I must admit, I share Tom's fondness (bordering on obsession) of Gemma Arterton's boobs, legs and pretty much everything about her. She also happens to be be a damn good actress (something you can't say of many British actresses that are also really fit) and she really shows of her acting chops in The Disappearance of Alice Creed. This low budget British indie film is full of violence, nudity and cursing and it's also pretty damn good.
The film's set-up is pretty straightforward; it's a kidnapping thriller in which two ex-convicts called Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) kidnap a young woman called Alice Crred (Gemma Arterton). The film opens with the two nasties shopping for some pretty dangerous equipment, setting up a room and then kidnapping Alice by putting a bag over her head and a gag in her mouth. It's brutal and shocking stuff. The reason for all this is that the two dickheads want a ransom for Alice's return as she's the son of a wealthy businessman.
From then on there's plenty of beatings, Arterton is left completely (yes, COMPLETELY) naked on one occasion and tied to a bed. It's a lot cleverer than it seems though; there's a couple of excellent plot twists which are hard to see coming and the plot is super focused and tightly written.
Director J Blakeson keeps things simple; there's only 3 characters and 4 locations seen in the film. It's a confident first effort from the director who handles the camera exceptionally well and gets some truly gripping performances out of the 3 actors.
Compston and Marsan both more than hold their own opposite the young up and coming Hollywood star, but the girl from Kent (that's where I live!) is simply sensational in the role of Alice. Arterton is asked to be amazingly vulnerable, powerfully miserable, desperately crafty, and suddenly brave. She succeeds in all departments and despite some of the iffy Hollywood blockbusters she's been in (Clash of the Titans), this film proves she can act damn well.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a simple film with minimalist design choices and a tried and true formula. However, it's fantastically written and shot by Blakeson and the performances from the 3 leads are top notch. It can be brutal, shocking and a bit disturbing, but if you want a change of pace from the big and brash blockbusters then this is a film to go and see.
5/5
The film's set-up is pretty straightforward; it's a kidnapping thriller in which two ex-convicts called Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) kidnap a young woman called Alice Crred (Gemma Arterton). The film opens with the two nasties shopping for some pretty dangerous equipment, setting up a room and then kidnapping Alice by putting a bag over her head and a gag in her mouth. It's brutal and shocking stuff. The reason for all this is that the two dickheads want a ransom for Alice's return as she's the son of a wealthy businessman.
From then on there's plenty of beatings, Arterton is left completely (yes, COMPLETELY) naked on one occasion and tied to a bed. It's a lot cleverer than it seems though; there's a couple of excellent plot twists which are hard to see coming and the plot is super focused and tightly written.
Director J Blakeson keeps things simple; there's only 3 characters and 4 locations seen in the film. It's a confident first effort from the director who handles the camera exceptionally well and gets some truly gripping performances out of the 3 actors.
Compston and Marsan both more than hold their own opposite the young up and coming Hollywood star, but the girl from Kent (that's where I live!) is simply sensational in the role of Alice. Arterton is asked to be amazingly vulnerable, powerfully miserable, desperately crafty, and suddenly brave. She succeeds in all departments and despite some of the iffy Hollywood blockbusters she's been in (Clash of the Titans), this film proves she can act damn well.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a simple film with minimalist design choices and a tried and true formula. However, it's fantastically written and shot by Blakeson and the performances from the 3 leads are top notch. It can be brutal, shocking and a bit disturbing, but if you want a change of pace from the big and brash blockbusters then this is a film to go and see.
5/5