The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2010)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Absolutely amazing

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This a film that starts out really strong then slowly piles on a bit too many plot contrivances. Visually it's excellent. The opening sequence is wonderful for wordlessly setting up the story. And honestly, that's where this movie starts to have problems. When the characters start talking and you find out their backstories, it gets a bit convenient when things start to go wrong.The performances range from good to great with Gemma Arterton being better than previous work I've seen her in.Overall it's fairly enjoyable on visual level but plot gets a bit on the goofy/implausible side by the end.

As this thriller opens two men meticulously preparing for a kidnapping. They soundproof and secure an empty flat before snatching their victim off the street, gagging and hooding her and taking her to the flat. The men are ex-cons Vic and Danny, she is the eponymous Alice Creed. Once they have her in the flat they chain her to a bed, cut her clothes off then take pictures of her. After putting new clothes on her they set about making their demands. They want two million pounds off her wealthy father and make it clear that if all their demands aren't met they will kill her. Inevitably tensions are high throughout and only get tenser as we learn more about the characters and their relationships.I've tried to keep spoilers to an absolute minimum as there are quite a few twists that benefit from knowing as little as possible; if possible even avoid watching the trailer as it gives away one of the twists. Thankfully all I knew about the film was what was written on the DVD box and that wasn't too much. Most of the film took place the confines of the flat but it still didn't feel theatrical rather than cinematic. The cast does a great job; Gemma Arterton does a brilliant job as Alice and Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan are great as Danny and Vic. As the end approaches things get so tense that I wondered if anybody would survive. Overall I'd certainly recommend this although it certainly won't be for everybody thanks to some fairly disturbing scenes.

It's wonderful that such a low budget thriller, with a cast of literally three people can be so intense and stand proud with many a big budget thriller.It's a simple set up: two ex-convicts kidnap the titular character for a princely sum, and plan to start a new life with the money they accumulate, after all, they fell for each other in prison.As these films go, one is good, and one is bad, so when the bad one goes out,the good one takes a little pity on her, and this is where the film veers toward leftfield.It turns out that Alice is in a relationship with one of the kidnappers, and he was planning to take the money for them both to start a new life.A war of nerves begins with the kidnapper in a dual relationship, trying to hide everything that has happened.Although Compston and Arterton are wonderful in their respective roles, it's Eddie Marsan who makes the film the tense thrill ride that this film turns out to be. He's an absolute menace in the film, literally having an unhinged manner about him during every moment he has on screen.Even when he is off screen, he makes moments almost unbearable, such as the scene where Compston is trying to reason with Alice, his intense knocks at the door, are an uncomfortable accompaniment to the scene.It loses its way toward the end a little, but for the most part, it's a little gem of a movie.See it for Marsan.

In 2008, Gemma Arterton came to cinema-goers attention as a Bond girl when she played Srawberry Fields in "Quantum Of Solace". The following year, she took on a much more demanding and disturbing role as the eponymous Alice in this dark thriller filmed on a low budget in the Isle of Man. She acquits herself very well, showing that she is far from being just a pretty face. Her co- stars - Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston who play Alice's kidnappers - are equally convincing in a work that has a mere three roles.Considerable credit goes to J Blakeson who is both writer and director of this stylish work which is essentially wordless for the first ten minutes and simply gripping as the narrative unfolds with twist after twist. In 2014, the film was remade in Danish with the less clever title "Reckless".