The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Extremely tense, beautifully shot, generally well (if not quite brilliantly) acted, this is a clever and effective exercise on making an exciting film on a tiny budget. Even though about 75% of this kidnapping tale takes place in a two room apartment, director/writer Blakeson finds enough effective and compelling ways to photograph his tiny set, and enough sharp plot twists and reveals that any claustrophobia becomes a plus not a problem.

There are a few times when credulity is stretched, and a few plot turns that have that sense of being a 'clever twist' instead of something organic to the characters or the story (you can feel them as they're where the acting is less strong, you can see the actors strain to make them 'work'), but neither shortcoming is enough to keep this from being a highly entertaining, and even ultimately oddly touching nail-biter.

Two British men kidnap the daughter of a rich man and hold her prisoner while negotiating a ransom. It's tightly constructed and the suspense builds amid the changing dynamics of the relationship among the three characters. What keeps it from being a good film, however, is the stupidity of the characters, particularly Alice, the victim, who squanders opportunities to escape because of her idiotic actions. Of course, in these kinds of films, such behavior is used primarily to propel the plot, otherwise the story would end too quickly. Still, it's an impressive feature film debut for writer-director Blakeson and is worth a look.

This is a fine example of what can be done with a small budget but a decent script and some good actors.

The cast is precisely three and rarely can a film have ever been made that has the entire screen time taken up by so few people. This makes the film quite claustrophobic which is a pretty effective technique given the plot. The films does build up a nice degree of tension and whilst the plot is simple there are plenty of genuine surprises along the way although a stronger ending would have made this an even better film.

All three actors are very good but particularly impressive is Eddie Marsan as the older of the two kidnappers who is genuinely menacing.

This is a raw and at times violent film but well worth a watch if you are looking for something just a bit different.

"Tell him that he must pay the money, that he must do exactly as we ask or we will kill you. You tell him that you have no doubt that we will kill you."

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a brutal little thriller about a woman who gets kidnapped by two men, who plan to use her to ransom £2 million from her wealthy father. The kidnapping itself goes flawlessly, and once she's securely locked up, there seems to be little that can go wrong to keep the men from getting the money. But, that wouldn't make for a very interesting movie, would it? Things go wrong, and the best-made plan can still end up being a disaster. 

I was somewhat expecting The Disappearance of Alice Creed to be your standard kidnap and escape kind of movie, but I have to give it credit for throwing enough wrinkles in to make itself somewhat unique. The relationships between the two kidnappers and the title character end up being more complex than they initially seemed, and cracks of distrust turn the initially well-executed plan into a situation that perhaps no one will survive.  

There's a strong current of tension that starts with the dialogue-free beginning and continues all the way to the very end. That's pretty impressive, in my opinion, and I hasn't seen many movies lately that keep things that taut for the entire time. In addition to the story, the acting was solid, as well. When a movie really only involves three actors (Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, and Eddie Marsan), one weak link could ruin it. Thankfully, that's not the case, here.  

Still, I'm not the greatest fan in the world of these kinds of movies, so even a good one like this (and it is good) has a hard time blowing me away. If you're a genre fan, though, I think you'll be pleased.

'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' is possibly the best British film of the year. It's a three-hander so the film could of gone one way or the other, the right way or the wrong way. Thankfully it went the right way. The script and direction is tight and the films twists are very surprising. The audience in the cinema gasped at one scene in particular which you won't see coming at all. I certainly didn't. The film is helped of course by stunning performances from all three actors. Martin Compston from Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen plays Danny, the younger, twitchier of the two kidnappers who isn't as sweet as he seems. Eddie Marsan as Vic, the older, vicious and intelligent kidnapper. And Gemma Arterton who plays Alice, the spoilt, rich girl in the centre of all the commotion. Those who didn't manage to catch 'Alice Creed' at cinemas missed out. I recommend it to anyone in search of a lean, tight thriller with excellent performances. ****/*****