Flood (2007)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Tony Mitchell

Writers:

Justin Bodle (writer)
Matthew Cope (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

24 August 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

It's coming straight for us.

Plot:

Timely yet terrifying, The Flood predicts the unthinkable. When a raging storm coincides with high seas it unleashes a colossal tidal surge...

Plot Keywords:

Flood | Storm | Disaster | Weather | Hurricane Floyd

Cast

Robert Carlyle	...	Rob Morrison
Jessalyn Gilsig	...	Samantha 'Sam' Morrison
Tom Courtenay	...	Leonard Morrison
Joanne Whalley	...	Patricia Nash
David Suchet	...	Deputy Prime Minister Campbell
Nigel Planer	...	Keith Hopkins
Ralph Brown	...	Mel's Dad
Gottfried John	...	Arthur Moyes
Tom Hardy	...	Zack
Pip Torrens	...	Army Liaison Officer Richardson
Susan Wooldridge	...	Nash's Assistant
David Hayman	...	Major General Ashcroft
Martin Ball	...	Wyatt
Poppy Miller	...	Nikki Fuller
Peter Wight	...	Johnson - Transport Chief
Jade Davidson	...	Mel Stafford
Angus Barnett	...	Bill
John Benfield	...	Frank
Rob Dixon	...	Commander Bryant
Chrissie Cotterill	...	Christine
Sara Langridge	...	Claire Nash
Nathalie Boltt	...	Kate Morrison
Jeremy Crutchley	...	Bullman - Fire Service
Bart Fouche	...	Chopper Pilot - SC 149
Cecilia Dazzi	...	Anna
Moira Lister	...	Grandma
Giorgio Lupano	...	Toni Lombardi
Iain Winter	...	Malcolm
Lynita Crofford	...	News Reporter
Brent Palmer	...	Helicopter Reporter - SC 205
Cleveland Mitchell	...	Armed Policeman
Quanita Adams	...	Tour Guide
Dean McCoubrey	...	Reporter - SC 39
Julie Summers	...	Housewife
Andre Jacobs	...	TV Reporter - SC 106
Sindi Harrison	...	Police Woman
Richard Farmer	...	Douglas Crossley
Ronald France	...	Hedges
Mike Tompson	...	British Prime Minister
Joe Vaz	...	Hospital Orderly
Victoria Bartlett	...	Sam's Assistant
Jaqui Pickering	...	Army Tech (as Jacqui Pickering)
Anthony Oseyemi	...	Car Park Man
Jason Cope	...	Young Survivor
Alex Argenti	...	Press Officer
Graham Bandy	...	Military Evacuation Officer
Rogan Grant	...	Military Personnel
Francois Grobbelaar	...	Winch Man
David Hood	...	Tube Survivor
Adam Horton	...	Thug #1
Forbes KB	...	Naval Engineer
Peter Rnic	...	Tourist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy Callaghan	...	Member of Leading Army Squad
Shane Nolan	...	Survivor
Christopher Fosh	...	Naval Engineer (uncredited)
Stephen Hughes	...	Postman (uncredited)
Chris Wilson	...	Police ARO (uncredited)

Directed by
Tony Mitchell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Justin Bodle		writer
Matthew Cope		writer
Richard Doyle		novel
Nick Morley		writer

Produced by
Justin Bodle	....	producer
Genevieve Hofmeyr	....	co-producer
Philip Key	....	co-producer
Peter McAleese	....	producer
Michael Prupas	....	co-producer
Ewa Radwanska	....	executive producer
Shellie Smith	....	line producer

Original Music by
Debbie Wiseman

Cinematography by
Pierre Jodoin

Film Editing by
Annie Ilkow
Simon Webb

Casting by
Jeremy Zimmerman

Production Design by
Jonathan Lee

Art Direction by
Steve Carter		(supervising art director)
Christophe Dalberg
Belinda Johnson
John Trafford

Set Decoration by
Leon Van Der Merwe

Costume Design by
Kate Carin

Makeup Department
Jilly Green	....	makeup artist
Tahira Herold	....	makeup artist
Marnette Rossouw	....	hair stylist
Pamela Smyth	....	hair designer
Pamela Smyth	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Lloret Dunn	....	unit manager
Kevin Jenkins	....	unit manager
Wendy Knill	....	production manager
Ben Rimmer	....	production manager
Martin Saven	....	moonlighting co-production manager
Evan Tussman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vicki Allen	....	second assistant director: second unit
Adam Friedlander	....	first assistant director: second unit, South Africa
Robert Grayson	....	additional first assistant director: second unit
Sallie Anne Hard	....	additional second assistant director
Sarah Hood	....	crowd third assistant director
Raymond Kirk	....	second assistant director
Bryn Lawrence	....	third assistant director: UK
David Pinkus	....	crowd second assistant director: UK
Karen Richards	....	first assistant director
Emma Stokes	....	second second assistant director
Marc Wolff	....	second unit director: London
Jason Xenopoulos	....	second unit director

Art Department
Will Ayres	....	stand-by prop
Ross Balfour	....	construction manager
Merinda Geyer	....	art department coordinator
Jane Harwood	....	draughtsman
Mark Hedges	....	dressing propman
Mark Hedges	....	stand-by: second unit
Fritz Joubert	....	props master
Dougie Lankston	....	dressing props
Andrew McCarthy	....	lead dresser
John Moolenschot	....	on-set carpenter
Clive Pollick	....	construction coordinator
George Simons	....	graphics
Zoe Smith	....	assistant set decorator
Andrew Tapper	....	graphics
Nick Turnbull	....	property master
Claire Victoria	....	stand-by props
Lloyd Vincent	....	stand-by prop
Alex Wheeler	....	hod steel construction
Hamish Whitecross	....	assistant art director
Ivan Fraser	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jason Bennett	....	boom operator: second unit
Benoît Coaillier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott Donald	....	supervising dialogue editor
Philippe Espantoso	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Gertsman	....	sound effects editor
Michael Gurman	....	sound editor
Steven Gurman	....	supervising sound editor
Martin Lemieux	....	sound effects editor
Louis Molinas	....	sound editor
Colin Nicolson	....	production sound mixer
Dylan Voigt	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Mario Duthie	....	special effects assistant
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects supervisor
Mickey Kirsten	....	special effects supervisor
Vasili Rinquest	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Eric Aubry	....	digital effects artist
Marie-Eve Bedard-Tremblay	....	visual effects coordinator
Xavier Bourque	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Nadège Bozzetti	....	digital effects artist
Benoit Brière	....	visual effects producer
Pierre Buys	....	visual effects unit manager
Frédéric Chamberland	....	visual effects producer
Francois Croteau	....	digital matte painter
Catherine Hébert	....	digital effects artist
Jonathan Laborde	....	digital effects artist
Bruno-Olivier Laflamme	....	digital effects artist
Jean-Francois Lafleur	....	digital effects artist
Alexandre Lafortune	....	visual effects supervisor
Etienne Laroche	....	digital effects artist
Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput	....	digital artist
Hugo Léveillé	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Guillaume Mainville	....	digital artist
Carlos Monzon	....	digital compositor
Jonathan Piche-Delorme	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Vincent Poitras	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Mario Rachiele	....	visual effects supervisor
David Raymond	....	digital artist
Philippe Roberge	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Matthew Rouleau	....	digital effects artist
Kristen Tooley	....	digital effects artist
Benoit Touchette	....	visual effects production manager
Duy Tran	....	modeler
Alexandre Tremblay	....	digital compositor: Buzz Image Group
Robin Tremblay	....	digital effects artist
Fabrice Vienne	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Daryl Andrews	....	stunt performer
Dermot Brogan	....	stunt rigger
Carolyn Dean	....	stunt actress (as Caroline Dean)
Carolyn Dean	....	stunt double: Chrissie Cotterill (as Caroline Dean)
Jim Dowdall	....	stunt coordinator: UK
Steve Griffin	....	stunts
Francois Grobbelaar	....	stunt performer
Paul Hornsby	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Paul Hornsby	....	stunts
Adam Horton	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Adam Horton	....	stunt double: Robert Carlile
Adam Horton	....	stunt performer
Adam Horton	....	stunt rigger
Grant Hulley	....	stunt coordinator
Bill Little	....	stunts
Jacob Mervine	....	stunt performer
John Smith	....	stunt performer
Franz Spilhaus	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Fleur van Eeden	....	stunt double
Marc Wolff	....	stunt pilot
Steen Young	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Belcher	....	camera operator: "b" camera
John Berrie	....	cinematographer: second unit, London
David Bloomer	....	still photographer
David Bourke	....	best boy
Greg Cameron	....	key grip
Shaun Cobley	....	focus puller: "b" camera: London
Jason Dully	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Sarel Eloff	....	focus puller: South Africa second unit
Martin Fick	....	rigging gaffer
Anthony Glyn Fielding	....	grip: "b" camera London
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Rodrigo Gutierrez	....	camera operator: "b" camera: London
Amelia Henning	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Alfonso Maiorana	....	camera operator
John Marzano	....	aerial director of photography
Malcolm McGilchrist	....	assistant grip
Phil Mullally	....	daily focus puller
Christian Navennec	....	focus puller: "a" camera
Abi Oseni	....	camera trainee
André Roussouw	....	best boy electric: SA (as Andre Rossouw)
Pia Van Rensburg	....	camera loader
Justin Vincent	....	camera loader
Terry Williams	....	grip: "a" camera London
Marc Wolff	....	pilot: camera helicopter

Casting Department
Andrea Clark	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Neil McLean	....	costume supervisor
John Norster	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Mathieu Bélanger	....	first assistant editor
Émilie Dussault	....	post-production coordinator
Warren Langford	....	first assistant editor
Nadia Naimi	....	first assistant editor
Serge Verreault	....	on-line editor
Julie Foster	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
John Boughtwood	....	music consultant
Steve Price	....	music recording engineer
Hayley Westenra	....	vocalist
Tony Wharmby	....	music copyist
Debbie Wiseman	....	conductor
Debbie Wiseman	....	score orchestrator

Transportation Department
Guy Bostock	....	vehicle coordinator
Lloret Dunn	....	transport manager
Mark Hardy	....	transportation coordinator
Tony Power	....	prop truck driver
Selwyn Prins	....	unit captain

Other crew
Aamina Ahmad	....	script editor
Robyn Aronstam	....	script supervisor: South Africa second unit
Karl Solomon Atah Ayeh	....	production secretary
Peter Boothby	....	production assistant
Rhidian Bridge	....	military advisor
Mike Clark-Hall	....	production assistant
Tom Crooke	....	assistant location manager
Christiane Dankbar	....	production secretary
Rebecca Davis	....	location assistant
Joyia Fitch	....	stand-in: Jessalyn Gilsig
Jenny Foster	....	archive researcher
Clare Glass	....	set runner
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative
Paul Hornsby	....	military advisor
Polly Jefferies	....	production coordinator: London
Martin Joy	....	additional location manager
Carl Kennedy	....	location assistant
Amanda Kotze	....	accounts cashier
Layla Mall	....	assistant to producer
Gail Mannion	....	key accountant
Sebastian Matthys	....	location assistant
Chris Moreton	....	head of finance
Maggie Murray	....	assistant accountant
Morten Nielsen	....	location manager
Jae-sung Oh	....	set production assistant: UK
Liam French Robinson	....	location accountant (as Liam Robinson)
Donald Sabourin	....	supervising production coordinator
Matthew Sanders	....	publicist
Joy Sapieka	....	unit publicist
Jane Soans	....	location manager: London
Andy Stephens	....	aerial operations manager: Flying Pictures Ltd.
Heather Storr	....	script supervisor
Alistair Thompson	....	production financial controller
Carol Thompson	....	script supervisor: second unit London
Estelle Vockerodt	....	accounts assistant
Jeanne Watson	....	production coordinator
Ginnette Wilson	....	production accountant
Barney Wrightson	....	aerial operations assistant: Flying Pictures Ltd.
Kate Zarmalwal	....	head of legal
Joby Stephens	....	additional set runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Power
• A Muse Productions
• Moonlighting Films
• Flood Productions
• Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinestar (2008) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• ION Television (2007) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Lionsgate (2007) (UK) (all media)
• Midget Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (all media)
• Power Pictures Corporation (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Pragofilm (2007) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Radiotelevisione Italiana (2007) (Italy) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting
• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Compuhire  video playback
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Media Safety  health & safety
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Remote Camera Systems  remote camera systems

Runtime:

110 min | New Zealand:185 min | Finland:188 min (2 parts) | Italy:144 min

Country:

UK | South Africa | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12A | New Zealand:G (part 1) | New Zealand:PG (part 2) | Malaysia:U | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-11 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Australia:M | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Power

Trivia:

Last film role of Moira Lister.

Goofs:

Continuity: The fighter bomber shown on the ground was a single seater, however, the plane shown taken off is a Tornado GR4, which is a two seater.

Quotes:

Leonard Morrison: Not this much water!

Part Poseidon, Part Day After Tomorrow

Out of nowhere mention of this film came from the media because of topical similarities to recent events here in the UK. Now Flood has hit theatres. Or rather a theatre.

A few weeks after the film's press coverage has ebbed from public memory. Devoid of any marketing presence and unscreened for critics, Flood has appeared at the Apollo Cinema in Piccadily Circus.

Perhaps it was a conscious effort not to appear exploitative. Or perhaps the distributor, Lionsgate, were not particularly confident in the product to give it a wide release. This one print release has all the hallmarks of a token outing. Just a contractual obligation to ensure the film does not get straight-to-DVD status.

Independently made, Flood is as bland as it sounds. An ambitious but wholly routine production which suffers from feeling rather too much like recent TV dramas such as Supervolcano and less like the Hollywood blockbusters it wants to be held in the same regard as.

While the disaster film is hardly the most critically popular genre the special effects vehicles do generally have a little more to offer the viewer than this film does. Generally something we haven't seen before.

The special effects are impressive but clearly copy scenes we've already seen. There is nothing creative in exchanging one set of landmarks for another.

Opening with a sequence styled directly from the Michael Bay play-book, Flood's narrative progresses exactly as one would expect. There are no surprises.

Powers that be struggle to come to terms with the situation and suffer ethical crises. The military attempt to seize power. And the heart of the film lies in a heavy-handed father/son rift that must be healed.

Tom Courtney is miscast as the scientist whom no one believes (ala Dennis Quaid in Day After Tomorrow) while Robert Carlyse is the film's male lead. One can't really describe him as a hero. Both actors deserve better than a routine film which shares it's name with an old Irwin Allen film and a recent TV movie.

In fact Carlyse is wholly ineffectual as a star presence in this film since he serves only to consistently remind those who've seen it of the excellent 28 Weeks Later. A novel, stylish and better made tale of a London apocalypse.

Almost the entire cast seem ill suited to their roles and the film as a whole. Only Joanne Whalley walks away with dignity. An oft overlook actress, she plays her role as well as it demands and shows up the unknown US TV star who is the female lead. Elsewhere Tom Hardy is wasted and Nigel Planer is an unusual face to see on the big screen. But aside from Carlyse it's the casting of David Suchet that's most notable.

The ministerial role he plays demands a high profile Brit. It's an attempt to lend the film an air of respectability. In Transformers Jon Voight was there amid the visual effects to serve a similar function. But as good as Suchet is the casting ploy fails. Just as it did in Executive Decision. Suchet and films have never quite gelled. He's no Rickman or McKellan.

Flood is worth a watch on a wet Sunday afternoon, it's certainly not a bad film. Just an unimaginative and forgettable one.