Michael Ledo This is another movie that might make a better play. We are given quick 30 second character introductions before everyone crowds together. With the title being "Elevator" it isn't hard to guess where this thing is going and what is going to happen. What makes the story interesting is the characters and details.The characters consist of a claustrophobic comedian (Joey Slotnick) who insults about everyone. There is Mr. Barrow (John Getz), CEO and multi-millionaire along with his very bratty granddaughter (Rachel and Amanda Pace.) There is a well dressed man from the office, Don (Christopher Backus), his future wife and TV newscaster Maureen (Tehmina Sunny). Celine (Anita Briem) is a pretty blonde who is pregnant. She works in the same office as Don and until recently they worked rather closely...and for some reason he has never mentioned her to his future wife Maureen. Martin (Devin Ratray) is the heavy set man who also works for Mr. Barton. Jane Redding (Shirley Knight) is a disgruntle investor who takes her medication with Irish whiskey. Her husband recently passed away and she represents the 99% ers with an ax to grind. Mohammed (Waleed Zuaiter) is the security guard on the elevator. They are on they way up to a diner/celebration for Mr. Barrow's company. As the elevator gets stuck (c'mon you knew that was coming) Mr. Barrow remarks, "I hate to miss the first course." Movie has class struggle politics, terrorism, and prejudice as multiple themes.As always we have the personality clashes and heroics. Fairly decent drama/thriller with enough light moments. Not overpowering but well done and well acted.F-bomb, no sex, no nudity, woman relieving herself on elevator. What is most unbelievable is the $3 million dollar budget. How much does getting the rights to Muzak cost?

Paul Magne Haakonsen "Elevator" doesn't really bring anything to the party, so to speak, that hasn't already been seen in other movies of similar concept. I mean, if you have seen one movie with people stuck in an elevator, then you basically seen them all.And while "Elevator" did have some good moments, I can't claim to say that it is a particularly outstanding or memorable movie. The story, like all others of this type, is about a group of people trapped in an elevator, and as anxiety sets in people show their true, and often ugly, nature. But wait, just for a twist, there is a bomb on the elevator too.What worked for "Elevator" was the acting, a good cast and the dialogue. As for the story itself, not so much."Elevator" is hardly a movie that made a lasting impression, and it was just too bland and generic even for this particular genre of being trapped in an elevator, if there is such a thing.Predictable at every point, the movie followed a very scripted how-to-make-a-trapped-in-an-elevator-movie guidebook.I am forced to rate "Elevator" a mere four out of ten stars given its weak storyline and lack of ability to captivate and entertain.

suite92 The film opens to someone making a bomb which he tells an unseen guest will kill anyone within five meters. Then we have a variety of shots of a rich city in twilight. Various people get ready to go to the Barton Building in New York City. They end up in the same elevator A.Donald Handley (tall Anglo executive; entitled to the hilt) and his fiancée Maureen Asana (reporter), Jane Redding (older lady, drinks hard liquor before leaving), Martin Gossling (middle aged, Anglo, heavy set), Don's assistant, George Axelrod (comedian, immediately attacks Don's assistant with racist humour; claustrophobic), Henry and Madeline (Henry's grandfather) Barton, and Celine Fouquet.Because George is claustrophobic, Madeline pushes the STOP button. She calls him a liar, he calls her an evil bitch. There's the start. The elevator will not start up again.Building security has no idea what to do. Barton talks to his wife on his cell; he tells her he's stuck. They call security again; a variety of excuses are offered up. Barton asks for the security man's name; he hangs up and cannot be reached again.Celine is pregnant, by Don; this takes a while to come out openly. They work in the same department, so Maureen wonders why Don did not greet her. A bit later, Celine has to urinate, much to everyone else's consternation.George is Jewish; Don's assistant is Muslim as George suspected. He manages to insult Maureen (Indian heritage) directly as well. The battle lines are drawn, verbally at least.Jane's son died in Iraq. The emotional fallout depressed her husband Neal, and they hoped to start sailing with their savings. However, 'Barton Investments lost all our money.' Don was the one who suggested the loser investments. Barton himself more or less shrugged it off. "I don't mean to sound callous," says Barton, "it's always the investor's decision." That did not go over well. Jane sees that her bomb will not quite go off as expected because the elevator stopped. She dies of heart failure.Maureen starts a newscast from the elevator via her cell phone. Barton keeps saying losses are the client's responsibility. Great stuff. Celine gets stuck with patting down Jane's corpse for bomb paraphernalia; sure enough, Jane had strapped on a bomb. Martin helps Don see if they can egress via the ceiling. Barton gets a call from his wife, who has heard the news through the television broadcasts.Do they all make it out safely? ------Scores--------Cinematography: 10/10 Great looking exteriors. Excellent interiors. Most of the film is interior.Sound: 9/10 Mostly fine.Acting: 10/10 Shirley Knight, John Getz, and Devin Ratray are veterans who know how to act. Joey Slotnik is a veteran as well, and served as a very abrasive thorn. The rest were competent or better. The twins did reasonably well as the villain the piece, the incredibly rotten grand daughter.Screenplay: 9/10 The story moves along well, and does not show internal contradictions. The human interactions were often touching.

shtove A ticking-clock thriller. Not a classic, but well done.I thought the actors played a good game, as their inner tensions came to the surface with the time passing. Overall the strands didn't come together because some of the characters didn't necessarily need to be there. And there should have been a reckoning with the evil snake oil salesman who caused all these people to come together - even if to confirm that his kind will always walk away without harm.The attempt to cut up the body was a great idea, but wasn't played for full value. Fairly good humour along with the tension, and the pace was just about right.A few logic problems - the biggest was the broadcast interview with the bomb-maker: that's not going to be shown while the crisis is unfolding.Recommend.