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Four
Stars: Sean Pertwee, Kierston Wareing, Martin Compston, Craig Conway
Director: John Langridge
Given his patently low budget a deserted warehouse serves as the major setting for this British thriller director John Langridge deserves praise for his effective use of wide-screen cinematography (Adrian Brown) to help bring his four-hander to screen life.
The plot of Paul Chronnells slim screenplay finds Compson hiring detective Pertwee to kidnap his wifes lover, and take him to the warehouse where, as he lies hooded and terrified, Pertwee subjects him to a violent beating, leaving his clients hands clean. But Pertwee has his own contribution to make to the affair, having snatched and tied up Compsons wife so that she, too, can be confronted by her misdeeds
The entire cast of four do what they can with the undernourished screenplay and pull off one genuine surprise. But when I watched the film for a second time, this time with my eyes shut, I realised that it would work just as well, if not better (with an extra line, perhaps, to illuminate the plot twist) as a radio play.
Alan Frank
UK 2011. UK Distributor: Blue Dolphin. Colour.
84 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.
Review date: 22 Oct 2011