Review for 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed'

Release April 30

Directed by J Blackson

Starring Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston

The irony of The Disappearance of Alice Creed is that it will be seen by little to no one. After seeing the trailer I had to go on the official site to find where my local cinema was playing it. But that doesn’t mean it is a bad film, far from it. The Disappearance of Alice Creed I one of the best British films of the past decade.

The set up is this, two men with untold backgrounds buy an apartment and strip it down only to build it back up again with soundproof walling and a pretty basic bed. Then get changed in silence into jumpsuits and prepare for something we are not told. As they sit in their unmarked van only one or two things are uttered before they step out. The next shot is of two doors opening and a screaming woman being thrown into the back of a van to which she is then driven to the apartments, stripped naked and rapped of dignity before being dressed up in a jugging outfit and handcuffed to the bed and then poor Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton) is left in the dark.

That is the twenty minute set up and I couldn’t say another word. If I did I would have to be executed because what develops from there has so many twists and turns it’s becomes a modern Hitchcock. For the first twenty minutes antagonist Vic (Eddie Marsan) and his partner Danny (Martin Compston) do not speak whilst they plan everything to a pin point. The films is carried by only three actors which brings to mind films like the Sleuth remake with Michael Cain and Jude Law.

For a writer/director J Blakeson it is a great movie to get people to notice you with. This is a fresh classic crime movie just like The Italian Job or Get Carter was in their days. The enjoyment with have you on the edge of your seat as the constant changing of plot keeps going through out. The audience are constantly asking themselves who they connect with and who they are rooting for because each character is believable and has their own goals.

A lot of films these days I see end up me staring at my watch for the time but this kept me glued through out. I only hope that the movie get’s found by a bigger distributor.

Anticipation - 3

Enjoyment - 4

In Retrospect – 4

Trailer