The Cicerones (2002) User Reviews

Where's Dave ?

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 1 November 2005]

I didn't have any idea what THE CICERONES was going to be about before watching it but after seeing it I can only describe this short film as " LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN Go To A Slavonic Country "

An English art lover travels abroad during the inter-war years and visits a cathedral that is inhabited by an assortment of weird characters . Can you see the parallels ? When I say the art critic is played by Mark Gatiss you can't help but be reminded of the cult BBC comedy and the only thing missing is the guy done up like a black minstrel wondering where Dave is

I wouldn't go as far as saying THE CICERONES will only appeal to LEAGUE OF GENTLEMAN fans but Bob misses the point . If he was a regular viewer of the cult BBC comedy he would have noticed the structure and atmosphere is identical to LEAGUE . Thankfully Gatiss and co aren't a one trick pony but this is fairly disappointing short film

Nicely creepy with good atmosphere, direction, acting and support (from several English cathedrals)

[bob the moo · 26 January 2005]

A repressed Englishman is making a journey by train in Eastern Europe to visit a cathedral in order to view an extremely rare painting that is held there. An encounter with an old woman on a train is only the first of several strange characters that he meets on his trip as the cathedral itself seems full of people ranging from the colourful, the creepy and the ominous.

Another reviewer has claimed that only fans of "The League of Gentlemen" will ever watch this film and, as someone who has never watched an episode, let me just say nonsense. As with many, many other fans of inventive and original cinema I will often find great little films to watch and give them a try – I don't need to be motivated by a wave of student cult following to do so and it is a shame that some viewers require a big hit to even bother with something smaller. Anyway, so it was I came to this film with no knowledge of it. From the very start of the film it is evident that it will rely on creepy tone rather than gore or screaming shocks as it sets out a weird frame to operate within.

From here it builds on unsettling images, colourful interruptions and a general air of foreboding that is very effective. The ending is not as satisfying as it could have been because it was far too open and lacking a real killer punch but everything up till then had been really good. The meaning is not as important as the delivery thanks to the running time and it uses this clause to its advantage. The cast are pretty good – in particular Gatiss, who is visibly on edge and helps the audience buy into his experience a lot more. The director uses the locations very well and the various cathedrals (including local Lichfield) are very much a major part of the film working as well as it does.

Overall a simple but effective film that relies more on mood and atmosphere than it does plot and narrative. The scares here are like a toned down version of those used in Japanese horrors over the past five years or so and they work well enough here even if the end could have been much stronger. Worth seeing – even if you're not a "curious League of Gentlemen fan".

Played for laughs instead of sinister effect

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 27 July 2016]

I'm a fan of author Robert Aickman, who created some very unsettling ghost stories during the middle of the 20th century. This ten-minute short sees Mark Gatiss in an adaptation of one of those, about a man visiting an ancient cathedral and meeting some decidedly odd characters.

I'm familiar with Gatiss for his work in other old-fashioned genre fare (THE CROOKED HOUSE and FIRST MEN IN THE MOON), but this is very much a pointless exercise. The story feels too constrained by the running time, and the events are played for laughs rather than sinister effect. The result is a story that's quirky and odd, but never frightening or in the least bit disturbing.

There's no faulting Gatiss or the enthusiasm for bringing a nowadays obscure writer to life, but that's no guarantee of success - and THE CICERONES can in no way be described as a successful short film.

Superb horror short.

[1bilbo · 10/10 · 14 November 2012]

This is a great example of what film making should be about – directors should watch and learn from this terrific short. The suspense and gradual build up of horror is achieved without any gore or slasher element and the subtle symbolism is brilliantly understated. (Has anybody noticed the clock set in stone at five to twelve whilst Trant's own watch stopped when he entered the building.) Did Trant ever have the chance to leave before it was too late or did he ignore the warnings and use up his last minutes unwisely? At the end the viewer is left with a question - is this a gateway to Hell?

If you have quarter of an hour to spare – here is wonderful way to spend it. I have never watched LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN and don't need to - this film stands up on its own perfectly.

Interesting short film.

[LiamONeill · 7 May 2004]

This is a pretty interesting short film which is sure to be relegated to late night obscurity due to its length and nature. it is the story of a man (mark gatiss, of "the league of gentlemen"/ "dr who" books fame) who is on a journey to examine a rare painting, but when he arrives at the church where the painting is supposedly held, he is set upon by some pretty bizarre characters.

Directed by jeremy dyson (the only member of the league of gentlemen writing team never to appear on screen in the tv show) it manages to create a nice sense of tension in a genuinely eerie setting. however, it is pretty bewildering, and at the end of the day, will not attract much attention apart from curious "league of gentlemen" fans, which is a shame, as it's nicely directed and there are great performances given by all.