The movie is as perfect a one as I have seen in a long time. Real (literally!) characters, real dialogue, phenomenal acting, everything was spot on.
I was hooked from the second it started. Very ordinary, post-war, working class English setting, a little eerie, and an old woman comes knocking on the door of 10 Rillington Place and the most ordinary looking man opens it, all friendly, making the usual small talk, acting all concerned with her health, your average neighbour.. and then he goes and kills her,completely calmly and not at all in a gruesome or violent way. Completely calm. He even talks to her soothingly whilst she's taking her last breaths.
This totally sets the scene and tone of the movie. It's a very quiet and composed movie which makes it even more sinister. Just like the main character... on which this film is based, the real life British serial killer John Reginald Christie.
The film is the story of a young couple, Timothy and his wife Beryl, who move into the flat above Mr. Christie's at 10 Rillington Place and befriend him, having no idea of the tragedy he will bring upon them.
It is nicely paced, and there isn't much action. It is just a wonderful character study, where we get emotionally involved with each and every of the characters, which makes it even more difficult to swallow the way he treats and manipulates everyone. And we get to this level thanks to the wonderful, WONDERFUL actors. John Hurt, who rightly got nominated for a BAFTA for this role, plays Timothy Evans, and he's stunning. He is a man of few words, but you can understand exactly what he is feeling, and it is powerful. And then of course there is Richard Attenborough who is just overwhelming as John Reginald Christie, the best performance I have seen of him, and I cannot believe he didn't get more credit or nominations, as he is terrifying, yet you know if you met him in the street, you'd trust him completely. He is what makes the movie.
Completely and 100% recommended.
I was hooked from the second it started. Very ordinary, post-war, working class English setting, a little eerie, and an old woman comes knocking on the door of 10 Rillington Place and the most ordinary looking man opens it, all friendly, making the usual small talk, acting all concerned with her health, your average neighbour.. and then he goes and kills her,completely calmly and not at all in a gruesome or violent way. Completely calm. He even talks to her soothingly whilst she's taking her last breaths.
This totally sets the scene and tone of the movie. It's a very quiet and composed movie which makes it even more sinister. Just like the main character... on which this film is based, the real life British serial killer John Reginald Christie.
The film is the story of a young couple, Timothy and his wife Beryl, who move into the flat above Mr. Christie's at 10 Rillington Place and befriend him, having no idea of the tragedy he will bring upon them.
It is nicely paced, and there isn't much action. It is just a wonderful character study, where we get emotionally involved with each and every of the characters, which makes it even more difficult to swallow the way he treats and manipulates everyone. And we get to this level thanks to the wonderful, WONDERFUL actors. John Hurt, who rightly got nominated for a BAFTA for this role, plays Timothy Evans, and he's stunning. He is a man of few words, but you can understand exactly what he is feeling, and it is powerful. And then of course there is Richard Attenborough who is just overwhelming as John Reginald Christie, the best performance I have seen of him, and I cannot believe he didn't get more credit or nominations, as he is terrifying, yet you know if you met him in the street, you'd trust him completely. He is what makes the movie.
Completely and 100% recommended.