Brimstone & Treacle (1982)

Admirable film.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

British middle-agers with a handicapped daughter invite into their home a strange young man who holds a curious power over the family. Sting (then the lead singer and bassist of The Police) gives a commendable starring performance--his first lead--in this Dennis Potter concoction based upon Potter's own play (originally taped--and banned--by the BBC). Writing like a mischievous child, and aiming for lofty subtext and ironic turns of the screw, Potter doesn't always get the affects he's aiming for, but neither does he disappoint. Director Richard Loncraine doesn't struggle too noticeably getting this peculiar material off the dime (and out from the main set), and his build-up to the foregone conclusion is rife with interesting, twisted bits of business. Not a barn-burner by any means, but a handsome, calculated work in a minor, somewhat derivative key. **1/2 from ****

Dennis Potter never made a drama that never had a point,its just that his work was so deep the point of his dramas wasn't always obvious,in fact you felt you needed a high IQ level to get your head around his work.The important message of this film is that we shouldn't always be so trusting towards strangers,especially ones who seem so angelic they may have ulterior motives and in this case he did.How many cases have there been where the mentally handicapped have been abused by their carers,its not that often but its enough.Plus cases of the elderly go into nursing homes and end up being shoved about,i think he was making a very strong point.Stings character was a wolf in sheep's clothing,i think in the original version he was played by Micheal Kitchen,who i feel played the part better,the original version has only been on TV once as it had been banned,and may still be.The original version does put the point across better,i feel the remake lacks this, probably because Sting whose much more well known as a singer wasn't a good choice,it just made the film seem bizarre,people went to see this film purely to see what his acting was going to be like,so the point of the story sort of got lost.Dennis Potter was quiet ingenious, he never made a controversial film for the sake of being controversial,there was much more to him than that.Although i must admit its a pretty disturbing film,not one you would easily forget.

Brilliant allegorical drama from writer Dennis Potter and director Richard Loncraine. It is the fascinating tale of a young man, Martin Taylor (Sting), who -- to quote Denholm Elliott, "may be the Devil himself" -- manipulates his way into the home and trust of an ageing, embittered couple (Elliott and Joan Plowright) who "live in the shadows" after their daughter is injured in an accident and rendered mute. In a suggestion of Taylor's origins, the smarmy slimeball emerges from a church in one early scene and behaves like he's being physically assaulted when the bells begin to toll. Although his actual origins remain ambiguous up until the explosive, surprising climax, Loncraine and Potter have lots of fun keeping us guessing.The performances of all players are so good they're worthy of awards. It is thoroughly amusing to watch Sting ingratiate himself into Plowright's trust while Elliott fights with his natural distrust of strangers and occasionally blurts out his true feelings through a stiff upper lip. Suzanna Hamilton, as the disabled Patricia, communicates great inner torment and anger with limited resources of expression.Potter's script, adapted from his play, is simply riveting. His uncanny ability to capture real language, behavior and see-sawing emotions is a joy to behold and draws us into a highly emotional, sometimes surreal drama. A stormy prayer sequence is a standout, as is an economically directed flashback sequence that reveals the cause of everybody's unease. A wicked, very English sexual undercurrent throbs beneath the polite surface of the drama, as does a pitch black vein of humor.The music (Sting and Michael Nyman) sits perfectly in every scene, embellishing mood and tone, the cinematography of Peter Hannan is moody and striking, and Paul Green's sharp and inventive cutting is terrific.Outstanding in every department.

33. BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE (thriller-drama, 1982) Martin (Sting) befriends middle-aged bookkeeper Tom (Denholm Elliott). Martin cons his way into his house by passing himself as friend to his daughter. Daughter Patricia has been left a mute and bedridden for 3 years after a mysterious car accident. Though Tom is suspicious of Martin's exact motives, his wife is beguiled by Martin's charm. But what they don't know is that Martin is sexually abusing their defenseless and disabled daughter.Critique: Part fairy tale, part religious parable, this creepy, atmospheric film is highlighted by a wickedly perverse turn by Sting (lead singer of rock group 'The Police'). What makes his character such a bizarre figure is that his motives are unknown, his appetites unresolved. I think Martin is just a thief, passing himself as anyone's friend just to have a place to stay. A sort of pickpocket. He's also a sexual deviant who doesn't mind how he gets it, either from an invalid or an old woman. The film portrays him as an avenging angel-type, brought into this deeply secular home as a purger of sins. Interesting direction by Richard Loncraine (is this his film debut?) who works from a play adapted by Dennis Potter, whose own sexually dubious works are to be questioned. 'The Police', along with 'The Go-Gos' provided the 'hip' soundtrack.