The Tribe

In a time when T.V programmes are either shoddy new ideas or made-over remakes of old classics it's nice to see something fresh, controversial and brilliant. The `Tribe' is probably the finest, original and engaging T.V film drama to make it's way on to our T.V screens in years. Written and directed by one masterful Stephen Poliakoff, the man behind such classics as, among others, the T.V series `Shooting the Past' and the excellent film ` Close my eyes', here comes the greatest, and sadly winner of no awards, T.V film of 1998. The `tribe' has one rare thing most T.V films now lack, a decent script. It's with this script he helps paint his vivid image of an underworld of modern suburbia in which a bizarre cult live, oblivious to the decaying and messed up world around them. They create their own world with their own rules to which Jamie has to learn to accept before he can even begin to understand them and their ways. It is also through Poliakoff's beautifully handled direction which he helps to create his dream like world where fantasy and fiction more often than not collide and slowly merge in to one. It is also in Poliakoff's use of a `Lock, Stock' style yellow filter which helps enforce the films dream like narrative and gives the film a feel which can only be compared to Stanly Kubricks final master work `Eyes Wide Shut'. But it is really down to the acting which really bring Stephen Poliakoff's film to life. Jeremy Northam and Anna Friel turn in excellent performances as usual as the property developer and the girl who seduces him. But it's Joely Richardson's `tour de force' performance which really steals the show. Her character is complex, powerful yet physically naked as we see what her real life is like outside of the one she created. She lives with her mother and father who couldn't really care less about her. It is for this reason she has created her own world where the troubles of everyday life are non-existent. The whole cult live in the centre of a big city yet are so detached from the other people who in-habit the city they feel truly free.This can be seen in the hippie symbolism at the beginning of the film. It is because of these such deep and complex story lines that I feel Stephen Poliakoff is the second greatest person working on T.V today, the first being Chris Morris. As this film was never released on tape means it is hard to find. But it is worth checking out if you can get hold of a copy as you will be in for a real treat.

This film is about a concept which most people don't tend to think about: how could a group of people isolate themselves from surroundings which they don't like and manage to lead a paradisiac life? Admittedly the story is sometimes a bit silly, but if you complain about these things you're missing the point, which is about how willing people might be to leave their current life, job, wife, etc. I really liked this film, and it's a shame it's not available to buy.

Intelligent and thoughtful, this tv play tackles the difficult and complex problems raised by religious and other cults, the way they isolate their members from the outside world and build barriers around themselves to prevent intrusions. It's subtle, especially in comparison with a recent film with Kate Winslett on the same subject, perhaps too subtle in its ironic substitution of material goods for spiritual: this cult is capitalist, selling electrical goods rather than religious dogma. But although the comments here already show that this is a provocative and controversial film, I wanted to record my own positive reaction to it: I found it valuable and challenging - and it's not only the lovely Anna Friel who disrobes; there's an early sighting of all of the increasingly splendid Jonathan Rhys-Myers to enjoy. If you can get sight of it, I think this is worth viewing.

Stephen Poliakoff is a true genius and this is him at his best. The Tribe, in my opinion, succeeds on many levels. On one level it is a simple tale of seduction and cultural repression but on the other hand it can be seen as a statement for the state of society today. It represent what society does to those people who seem different towards them. They are no threat towards anyone but as they decide to go their own way in life the rest of the world seem to feel that they need to do something about them. Poliakoff's use of startling colours and majestic sweeping settings help to create a world which is the one we live yet so distant and alien like it doesn't seem to have any connection to ours at all. I feel this is one of the greatest T.V programmes of all time and highly underrated for what it is. As the BBC never felt fit to release this on any format, in any country it is very hard to get hold of. But it is worth checking out if you can lay your hands on a copy.

I enjoyed the movie a lot. Its an interesting take on how people can and/or do view society, as opposed to how they can/do act on that.

Not sure why I have to write 10 lines of text, guess this is why I haven't written many reviews. Is that 2?

Fitting, however, certainly the theme of the movie is conformity and its a fascinating theme for me.

Its a thinking movie, I gave it an 8.

Hate to give away anything, watch it, decide for yourself! That 10 lines yet?

Guess not. The movie is a take on counter-culture vs. mainstream, IMO, it was intelligent enough to hold my interest and I enjoyed it.