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A woman has to deal with feelings of grief and guilt after her husband and son die in a terrorist attack. A young London mother (Michelle Williams) waves her husband and son goodbye as they head off to see a local football match. As soon as they're gone, she entertains local news reporter Jasper Black (Ewan MacGregor), with whom she's been having an affair. As the two begin making love, a news flash on the television informs them that a suicide bomber has attacked the stadium which her husband and child were attending. In a blind panic, the woman heads for the football ground, where she runs into her late husband's boss, police officer Terence Butcher (Matthew Macfadyen). In the following weeks, as she attempts to put her life back in order, she's introduced to, and befriends, a young boy (Sidney Johnston) whose father was involved in the attack.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By H. Mclean
Format:DVD
Firstly, I think the synopsis of Incendiary (before the reviews), where it describes Michelle Williams' character as a 'promiscuous adulteress' is way off the mark. Although she does have an affair, this seems to be something she enters into after much hesitation and is in no way promiscuous. I found those comments in the synopsis a bit harsh and mildly misogynous.
This movie takes a route that's quite different from the book, which (I thought) concentrated more on the erosion of civil liberties by the government and how it manipulates and destroys people's lives, while the film is more about the personal grief of a single person. I found these differences made the original story almost irrelevant to the tale being told in the movie. The story of personal grief told in the film could easily have been accomplished by way of an original screenplay, without adapting the book at all.
Michelle Williams is outstanding in this film, easily the best thing about it. Her accent is very convincing and more that once I got teary watching her performance. The scene where Ewan McGregor's character Jasper visits her in the hospital was particularly moving. McGregor is very good too but I felt his character was sidelined about halfway through and by the end was largely irrelevant.
As for the direction, I thought it at times was too sentimental. For example, the flashbacks of her son on the beach were used far too much. I felt as though I was being clobbered and at one point I said out loud, 'Yes, I get it! Give it a rest!'. I also found the overuse of sentimental music during these scenes irritating. I think this is because I was expecting a different story - ie the one in the book. In the end, the finished film was worthy but not 'incendiary' in the way the book was.
This movie takes a route that's quite different from the book, which (I thought) concentrated more on the erosion of civil liberties by the government and how it manipulates and destroys people's lives, while the film is more about the personal grief of a single person. I found these differences made the original story almost irrelevant to the tale being told in the movie. The story of personal grief told in the film could easily have been accomplished by way of an original screenplay, without adapting the book at all.
Michelle Williams is outstanding in this film, easily the best thing about it. Her accent is very convincing and more that once I got teary watching her performance. The scene where Ewan McGregor's character Jasper visits her in the hospital was particularly moving. McGregor is very good too but I felt his character was sidelined about halfway through and by the end was largely irrelevant.
As for the direction, I thought it at times was too sentimental. For example, the flashbacks of her son on the beach were used far too much. I felt as though I was being clobbered and at one point I said out loud, 'Yes, I get it! Give it a rest!'. I also found the overuse of sentimental music during these scenes irritating. I think this is because I was expecting a different story - ie the one in the book. In the end, the finished film was worthy but not 'incendiary' in the way the book was.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Bart
Format:DVD
A real thriller, if ever I saw one. Characters beautifully cast, scenery well chosen and atmosphere full of suspense. Core of plot is guilt trip by unfaithful wife. Mother and son bonding, search for lost spouse, illicit love affair turning serious and a police officer with a hidden agenda could easily have been ingredients for an excessive adaptation of Chris Cleave's novel. No mediocrocy here! Sharon Maguire managed to direct the above items into a stylish and moving yet introvert film. The overall chemistry between Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor certainly helped things along. I'd recommend this film to anyone who's into 'intelligent action' drama.
Note about the accent spoken in the film: Of course I recognised the Cockney slang. A welcoming change from any American chatter. While English is not my native speech I fully understand British accents, whereas I always need to use subtitles when watching an American film. With EastEnders being my favourite soap, watching Incendiay almost felt 'like home'.
Note about the accent spoken in the film: Of course I recognised the Cockney slang. A welcoming change from any American chatter. While English is not my native speech I fully understand British accents, whereas I always need to use subtitles when watching an American film. With EastEnders being my favourite soap, watching Incendiay almost felt 'like home'.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Twain
Format:DVD
I thought this film was interpeted extremely well and there was allot of natural chemistry between the actors which makes them particularly adapted to their roles. It's refreshing to see a film that reflects real life and more atune to the magiority of us struggling to make ends meet. It was exquisite to see a real mother loving her child which I saw little of in general in my life.
The film kept me interested and wondering what would happen next. I really loved Michelle Williams character who at first seemed quite a flirt then showed her true colors as a mature woman willing to stand up for what she felt and not take the easy way out.
The film kept me interested and wondering what would happen next. I really loved Michelle Williams character who at first seemed quite a flirt then showed her true colors as a mature woman willing to stand up for what she felt and not take the easy way out.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By E. Ramshaw
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
we bought this dvd on a whim and probably due to its cast but we didnt get around to watching it for some time. it was nothing like that we had assumed it would be which was a plus point for definate.
Its well shot, the script is superb and keeps you watching throughtout, you dont wander or get bored and its sudden change part way in is shocking. it is often hard going and very emotional especially if you have children or have been in this situation yourself which im sad to say people have been now but every angle is covered with sensitive care and never once apologises for being harsh or hard to watch. well acted by everyone and some surpising twists in human emotion.
a high quality classy film but dont expect to feel good after. superb and will recommend to all
Its well shot, the script is superb and keeps you watching throughtout, you dont wander or get bored and its sudden change part way in is shocking. it is often hard going and very emotional especially if you have children or have been in this situation yourself which im sad to say people have been now but every angle is covered with sensitive care and never once apologises for being harsh or hard to watch. well acted by everyone and some surpising twists in human emotion.
a high quality classy film but dont expect to feel good after. superb and will recommend to all
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By ReviewBlog51
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
'Incendiary' is one of the better British films that I've seen in recent years. It is the story of a beautiful young mother (played by Michelle Williams) who has an affair with a journalist (played by Ewan McGregor) and suddenly, her whole life is torn apart when her husband and young son are killed in a suicide bombing at a soccer match. With her life now turned upside down, broken and alone, she tries to deal with her terrible loss and sets out to search for the truth. As you can probably expect, it is a very emotional film and Michelle Williams gives a brilliant performance.
'Incendiary' really is worth watching and Michelle's fantastic acting is almost reason enough to do so.
'Incendiary' really is worth watching and Michelle's fantastic acting is almost reason enough to do so.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By French 1
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Couldn't disagree more with some of the poor reviews on here regarding this film. Being a student of film and an avid film enthusiast, I thought it was fantastic and a complete success for British film. The acting was flawless, it was gritty, real, sad, frightening, and uplifting. Rarely does a film combine so many genres so effortlessly. If you are a parent, make sure you have tissues at the ready. I love the fact that it isn't so completely structured, like life itself, but that it builds slowly in drama, reaching a truly unforgettable finale. See it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking
Wonderful film about a terrorist attack on a London football stadium & the after effects it has on the woman who lost her young boy & husband in the terror. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Lorna
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I am a woman built on the wreckage of myself..."
In 2005, Chris Cleave wrote a novel INCENDIARY about a distraught woman who writes a letter to Osama bin Laden after her four-year-old son and her husband are killed in a massive... Read more
Published 2 months ago by janebbooks
1.0 out of 5 stars
Rubbish from start to finish
What was the purpose of making this film? What a waste for the actors, less attracting more of what's to come, barbaric acts of terror. Read more
Published 6 months ago by V. WAGNER
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit of a slow burner
Took a little while to get into the movie. At one time I was about to give up and switch off. However I stuck with it because of the
excellent performance by Michelle... Read more
excellent performance by Michelle... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. T. S. Clark
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Incendiary DVD
I had seen some of this Film on tv and felt it was good enough to buy, to see the rest of it. unfortunately it was disappointing, and a scene when the son came back (from the dead)... Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2010 by Ms. R. Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hmm...
Having seen this film being shot, I was keen to see the final result. I was surprised how far it strayed from the book, which is much darker than this. Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2009 by Kelly A19
4.0 out of 5 stars
a nice little film
i found that the film was good.it was well shot and was nicely plotted.the story was told well.the characters were well fleshed out and you could beleive what was happening in the... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by mr welles
5.0 out of 5 stars
i would recomend it
i watched this film last night and it was one of the best i had seen in months .Its has got an exciting storyline which draws you into watching. Read more
Published on 30 July 2009 by chalky,everton lover
5.0 out of 5 stars
Working With The Stars
this film is brilliant and so are the special effects. on april 9th 2007 i was apart of creating this film. Read more
Published on 28 July 2009 by kyrie
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