Complicity

• Cert:
• Cat.no: EDV 9062
• Running time: 96 minutes
• Year: 1999
• Pressing: 2000
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 16 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: None
• Widescreen: 1.85:1
• 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 5
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : Scene index, Trailer, Featurette

Director:

Gavin Millar

(Complicity, Danny the Champion of the World, The Dwelling Place, TV: Pat and Margaret)

Producer:

Screenplay:

(based on the novel by Iain Banks)

Music:

Cast:

Cameron Colley: Jonny Lee Miller
DCI McDunn: Brian Cox
Yvonne: Keeley Hawes
Josephine Boyle: Valerie Edmond
William: Jason Hetherington
Claire Gould: Rachael Stirling
Andy Gould: Paul Higgins
Wallace Byatt: Bill Paterson
DS Flavell: Andy Gray

Complicityis a British serial killer thriller which plays out the old Hollywood trick ofmaking all the characters think that its primary one is the bad guy and they thenhave to attempt to prove their innocence.

Top of the billing goes to Jonny Lee Miller as investigative journalist Cameron Colleywho is framed for a number of murders on those in the higher echelons of society and lifeafter he gets phone calls from a man with a voice-effects box telling him who’s going to dienext. Of course Cameron’s life isn’t helped because everything he writes comes from thepoint of view of those at the bottom of the social ladder and the man ringing up turnsthose words into reality by adding a link between the two.

Those in Cameron’s life – and who surround him throughout the film – are an old school friendYvonne (Keeley Hawes, looking a bit like Anna Friel but with some acting abilitypresent), with whom he does the horizontal tango even though she’s trapped in a sexlessmarriage with self-made man William (Jason Hetherington).

The film goes back to his past as it explains why certain things are happening, but I’llsay no more so as not to spoil the plot. One of Cameron’s best friends, Andy Gould (PaulHiggins) turns up out the blue and we are reminded of Andy’s junkie sister Claire(Rachael Stirling) who is no longer alive.

The cast is rounded out with Brian Cox putting in a superb turn as DCI McDunnwhile his colleague, DS Flavell (Andy Gray) isn’t the sports-waffler you may bethinking of, but used to be in BBC2’s Naked Video. Valerie Edmond playsCameron’s editor Josephine Boyle and his boss, Wallace Byatt, is Bill Paterson.

An anamorphic 1.85:1 ratio is very welcome, although it’s not always as good as itcould be with some artifacts present at times. It’s mostly very pleasing though,particularly with the landscape shots of the Scottish countryside.The average bitrate is 7.43Mb/s, occasionally peaking over 9Mb/s.

The sound is ProLogic only, but for a British film it’s not known whether a Dolby Digital5.1 soundtrack was created. Either way, when it does need to be fired up, for an explosionin one scene and police helicopters in another, an effective soundstage is created.

Both of these you’ll watch one and that’s it, but don’t see the featurette until AFTERyou’ve watched the film as it contains many plot spoilers.

Menu :A static and silent menu with options to start the film, select a scene or visit theextras menu.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend a purchase but definitely a rental as there aren’t enoughextras, plus the lacking of a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, to warrant that. Nor is itthe sort of film anyone will particularly want to sit through more than once, althoughKeeley Hawes certainly isn’t the modest type and there are a few choice gory moments.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALL