The Criminal (1999)

A musician is plunged into a world of femmes fatales, espionage, deceit, state-ordered executions and trial by media.

Director:

Julian Simpson

Writer:

Julian Simpson

Stars:

Steven Mackintosh, Bernard Hill, Eddie Izzard

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steven Mackintosh	...	Jasper Rawlins
Bernard Hill	...	Det. Insp. Walker
Eddie Izzard	...	Peter Hume
Natasha Little	...	Sarah Maitland
Yvan Attal	...	Mason
Holly Aird	...	Det. Sgt. Rebecca White
Andrew Tiernan	...	Harris
Jana Carpenter	...	Grace
Justin Shevlin	...	The Barker
Barry Stearn	...	Noble
Norman Lovett	...	Clive
Timothy Bateson	...	Thomas
Abigail Blackmore	...	Arsey Barmaid
Matthew Blackmore	...	Guy
Ingrid Bradley	...	Scantily dressed woman

Storyline

Jasper Rawlins, a none-too-successful musician, finds himself chatting with a beautiful woman at his neighborhood bar. She goes home with him, direct and frank in answer to his nervousness. During the night, someone breaks into his flat and cuts her throat. He runs into the arms of the police, who dismiss his story, but release him while they search for the weapon. He investigates the crime, and over the next few days, meets a knowing pornographer, hit men, and other schemers. As dead bodies pile up wherever he goes, the police are soon looking for him with guns drawn. As he discovers secrets about a shadowy corporation, the police close in. Can he find someone to trust?

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Plot Keywords:

policewoman | faked death | dead woman on floor | framed for murder | shot in the head | 

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Taglines:

Innocence Is No Protection

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, violence and some sexual content

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

El criminal

Filming Locations:

Bethnal Green Town Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Christopher Johnson Company, Palm Pictures, Storm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Peter Hume: The refugees, genocide... they're just a sideshow, distracting everyone from the real agenda: power and influence.

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Connections

References The Parallax View (1974)

User Reviews

Superb recreation of 40s noir with terrific performances.

'The Criminal' is an overlooked gem that I hadn't heard of prior to it showing up on cable. It captures classic noir in a modern framework with all the appropriate darkness and unsympathetic characters. The British have a knack for such crime drama, and I cringed throughout imagining what the Hollywood version would be like. (I'm surprised filming hasn't already begun.) The cast is brilliant from the top to the bottom of the credits, and the lead, Steven Mackintosh, is particularly outstanding as the trapped innocent attempting to piece together what he's fallen into. When it comes time to pull together the plot elements, writer/director Simpson makes a long stretch and comes up with something outrageous and a bit too easy, and some of the concluding twists feel somewhat contrived, but by this time, it really doesn't matter. The film's fast pace, great acting, and dark cinematography have already succeeded in making it a thoroughly entertaining noir.