To be honest, reading the existing reviews for this film on IMDb had me preparing for a cheap-as-chips stinker of 'Get Keith' proportions. That I was tempted to give it a chance is down to an admiration for scriptwriter Paul Abbot's past work, the presence of the lovely Parminder Nagra in the cast...and the fact that it was a Poundland purchase.
It's not a great film. It has an interesting premise, but never seems to realise its potential: one is left with the impression (possibly mistaken) of a project that has been conceived as a mini- series, but truncated uncomfortably into feature form. With a little more character development, and less pedestrian direction, it could have been a far more interesting and effective conspiracy thriller.
It is let down by transparent, snarling villains - who render the unfolding conspiracy to the narrative back-burner: WHY they are twirling their pantomime-villain moustaches is incidental. Ms Nagra tries very hard to hold things together, but how a Paris fashion designer is so adept at covert observation worthy of the best screen PIs is never touched upon, let alone developed. Visually it is unremarkable, and for a film whose plot concerns unscrupulous redevelopment of East End properties in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, that distinctive part of London is represented in only one scene: the cinematographer choosing, instead to feature the same tired skylines and landmarks of the prosperous city centre. The music is obtrusive and distracting and, in many cases, completely unnecessary - at times pointlessly imitating Nicholas Hooper's score for Abbot's 2003 'State of Play' TV drama.
That said, the cast is generally good - making the best they can with an under-developed script - and THAT is all that stops this sinking completely.
It's not a great film. It has an interesting premise, but never seems to realise its potential: one is left with the impression (possibly mistaken) of a project that has been conceived as a mini- series, but truncated uncomfortably into feature form. With a little more character development, and less pedestrian direction, it could have been a far more interesting and effective conspiracy thriller.
It is let down by transparent, snarling villains - who render the unfolding conspiracy to the narrative back-burner: WHY they are twirling their pantomime-villain moustaches is incidental. Ms Nagra tries very hard to hold things together, but how a Paris fashion designer is so adept at covert observation worthy of the best screen PIs is never touched upon, let alone developed. Visually it is unremarkable, and for a film whose plot concerns unscrupulous redevelopment of East End properties in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, that distinctive part of London is represented in only one scene: the cinematographer choosing, instead to feature the same tired skylines and landmarks of the prosperous city centre. The music is obtrusive and distracting and, in many cases, completely unnecessary - at times pointlessly imitating Nicholas Hooper's score for Abbot's 2003 'State of Play' TV drama.
That said, the cast is generally good - making the best they can with an under-developed script - and THAT is all that stops this sinking completely.