The Hide (2008)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Marek Losey

Writer:

Tim Whitnall (writer)

Release Date:

5 June 2009 (UK)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

On the windswept Suffolk mudflats creaks a bird-hide, inside which hovers Roy Tunt, a prematurely aged...

Plot Keywords:

Plover | Birdwatcher

Cast

Alex Macqueen	...	Roy Tunt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Campbell	...	Dave John

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Poisson Rouge Pictures

Acting Masterclass

Roy, a somewhat retentive middle-aged loser, hunkers down in the eponymous hide --a birdwatching shed on the marshes -- apparently hoping to spot the one rare bird that has eluded him so far. Into his little haven comes lurching Dave, a towering, laconic figure with a secret. The two men warily circle each other as their respective pasts slowly unspool.

This is a wonderfully low-key little film with a wonderfully simple set-up that slowly but surely ratchets up the suspense as it goes along. What powers it so beautifully is the acting, which is just stunning. Phil Campbell, new to me, at first exudes weary menace which gradually gives way to a greater sadness, and Alex MacQueen, as Roy, deserves awards to be showered upon him for the performance he pulls off here. Better known for playing stuffy and/or supercilious characters on TV, here he plays Roy with a dweebishness and deadpan humour but keeps a deeper vein of underlying tension bubbling under before it erupts entirely. He manages to be both irritating, vulnerable, clueless, tragic and frightening all at the same time, and delivers some real laugh-out-loud moments amid the suspense.

Unfortunately, when the truth comes to the surface, the film begins to lose its power: The motives, once revealed, are outlandish and unconvincing and the film subsequently slips into the melodramatic. But, even then, the acting from both of them is never less than top-notch, the chemistry between them lights up the screen, and the finale, deftly delivered, stops the heart.