing premise and Boulanger effectively maintains the suspense for two-thirds of the film. However, it’s ultimately let down by too many twists that become increasingly convoluted and unbelievable; and a clunky ending that will disappoint many. It seems as if Boulanger painted himself into a corner and didn’t know how to satisfactorily resolve the situation, so took the lazy way out.
The main strength of the film though is Gibson’s strong performance as the obnoxious and arrogant Elvis. He’s on screen the whole time and has a commanding presence that reminds us of his heyday as a bona fide film star and box office draw. Spera (On the Basis of Sex) brings a sense of menace to his role as the disembodied voice of the mysterious caller. The cast also includes Alia Seror-O’Neill as Mary, Elvis’ producer, and Kevin Dillon in a small role as a rival disc jockey.
Although set in Los Angeles, much of On the Line was shot in Paris. Cinematographer Xavier Castro uses handheld cameras and over-the-shoulder POV shots to increase the tension. There’s also some good production design from Emmanuel Reveillere, which creates the radio station interiors.
Greg King
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Greg King has had a life long love of films. He has been reviewing popular films for over 15 years. Since 1994, he has been the film reviewer for BEAT magazine. His reviews have also appeared in the Herald Sun newspaper, S-Press, Stage Whispers, and a number of other magazines, newspapers and web sites. Greg contributes to The Blurb on film