The Liability Review

Director: Craig Viveiros

Writer: John Wrathall

Starring: Tim Roth, Jack O’Connell, Peter Mullan, Talulah Riley 

Synopsis: In order to pay the damage on his step-dad’s car, Adam (O’Connell) agrees to drive a mysterious gangster (Roth) around for 24 hours. During the day he’s privy to new, exciting, haunting, and tough experiences until they all dangerously collide.

British crime films are all-too-common since the success of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Many have gone in the opposite direction of the Guy Ritchie crime-caper and set a deeply dark tone as a trend. However, occasionally there are refreshing examples of macabre humour, nicely reminiscent of Ritchie’s 1998 classic. Whilst The Liability will not become a new favourite it contains an hour of decent action and witty dialogue. Sadly, it falls flat with a messy last half hour as it tries to stretch itself too far with genre-play.

Starting off as an ostensibly average crime comedy, The Liability moulds itself into a quaint buddy movie once Tim Roth enters into it. From his entrance until the introduction of Talulah Riley’s character, there is an excellent series of quips exchanged between Roth and Jack O’Connell. Roth’s Roy is steeped in mystery and remains as such through 99% of the film (a trait that needn’t be criticised) so having his opposite alongside of him – yapping away at every given moment, and querying the ins and outs of the profession – works wonders for the plot and character development.

Things take a sharp turn for the worst when a seemingly dormant plot line comes to the forefront of the story. It first involves Talulah Riley’s character stumbling upon Roy and Adam’s crime scene and finding herself with a key piece of evidence. It’s just after her getaway with the evidence that the film wanders into Americana (a diner with a neon-lit car park, a score pathetically similar to Drive, and milkshake and Ray Ban sunglasses iconography) and destroys the vibe so well-crafted up until now.

It gets no better, and despite some beautiful cinematography within these American-inspired scenes, it acquires an awkward ambience overall. One giant, in-your-face set piece may have seemed like a good idea on paper but it does no justice to the small, smart film it started off as. By the end it brings itself back to earth but the damage is already done, especially with a last shot that will make your eyes roll right back into your skull. 

The prominent cast members – Tim Roth and Peter Mullan – continue to own their respective scenes but upcoming star Jack O’Connell does a brilliant job of stealing occasional moments from them. The 22 year-old actor, who rose to fame with Skins and Harry Brown, has no emotionally draining scenes in the film, but leaves a definite impression on it overall. If The Liability lacks tonal fluidity, it certainly reinforces the cast’s ability to lead and support in every sense.

***

Also posted on LiveForFilms

Broken Review

Director: Rufus Norris

Writers: Mark O’Rowe

Starring: Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy, Rory Kinnear, Eloise Laurence, Bill Milner, Denis Lawson, Robert Emms, Zana Marjanovic

Synopsis: Chronicling the lives of three neighbouring families, mainly Skunk (Laurence), her dad (Roth), brother (Emms), nanny (Marjanovic) and her nanny’s boyfriend (Murphy).

British film may be most identified as “kitchen-sink dramas”. It’s by no means a negative perception of the country’s style and focus; it has been seen as such because it does it better than nearly any country. Broken is another entry in the British film catalogue that excels at what it’s doing. Portraying drama, humour, love and violence (especially in the same film) cannot always work tonally yet Broken resonates realism. Theatre director, Rufus Norris is, perhaps due to his creative background, a natural at presenting Mark O’Rowe’s upsetting story.

As well as the director there is another new addition to the film world – one Eloise Laurence, who shines throughout. Leading a cast of already well-recognised players, Laurence could have been overshadowed by actors such as Tim Roth or Cillian Murphy. However, often is the case she steals the scene from them, and a few others.

Broken’s greatest achievement is its ensemble who never hit a bum note in the 90 minute run. With actors playing rough, almost clichéd working class fiends, or mentally challenged loners, there is the chance that one would stand out like a sore-thumb – over or underplaying that particular role. This is never the case, and with the horrid Oswald clan or the jittery Rick character their casting has been carefully chosen to make their scenes stand out as much as the lead’s.

The atmosphere that the cast and crew have so skilfully created is, unfortunately, quite muddled at points. This is what leaves Broken from becoming a flawless film. Tonal shifts from dark, nightmarish drama to jolly, comedic antics are jarring when they switch so suddenly. This isn’t to say it undermines the realism as, of course, life is full of changes. But for what Broken chiefly appears to be (a “kitchen-sink drama”), moments of juxtaposition can clumsily contort the ambience.

The creation of the film’s mostly bleak mood has been masterfully arranged with a score and cinematography. Each household with its own identity and each character with a very distinctive personality – like any good mise-en-scene in film, it pronounces itself to make the actors and director’s job just that bit easier. You can see all the elements working together to make Broken as human and relatable as any typical drama.

Hopefully the average viewer won’t have experienced the violence shown in Broken but there is never a moment where it feels alien or over-the-top. In fact, the last 20 minutes of the film are so heart-pounding and probable that you are left emotionally drained. Edited with skill and directed with such precision, this is drama that has put British film on the map. Consider Lyne Ramsey’s Ratcatcher, Ken Loach’s Kes and, to a degree, Mike Hodges’ Get Carter and you know what to expect in terms of heart-break, an analysis of adolescence, and violence.

****
By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on LiveForFilms