La scomparsa di Alice Creed

This is a fine example of what can be done with a small budget but a decent script and some good actors.

The cast is precisely three and rarely can a film have ever been made that has the entire screen time taken up by so few people. This makes the film quite claustrophobic which is a pretty effective technique given the plot. The films does build up a nice degree of tension and whilst the plot is simple there are plenty of genuine surprises along the way although a stronger ending would have made this an even better film.

All three actors are very good but particularly impressive is Eddie Marsan as the older of the two kidnappers who is genuinely menacing.

This is a raw and at times violent film but well worth a watch if you are looking for something just a bit different.

'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' is possibly the best British film of the year. It's a three-hander so the film could of gone one way or the other, the right way or the wrong way. Thankfully it went the right way. The script and direction is tight and the films twists are very surprising. The audience in the cinema gasped at one scene in particular which you won't see coming at all. I certainly didn't. The film is helped of course by stunning performances from all three actors. Martin Compston from Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen plays Danny, the younger, twitchier of the two kidnappers who isn't as sweet as he seems. Eddie Marsan as Vic, the older, vicious and intelligent kidnapper. And Gemma Arterton who plays Alice, the spoilt, rich girl in the centre of all the commotion. Those who didn't manage to catch 'Alice Creed' at cinemas missed out. I recommend it to anyone in search of a lean, tight thriller with excellent performances. ****/*****

Two British men kidnap the daughter of a rich man and hold her prisoner while negotiating a ransom. It's tightly constructed and the suspense builds amid the changing dynamics of the relationship among the three characters. What keeps it from being a good film, however, is the stupidity of the characters, particularly Alice, the victim, who squanders opportunities to escape because of her idiotic actions. Of course, in these kinds of films, such behavior is used primarily to propel the plot, otherwise the story would end too quickly. Still, it's an impressive feature film debut for writer-director Blakeson and is worth a look.

Extremely tense, beautifully shot, generally well (if not quite brilliantly) acted, this is a clever and effective exercise on making an exciting film on a tiny budget. Even though about 75% of this kidnapping tale takes place in a two room apartment, director/writer Blakeson finds enough effective and compelling ways to photograph his tiny set, and enough sharp plot twists and reveals that any claustrophobia becomes a plus not a problem.

There are a few times when credulity is stretched, and a few plot turns that have that sense of being a 'clever twist' instead of something organic to the characters or the story (you can feel them as they're where the acting is less strong, you can see the actors strain to make them 'work'), but neither shortcoming is enough to keep this from being a highly entertaining, and even ultimately oddly touching nail-biter.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED is a three-hander that sees spoilt rich kid Gemma Arterton kidnapped by a couple of goons and tied to a bed while they demand a ransom from her father. That's the entirety of the plot; of course, it's little to sustain a ninety-minute running time with that alone, so the scriptwriter has to come up with twist upon twist to keep the viewer guessing as the running time progresses.

I was in two minds about this film. It's superficially entertaining to be sure, with lots of drama and attempts at tension, and the suspense bubbles along quite nicely as the tale progresses. But there are serious flaws along the way too, not least the entire lack of a sympathetic character.

Arterton is the obvious choice as somebody to root for, but her limited acting abilities combined with a rather obnoxious character mean that the viewer won't really care whether she escapes or even survives the ordeal. Note to scriptwriter: merely having somebody kidnapped isn't reason enough for a viewer to get behind them. As for the other two cast members, Eddie Marsan is a seasoned professional as ever, but Martin Compston is a little bland and whiny and gets way too much screen time.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED does well to avoid falling into clichéd territory - there's no torture, for instance, which would have been an obvious inclusion these days - but once you know the storyline it doesn't really have much in the way of rewatch value. I liked it well enough the first time around, though.