Brimstone & Treacle

I really enjoyed Denholm Elliott's performance in this film. He's so bitter and gnarled up that his outbursts are brilliant and quite funny. Obviously the sick manner of the story is the same as the Play for Today, it's delivered well if not as successful as the TV version, although I've not seen that version for a long time so maybe the memory cheats a little.

Nothing wrong with Stings performance in this film but he he just didn't have the screen presence for me to completely convince.

I enjoyed this film more than I expected and it's good to see it get a repeat here in the UK on London Live channel. 7/10.

Perhaps the build-up of so many people telling me to check out Sting's movies for years may have raised the stakes a bit too high. I have only seen his villainous role in David Lynch's Dune and also watched bits and pieces of Brimstone and Treacle long time back. The prayer sequence never left my subconscious and it stayed with me including the soundtrack. I slept on this for years and finally got to watch this creepy BBC film during the lockdown. This is a film adaptation of Dennis Potter's controversial play and was banned from screen for many years. The story is provocative starring Sting as a diabolical con artist who becomes a caretaker for a middle-aged couple's daughter who is in coma. Things take a nasty turn and it just gets weirder, at times somewhat uncomfortable, but above all devilishly intriguing. To be fair, this film is not for everyone. Yet it is a shame not to give this a watch. Also, it boasts of a terrific soundtrack; I'm not a huge fan of Sting/Police but he has done a splendid work to contribute for the score. Overall, a twisted story, full of solid acting performances to complement the dark atmosphere.

A middle class commuter belt couple Mr Bates (Denholm Elliot) and Mrs Bates (Joan Plowright) are duped into taking a charming young man Martin(Sting)into their house to help care for their catatonic daughter (Suzanna Hamilton). Martin claims to have been close to their daughter before an accident left her unable to communicate. As the film progresses the couple mistakenly start to trust Martin and dark family secrets are revealed.

Originally a stage play written by Dennis Potter the film is in turn engrossing, disturbing and claustrophobic. Denholm Elliot is as ever brilliant as the lonely and disturbed father figure, Sting puts in a good performance as a strange and demonic young man, Joan Plowright is very good as the maternal and naive housewife.

The two slight let downs for me were the music which I did'nt feel fitted in well with the film and the main fantasy sequence which did'nt stand the test of time well.

Other than that the film held my attention throughout, the direction by Richard Loncraine was extremely capable, all in all an intriguing and idiosyncratic piece which is well worth a watch.

British middle-agers with a handicapped daughter invite into their home a strange young man who holds a curious power over the family. Sting (vocalist and bassist with The Police) gives a commendable performance--his first lead--in this Dennis Potter concoction based upon the writer's own play (originally taped--and banned--by the BBC). Writing like a mischievous child, and aiming for lofty subtext and ironic turns of the screw, Potter doesn't always get the affects he's aiming for, but neither does he disappoint. Director Richard Loncraine doesn't struggle too noticeably getting this peculiar material off the dime (and out from the main set), while his build-up to the foregone conclusion is rife with interesting, twisted bits of business. Not a barn-burner by any means, but a handsome, calculated work in a minor, if derivative key. **1/2 from ****

I saw this when it was fresh on video and it is weird. Like TRACK 29 by Nicolas Roeg is weird. Both films have screenplays by the irrepressibly strange (God bless him) Dennis Potter; This one has 2 heavyweights of the British theater, Denholm Elliot and Joan Plowright, and a thoroughly convincing STING as ...what? An evil sprite? The devil himself? watch it and try to come to your own conclusion; that is the pleasure of this odd little gem.

Richard Loncraine has style to burn and he fills the screen with expertly crafted compositions and he has a nice tendency to use slightly wide-angle lenses to make everyday objects take on a malevolent aspect; he knows how to shoot STING, in order to make him look sinister, that is for sure. Bravo.

Over the years I have shown this to many different people and it always captivates them and holds their attention from the first frame to the last. I would have to say this is my favorite of anything Dennis Potter has written to hit the cinema screens,so far. He is a difficult artist do do justice to, but BRIMSTONE & TREACLE delivers the goods,in spades. Its darkly funny and also thoroughly squirm-inducing in places. The acting is all first rate; Denholm Elliot is magnificent as the repressed and domineering husband; he projects a marvelous sense of twitchy hostility and discomfort; watching him agonize is one of the films strange pleasures. And Sting is fantastic. I think a lot of people here on the IMDb are being unfair to him because of his pop stardom, but I think he delivers an excellent performance, full of sly menace and sinister charm.