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Red Road

6/10

Stars: Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, Nathalie Press, Martin Compston

Director: Andrea Arnold

Quite an accomplished piece of film-making, but much too long for its content, this is the first in a projected trilogy about a group of characters living in Glasgow. On this evidence, the film will struggle to find an audience and the remaining two segments might never be made.

The focus here is on Jackie (Dickie), a surveillance operater, whose sweep over a small part of the city one day reveals a familiar face - one she hoped never to see again.

This, however, is no thriller, but a human drama, as Jackie feels herself compelled to have sex with the man (Curran) for reasons it would be unfair to the plot to reveal.

Despite a very graphic sex scene that may win the movie some notoriety, most audiences are likely to find their attention wandering some time before the end.

David Quinlan

UK 2006. UK Distributor: Verve Pictures. Colour.
117 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 3, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 3.

Review date: 24 Oct 2006