I was initially looking forward to this movie, as Paul Abbott's established himself as a different and provocative writer/producer. The central premise is pretty solid, the director aptly captures the gritty and seedy side of London, production values are great for an indie, and the actors do pretty well. Yet there are several big problems.
Main culprit is the script. Parminder Nagra, who was wonderful in "Bend it like Beckham", is the lead -- but her character just frowns, sulks, and clomps her way through the narrative like a Nancy Drew without her Prozac. And the character shift -- she starts as a fashion designer-turned-amateur sleuth in the first 10 minutes -- doesn't make much sense at all. And her co-stars -- especially Jonas Armstrong, playing another iteration of Pete from "The Ghost Squad", and Stephen Dillane -- are woefully underused.
And further is the pacing of the film, as well as the denouement. There's no sense of urgency or excitement as Deeva pieces together the clues, but when the film starts getting better around its climax, it's too little too late. To top it off, the ending is a total 180 from the film's overarching tone.
If you're a fan of the actors, rent it. But I wouldn't recommend a blind buy.
Main culprit is the script. Parminder Nagra, who was wonderful in "Bend it like Beckham", is the lead -- but her character just frowns, sulks, and clomps her way through the narrative like a Nancy Drew without her Prozac. And the character shift -- she starts as a fashion designer-turned-amateur sleuth in the first 10 minutes -- doesn't make much sense at all. And her co-stars -- especially Jonas Armstrong, playing another iteration of Pete from "The Ghost Squad", and Stephen Dillane -- are woefully underused.
And further is the pacing of the film, as well as the denouement. There's no sense of urgency or excitement as Deeva pieces together the clues, but when the film starts getting better around its climax, it's too little too late. To top it off, the ending is a total 180 from the film's overarching tone.
If you're a fan of the actors, rent it. But I wouldn't recommend a blind buy.