- Format: PAL
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 15
- Studio: In2film
- DVD Release Date: 21 Sep 2009
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B002BC9Z92
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 103,833 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The essence of the film is the understated background presence of the enigmatic and real-life Baroque London architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. The central character (Puritan, of course) mentions that Hawksmoor is the supposed architect of his inherited home and, for no given reason, he arranges his meetings with the mysterious Mr. Grey in the interior of a Hawksmoor church. Nothing else is made of the Hawksmoor link, but it doesn't need to be - in fact, as I can testify from experience (1994 - St Anne, Limehouse, I was with two colleagues), Hawksmoor surroundings can produce experiences redolent of the fourth dimension, and a crucial scene in the film points that up as the central theme.
This is all relevant, as the whole film takes place in an Alternate London (a fact made apparent, for example, in that the film's version of Aleister Crowley has a different name spelling [Crowleigh] and is the exact opposite physical type to our own Crowley.)
None of this is essential to then see the film - which creates its own Victorian tinged world, shot in evocative reds and blacks. Nick Moran is at his best as the faux-medium title character Simon Puritan (with an oddly olde-worlde cockney accent just right for this film), Georgina Rylance gives an extraordinary turn as the noirish heroine (as the Director points out in the commentary, she appears different in every scene) and David Soul and Ralph Brown give solid support. A delicious mixture of the Supernatural and Noir, gothic interiors and quirky characters.
A particularly enjoyable humorous scene sees two Victorian/Contemporary policemen interrogating Puritan.
This is one of those that demand rewatching as there are always new details, new clues, to pick up.
The only criticism I would level is the occasional bad language that feels like it has been tacked on by lazy necessity - I thought it slightly damaged the spell that the film casts.
This is all relevant, as the whole film takes place in an Alternate London (a fact made apparent, for example, in that the film's version of Aleister Crowley has a different name spelling [Crowleigh] and is the exact opposite physical type to our own Crowley.)
None of this is essential to then see the film - which creates its own Victorian tinged world, shot in evocative reds and blacks. Nick Moran is at his best as the faux-medium title character Simon Puritan (with an oddly olde-worlde cockney accent just right for this film), Georgina Rylance gives an extraordinary turn as the noirish heroine (as the Director points out in the commentary, she appears different in every scene) and David Soul and Ralph Brown give solid support. A delicious mixture of the Supernatural and Noir, gothic interiors and quirky characters.
A particularly enjoyable humorous scene sees two Victorian/Contemporary policemen interrogating Puritan.
This is one of those that demand rewatching as there are always new details, new clues, to pick up.
The only criticism I would level is the occasional bad language that feels like it has been tacked on by lazy necessity - I thought it slightly damaged the spell that the film casts.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Once you twig that this is another one of those "wait for the clever twist" movies, a certain amount of what one has invested in the characters dissipates and all we're left with is plot.
I don't want to spoil that plot, because there's a lot to recommend in this picture. But as much as I enjoyed its touching base with the whole Iain Sinclair/Alan Moore Whitechapel thing, I have to say that, after a good, ominous set-up and the conjuring up of some very interesting lines of inquiry, the movie finally amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Which is a pity, as the writer/director does excellent work in setting up his characters and making us curious about them. Unfortunately as the demands of the plot begin to take precedence, the human centre of the story is neglected and the piece becomes merely an exercise in tricking the audience.
But this is still the work of a very promising film-maker and is well worth a look.
I don't want to spoil that plot, because there's a lot to recommend in this picture. But as much as I enjoyed its touching base with the whole Iain Sinclair/Alan Moore Whitechapel thing, I have to say that, after a good, ominous set-up and the conjuring up of some very interesting lines of inquiry, the movie finally amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Which is a pity, as the writer/director does excellent work in setting up his characters and making us curious about them. Unfortunately as the demands of the plot begin to take precedence, the human centre of the story is neglected and the piece becomes merely an exercise in tricking the audience.
But this is still the work of a very promising film-maker and is well worth a look.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Really smart and sedate movie. First off it looks beautiful, it has the atmosphere of a classic noir but with the twist of London and meduims as its backdrop.
The calm pace of the editing made me watch it even more. The acting was very good, especially from David Soul, who was really menacing as a demonic self help guru. Nick Moran surprisingly acts well and the woman in it, Georgina Rylance, is very interesting to watch.
Glad to see a british film that doesnt pander to the gangster/geezer audience, and I have to say the ending really blind sided me!
The calm pace of the editing made me watch it even more. The acting was very good, especially from David Soul, who was really menacing as a demonic self help guru. Nick Moran surprisingly acts well and the woman in it, Georgina Rylance, is very interesting to watch.
Glad to see a british film that doesnt pander to the gangster/geezer audience, and I have to say the ending really blind sided me!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Minor little gem
I am not a film expert by any means, and David Soul was the only name I had heard of in connection with this film, and until my husband bought the DVD I had never heard of it at... Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2007 by The Librarian
M Night Shyamalan he ain't!
I think I may have been a little generous giving this title three stars. It was beautifully shot and well acted but it just didn't go anywhere for its entire 92 minutes. Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2007 by PJ Rankine
Worth a look
Aaaaaagh! Not the dreaded hubcap shot (the preserve of hack directors the world over.) Aside from that, this is a nice little murder mystery starring Nick Moran as a burned out... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2007 by Gary
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