On general release from Fri 15 Mar
Eran Creevy / UK/USA /2013 / 99 min
As the US gun ownership debate remains a highly contentious topic, Eran Creevy’s taught thriller considers a Britain where firearms are increasingly problematic. The prolific criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) is forced out of hiding when his son Ruan is found shot at London’s City Airport. Because of a personal vendetta against Sternwood, Policeman Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) takes a consuming interest in Ruan’s case in the hope of tracking down his once nemesis.
Creevy’s production has a perceivably sleek and polished ambience, the dramatic angles of filming, the blue/grey filter on the lenses and the silent intensity of the character’s frequent, brewing facial shots (particularly McAvoy and Strong) all contributing to an atmosphere of menacing sophistication. Creevy embraces moments of macho gunplay but not to a point where it becomes overbearing, balancing them with themes of police corruption, gun crime and political skulduggery. However the film tries too hard to be a slick gangster picture, rather than finding an affinity with the gritty realism of the characters, everything is seen through a faux Hollywood sheen distancing you from the action. Difficulties are too easily overcome and things fall into place too simply plot-wise. While definitely enjoyable, like an annoying itch it just feels a mite too self aware of the genre it wants be classified in for you to relax into watching it.
Showing as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2013
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