| LFF Review - The Disappearance of Alice Creed | |
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As unsettlingly intriguing as the opening scenes of The Disappearance of Alice Creed are, it's at this point of the film that viewers may allow themselves to think they're heading for familiar schlock territory. Yet it's to the film's credit that the tone remains unsettling and intriguing, even as we begin to learn more about the protagonists, about who they are and what they mean to each other. All have shifting agendas and motives, their actions consistently unpredictable. Allowing for a dollop of black humour, J Blakeson's endlessly inventive debut feature is a committed, claustrophobic three-hander, which, with Gemma Arterton, Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston, showcases some of Britain's most credible and adaptable film acting talent. Our Verdict: An interesting and disturbing concept, let down by some poor dialogue and unlikely twists which change the characters rather than being a part of who they are. The second twist is so fundamental that you wonder why you didn’t see it coming… it’s because there were no clues! Not only that but once the ‘reveal’ is, well revealed, you notice that the director changes the tone of the performances to fit the new situation. Overall the film is stark and unflinching, and starts off down a very, very dark road. Whilst it never abandons this route fully, it wriggles so hard to free itself that you end up thinking it was to the detriment of a cohesive plot. Arterton throws herself at the material with creditable zeal, but why she’s doing it is beyond me. Again it’s not a bad role, or even a bad performance, you just feel she’s moved on from this sort of attention-grabbing outing. It’s not even that it goes far enough, the Daily Mail for example will probably ignore it (unless of course someone gay dies in the interim who is even loosely connected to the film). The nudity and sexual content whilst not exactly tame, is also not offensive enough to warrant a petition. A difficult film to like or place in the theatrical market, but a worthy if misjudged effort nonetheless.
Rating: *** Director: J Blakeson
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The Official Word: J Blakeson's endlessly inventive debut feature is a committed, claustrophobic three-hander, featuring some of Britain's most credible and adaptable film acting talent.
