The Disappearance of Alice Creed

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The Disappearance of Alice Creed

June 9th 2010 22:56

Now this is what I’m talkin’ ‘bout! A cracking, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller performed by a trio in essentially one location. Sounds like a play being staged for the camera, but The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009) is solidly cinematic and at no point feels theatrical or even unnecessarily claustrophobic. All the key elements are top-notch: writing, directing, and acting. This is my favourite movie of the Sydney Film Festival so far, and may well take top honours when it comes to posting my Festival highlights next week.

Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) are on a mission; we see them steal a van, purchase hardware materials, and a kit-set double bed. In a run-down apartment, in some nondescript high-rise they silently “re-decorate” the interior, turning one room into a makeshift prison cell while they camp out in the adjacent room. Now for the dangerous part; abduction, which goes without a hitch, and soon enough they have their victim, Alice Creed, stripped, spread-eagled and tied and handcuffed to the bed with a gag in her mouth and a sack over her head, but not before taking a few pics to send to her wealthy father for ransom purposes.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan

Martin Compston as Danny and Eddie Marsan as Vic

Everything is going to plan, despite Vic’s volatile and suspicious nature, and Danny’s cagey behaviour. While Danny baby-sits terrified Alice Vic makes periodic trips to send Alice’s father the pics and arrange the drop-off of two million quid. Danny and Vic appear to be acting like seasoned professionals and Alice was the perfect bait to squeeze the big bucks into their grubby mitts. But, wait, there’s a clause the lads didn’t read in the Abductor’s Handbook for Amateurs which clearly states at any given moment the Law of Murphy will intervene and potentially cause a minor problem, or more likely, a full-blown disastrous situation. For all concerned.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Gemma Aterton

Gemma Aterton as Alice

This is the writer/director’s debut feature. Credited only as J Blakeson, he co-scripted the recent sequel The Descent Part 2 (2009). If The Disappearance of Alice Creed is anything to go by, I’m very excited in what he’ll do next. Blakeson’s keen understanding of film grammar and rhythms; of the power of good editing and the use of close-ups is first-rate. But what immediately jumps out – and especially when there are only three characters – is he knows how important the performances must be when much of the tension lies in the raw emotions of the characters; determination, suspicion, fear, betrayal, and rage.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Aterton

With Alice secured Danny and Vic need to make a convincing ransom video

Gemma Aterton is brilliant as the panic-stricken Alice. I recognized her, but couldn’t place her until I saw her name in the credits at movie’s end. Oh my God, I thought, she was the annoying princess in Prince of Persia (yes, I saw that as a media preview commitment), and the token thankless lay for Bond in Quantum of Solace. The dynamic range she exhibits as Alice Creed puts anything else she’s done to shame. It’s a brave role too, for much of it she’s bound and gagged, at times naked and humiliated and forced to pee in a bucket. But the movie’s title is like a sword with a double-edge.

Danny and Vic nervously approach the ransom drop-off

There are several terrific twists in the narrative, and I didn’t see any of them coming, which was equally surprising and rewarding as I often see the twist coming. The pace is taut, the dialogue spot-on, and even the odd moment when you think the fabric of the plot has worn a hole it’s sewn up. All the credits come at the end, including the title, which, significantly, takes on a novel tweak from its initial reference.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed shows just how clever and effective a low-budget, tiny cast, simple shoot movie can be, as long as you have those key elements locked and loaded. It’s all about the screenplay, the casting, and the directorial savvy of where best to put the camera in order to illicit the most dynamic visual storytelling, without distracting the audience. This is the nightmare thriller of the year so far.

Here's a brief clip, as both the UK and US trailers contain major spoilers:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

14 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

June 9th 2010 23:46

Film & TV on DVD

WOW, high praise my man,

The trailer that I saw for this a few months ago looked very generic and as much as I think Gemma is a hottie have never seen her "act" efficiently..,I had relegated it to potential guilty pleasure/fun exploitation but your review sees it promoted to must see. (Not that i read the synopsis because I wanted to go in relatively blind)

Comment by Bryn

June 9th 2010 23:52

Horrorphile

JD, tis a pity you saw the trailer then. They should never have released a trailer that included key plot twists.

Comment by JohnDoe

June 9th 2010 23:55

Film & TV on DVD

It is ok I saw the trailer because it was totally forgettable and I can't even tell you what what is in it now beyond girl gets kidnapped Patty Hearst style vibe.

Comment by Bryn

June 10th 2010 00:00

Horrorphile

JD, okay. Well, avoid all trailers! I was even reluctant to put up a couple of these pics, but there were so few available. I won't hype the picture anymore. But I went into the screening knowing very little. I liked the title, the basic premise of an abduction, and that was about it. Best choice yet from the festival, apart from the vampire faves.

Comment by Matt Shea

June 10th 2010 01:07

20/20 Filmsight

High praise indeed, Bryn. I haven't heard much about this but Aterton was one of the bright spots in Quantum, even if she had a truly old school thankless Bond girl role. I rate her highly, even is her performance in Persia is supposed to be totally irritating. Sounds like great stuff - looking forward to a local release.

Comment by Bryn

June 10th 2010 05:51

Horrorphile

Matt, I'm pretty sure this will get a local release, especially on the coat-tails of Prince of Persia. To be honest for me her role in Quantum was so forgettable, I've forgotten it!

Comment by David O'Connell

June 10th 2010 06:03

Screen Fanatic

Bryn, I can't believe you just used 'Gemma Arterton' and 'brilliant' in the same sentence!

Actually, I love these restrictive, claustrophobic set-ups which are mostly in one location, whether based on a play or not. 12 Angry Men is the masterpiece that sits head and shoulders above all else of course, but I love things like The Mist (a few Stephen King stories are along these lines), as well as Tape and The Big Kahuna.

Comment by Matt Shea

June 10th 2010 06:12

20/20 Filmsight

Ahh, Quantum. If you want to know my thoughts on that PoS, and the negative effect it had on its predecessor, take a look here.

Comment by Catherine Stebbins

June 10th 2010 17:09

Thoughts from a Cinephile
Thoughts from a TV Watcher

Great review! I am excited to hear that you liked it as I am very much looking forward to seeing it. Eddie Marsan being in it does not hurt either!

Comment by Bryn

June 10th 2010 23:37

Horrorphile

David, well Persia was my first encounter with Gemma Arterton, so to see such an incredibly different performance and acting style really impressed me, and I realised how constrained she was in Persia. I have not seen anything else she's done.
I really liked Tape.

Matt, great article. I presume that's another free blogging site? I noticed you've only submitted three articles though in a couple of years. Seems you indulge in a more, dare I say it, academic approach, far more so than with 20/20 Filmsight.

Comment by Matt Shea

June 11th 2010 03:09

20/20 Filmsight

Haha - thanks Bryn. Yeah, I try to drop something on The Comment Factory every six months or so. If I've got something special in the cannon that I think has a bit of crossover appeal, then I'll take a bit of time to nut it out and send it over there. Matt Kennard runs it tight: the site has a good name and some quality contributors (Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Richard Seymour - good writers regardless of their political views). Recommend you get involved if you're keen.

Comment by Bryn

June 11th 2010 15:44

Horrorphile

Yeah, very impressed with your dissection. I'll peruse the site a little more when I have some time!

Comment by Simon cobos

June 25th 2011 08:38

Since I have not been able to find any of the newer movies you have posted, I decided to look at your older post and found this one. I really enjoyed this film, not so much as a horror or a scary thriller, just a amazing and twisting film. While watching this movie my wife was asleep next to me and woke up at all the wrong scenes like when they first kidnapp her and unclothed her, then again when the two kidnappers makeout and again when Alice and the kidnapper began to have sex, my wife was like" what are you watching!!!!" lol she that I was watching some rape scenes or even a porn. But I was very happy with the movie thanks