Trackless - The Alice Creed Kidnapping - DVD

Movie: It seems like the perfect crime. Down to the smallest detail, Vic (Eddie Marsan) and his young accomplice Danny (Martin Compston) have planned the kidnapping of millionaire's daughter Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), no eventuality left unattended. And indeed, it all looks like the two men's plan will work out. But you should never be too sure, because there are always things that are overlooked.

To reveal more about Spurless - The Abduction of Alice Creed would significantly dull the enjoyment of this nifty thriller-cum-comedy. In his feature debut, director J Blakeson deftly plays with the conventions of the classic kidnapping thriller, only to repeatedly throw them out the window. For instance, he establishes clearly drawn archetypes in the first ten minutes, which are presented entirely without dialogue: Vic is the ruthless head of the crime duo who always keeps a level head. Danny is the nervous youngster who might be troubled by remorse. And Alice is the poor, helpless victim. What seems so clearly drawn at the beginning is gradually deconstructed and the viewer is confronted again and again with new, sometimes really surprising twists.

The script, also written by J Blakeson, has some minor weaknesses towards the end, but overall the story manages to captivate until the finale. But with such a chamber play it is also clear that the success depends on the cast. Since there are only three actors, even the best script wouldn't have been able to do anything if the roles had been filled with the wrong actors. But here Blakeson has proved a particularly good hand. The cast is simply superb.

Ex-Bond girl Gemma Arterton (Always Drama for Tamara) plays the surprisingly complex character of Alice Creed to the hilt, proving in almost every scene that she really can do more than just look good. Eddie Marsan, who seems to be Britain's busiest supporting actor at the moment (Happy-Go-Lucky, Sherlock Holmes, Heartless and and and.), undergoes arguably the most interesting transformation over the course of the film as Vic, which Marsan plays very intensely and hauntingly. Martin Compston rounds out the trio of actors perfectly, even if he is a bit overshadowed by the great performances of his two co-stars.

Trackless - The Abduction of Alice Creed is an intelligent thriller that puts its characters front and center and draws a lot of strength from just that. A cleverly constructed script and great actors make this home movie premiere a real steal! Absolutely recommended!

Picture + Sound: With many moments of the action taking place in a sparsely lit room, rich, bright colors are in rather short supply here. The clean image has a good overall sharpness level, with only the detail sharpness could be a bit better, especially in the darker scenes. The audio is decent but very atmospherically implemented, with the music taking an important role especially in the opening sequence. Coupled with the good mixing of the ambient sounds, the result is a restrained but engaging sound picture that does justice to the content of the film. Good!

Extras: The best extra on the DVD is the interesting audio commentary by J Blakeson, who talks about his experiences as a first-time director, explains how he drew inspiration for some shots from films like Alien, and reveals how some of the more risqué scenes were created so as not to expose the scantily-clad-to-no-clothes Gemma Arterton to unnecessary scrutiny. This good, very enthusiastically voiced commentary is joined by a short making of, interviews and footage from the shoot. The original trailer and a trailer show from the provider round out the decent offerings.

Conclusion: Spurless - The Abduction of Alice Creed is a nifty little thriller carried by three strong actors and a good script. The DVD is technically neatly realized and has some good extras to offer. For lovers of intelligent thrillers that focus more on characters than action, this directorial debut is absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp