I don't give 10s lightly! But having just watched this through twice, I don't feel I have any option. It is a chilling, absorbing, magnificent film.
Writing, acting and direction are all superb here, beautifully complementing each other to produce a small masterpiece that holds your attention not just through the film itself, but also well after the credits have rolled.
Conspiracy brings to mind another of my favourite films: Sidney Lumet's Twelve Angry Men. Here too we have a collection of protagonists brought together in one room, each with his own very distinct motivations, fears, hopes and ambitions, and we are allowed to watch their personalities play out against each other as a conclusion is reached. At the beginning you think you can't possibly gain an insight into each one of these 15 individual characters round the table. But by the end, you have done. And that's amazing film-making.
It has taken me a long time to discover Stanley Tucci. But what a fine actor he is. I can only hope he gets the part one day soon that will allow him to shine in a lead role - but until then his sidekick performances are sublime. And his playing of Eichmann here is certainly no exception. I have never really liked Kenneth Branagh. Always thought he was over-rated. But here, I finally see what the fuss is about. His Heydrich is a devastating performance, and I take it all back! And the rest of them - Ian McNeice, David Threlfall, Colin Firth and Kevin McNally in particular - also seem to capture their roles perfectly. I think it was just that kind of set where everyone was just right on top of their game, so when the cameras rolled they all fed off each other's talent to create something truly special.
The events portrayed in the film of course actually happened, and that lends the whole thing a devastating context. But it is treated so sensitively, you never once feel that the subject is inappropriate for cinema. This indeed is a film that people should see, as it is as vivid and terrifying a way as any to teach new generations what humanity is capable of.
The tautness of the script and the tension of the directing keep you mesmerised. When I reached the end of it, I immediately reached for the remote to watch it again - and I never do that, no matter how good a film is. To be honest I would probably have watched it a third time if I could have done. It had that much effect on me. In itself, at 96 minutes, it is nowhere near long enough! As a drama, Conspiracy is top notch. As a showcase of performance acting and direction it won't be easily matched. As a cinematic experience to make you think long and hard about the world we live in, you won't find many better. On all of these levels, I can't recommend it too highly. See it. The one piece of music chosen to augment the movie, perfectly selected and placed at the end of the film, will haunt you.
Writing, acting and direction are all superb here, beautifully complementing each other to produce a small masterpiece that holds your attention not just through the film itself, but also well after the credits have rolled.
Conspiracy brings to mind another of my favourite films: Sidney Lumet's Twelve Angry Men. Here too we have a collection of protagonists brought together in one room, each with his own very distinct motivations, fears, hopes and ambitions, and we are allowed to watch their personalities play out against each other as a conclusion is reached. At the beginning you think you can't possibly gain an insight into each one of these 15 individual characters round the table. But by the end, you have done. And that's amazing film-making.
It has taken me a long time to discover Stanley Tucci. But what a fine actor he is. I can only hope he gets the part one day soon that will allow him to shine in a lead role - but until then his sidekick performances are sublime. And his playing of Eichmann here is certainly no exception. I have never really liked Kenneth Branagh. Always thought he was over-rated. But here, I finally see what the fuss is about. His Heydrich is a devastating performance, and I take it all back! And the rest of them - Ian McNeice, David Threlfall, Colin Firth and Kevin McNally in particular - also seem to capture their roles perfectly. I think it was just that kind of set where everyone was just right on top of their game, so when the cameras rolled they all fed off each other's talent to create something truly special.
The events portrayed in the film of course actually happened, and that lends the whole thing a devastating context. But it is treated so sensitively, you never once feel that the subject is inappropriate for cinema. This indeed is a film that people should see, as it is as vivid and terrifying a way as any to teach new generations what humanity is capable of.
The tautness of the script and the tension of the directing keep you mesmerised. When I reached the end of it, I immediately reached for the remote to watch it again - and I never do that, no matter how good a film is. To be honest I would probably have watched it a third time if I could have done. It had that much effect on me. In itself, at 96 minutes, it is nowhere near long enough! As a drama, Conspiracy is top notch. As a showcase of performance acting and direction it won't be easily matched. As a cinematic experience to make you think long and hard about the world we live in, you won't find many better. On all of these levels, I can't recommend it too highly. See it. The one piece of music chosen to augment the movie, perfectly selected and placed at the end of the film, will haunt you.