Red Road

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Draco S Feb 8, 2019 There are films that start out well where the cinematography is good, the dialogue is good, the actors and the characters are strong and not over done or under done. The milieu is beautifully expressed (it's the rough end of Glasgow) and things are suggested not pushed in your face. And the film continues like this, as little bits of the plot unfold, we are drawn into the main character's life without any over-explicit storytelling or heavy handed flash backs. Yes it keeps on being good on a level for some time. For some time. You begin to suspect that something is up - well you know that something is up but it hasn't yet been revealed. The film has a slow stately pace, an accurate and sharp depiction of the shabby and poor area of Glasgow in which it is set. It's good film- making, skilful storytelling, well directed, realistically and convincingly acted. But you begin to get just a little bit bored, a little bit uninterested (well if you are me you do). You know the plot twist will come in its own good time, and you suspect it will be worthy of the suspense and the acting so far, but you just can't be bothered to wait. There's enough time left for the film to take a few twists and turns, we're just into the middle hour of obfuscation and misdirection before, what, a half hour to tidy it all up and make a story of it with a coherent beginning, middle and end? If I had been in the cinema I think the big picture immersion, the fact of watching with an audience, the sense of being IN a story, not sitting on the couch with partial detachment always on the cards would have kept me watching. Here I can get snacks or tea or drinks easily, hit the pause button so that I don't miss anything - which in fact I did after, the first ten minutes, hit the pause button when I went out of the room because the filming was so atmospheric and interesting and I didn't want to miss anything. I do walk out of films in the cinema too it must be said, sometimes I just can't bear to wait and watch until the whole damn things drags itself to a filmic close, or the film is so bad I just can't bear to watch it anymore. I won't name these films, it just upsets people. So later though, from my sofa based theatre, I just got up to go out the room, to look up the plot in Wikipedia to check whether I would be missing out on anything astounding (I don't think I was). The plot was a little far-fetched maybe, certainly (sort of spoiler here - hope you don't skim read on ahead like I do) miserable and a bit contrived. So I made my wife some fruit tea and started to write this review instead. It has crossed my mind that people will read a little way down this piece, think oh gawd what's he on about, maybe I'll make a cup of tea or click on some Buzznet specials. So it goes. See more

Albus G Sep 5, 2017 This film is very grim and realistic looking in portrayal of Scottish life. The weak point of this movie is that its strongest part is visuals since the story loses its early mystery quality towards the middle part of the movie when it becomes obvious that the man she is following has done something wrong to Jackie. But in overall it's a good thriller; sometimes it's necessary to solve the problems of the past to go on with your life. See more

Abraham W Jun 19, 2017 What thought might be a grim slice of Ken Loach-style social realism, or even [rec]-style horror, actually turns out be a deeply moving study of grief, loss and regret. Superb film. See more

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Red Road

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