Ashes

ASHES is an unusual little thriller, shot in the Isle of Man, which I thought came across as bad taste a bit. It stars a headlining Ray Winstone as an Alzheimer's sufferer who's broken out of a nursing home by his son Jim Sturgess. The two then go on a road movie of sorts while events of the past continue to influence the present.

This is a fairly difficult film to enjoy, as it has a slow pace and the characters are resolutely unlikeable from beginning to end. And that's from somebody who likes Winstone as an actor, but I wasn't sure about his character here; I ended up laughing at a couple of his violent outbursts rather than being moved by them.

The thriller aspects of the storyline are rather murky and the dodgy camera-work in the flashbacks also spoils things a bit. The ending I found unsatisfactory too. Sturgess seems one dimensional throughout and it's left to supporting actors like Luke Evans, Jodie Whittaker, and Lesley Manville to hold the fort.

This is a film that isn't going to be what many viewers had in mind. You will not get your typical Ray Winstone film here, not in any form you've seen him in his prior roles. It's a tale of a son who has lost contact with his father for some time & begins to search him out. The film almost immediately starts with this goal being achieved, finding his Alzheimer ridden father at a nearby mental hospital in vary poor shape prone to very violent outbursts & unpredictability. The son is quick to break him out knowing full well it's not a good idea and leaves it's audience weary of his overall motives. There is much confusion and zero comedy as just keeping the son's father in tow is a serious problem. As the third act begins a twist is laid out bringing new life to a very depressing mood. It's well acted & filmed so no problems in that area, but I stand to believe many will find this not to be a very pleasing watch. It is listed correctly as a drama although I was kind of hoping for more action. There is a small dose towards the end. I would recommend this, but only to those that are aiming for a story driven drama which brings me to the rating of 5/10

So Ray Winston is brilliant in his portrayal of a man lost in time, with a tentative grip on reality. This is a dark think piece about relationships, compassion and violence. If you want to see Ray Winston in his usual roles then this isn't for you. He shows real depth and understanding of a horrific condition that leaves someone confused, vulnerable, scared and lost. The journey is incidental and metaphorical, the violence is genuine and not gratuitous. The filming is creative but does not overshadow the story telling.

Best thing I've seen recently.

Most people will be more familiar with Ray Winstone as 'tough-guy' characters, so perhaps that's one reason he's decided to take a break from 'busting heads' and started to show the viewers that he's got more of a 'sensitive' side.

In Ashes, he plays an Alzheimer sufferer who gets 'kidnapped' by his son from the hospital he's been committed to and then taken on a roadtrip across England. Why? Well, that's something you have to find out.

The first thing you need to is that this certainly isn't a 'feel-good' film. It's dark, nasty and certainly not light-hearted in any way. Its major plus-point is Ray Winstone. He plays the part perfectly, switching from scared bouts of violence, to just plain scared. He's the reason this film is worth watching, as the 'story' is somewhat lacking. I was left wondering why exactly these two were driving across country, as it isn't really explained until about the hour mark. Although, that is the time when the film generally starts to pick up.

The first hour - excluding Ray's performance - is pretty hard to sit through. It doesn't really go anywhere and drags by. However, if you can excuse that, it does get better and the last act ties everything up.

If you're a fan of Ray then you'll enjoy this. Otherwise, you'll have to be in the mood for a very dark drama to get something out of this.

Ray Winstone is one of my favourite British actors, and usually brightens up even the most dour of motion pictures. Here though, his role is a very confused one... On the one hand, he's a mentally ill dementia sufferer who sees delusions, and on the other he remembers things from his past, such as stealing cars and killing people. I thought Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man was slightly unconvincing, but this goes right to the heart of Hollywood Illnesses. He's too hysterical and too knowing, so alas, you always know you're watching a performer rather that than a very sick man.

A cross between a road movie and a buddy movie, when the film doesn't focus on Winstone's odd behaviour and hallucinations it tries to build a relationship between him and his erstwhile son. There are touching moments, but a twist late on puts a new slant on things and we wonder just why Winstone's offspring makes some of the decisions he does, and it comes across as poor writing. Ashes is a mediocrity that won't stand out on anyone involved in it's CV, and will probably be yesterday's chip paper very soon after being viewed... 5/10