Dir. Julian Gilbey, UK , 2011, 99 mins
Cast: Melissa George, Ed Speelers, Sean Harris, Holly Boyd
Review by Eva Moravetz
BAFTA nominated writer-director Julian Gilbey surprises us with this highly entertaining and action-packed mountaineering thriller, co-written with his brother and collaborator, William Gilbey.
The film takes place (and was shot) in the impressive wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, where a group of friends assemble to go on a hiking and climbing expedition led by Alison (Melissa George). After a relatively slow start, the pace speeds up considerably when they stumble across a hole in the ground, where a little girl is held captive. They rescue the girl, Anna (Holly Boyd), who speaks no English at all. However, unbeknownst to them they are being followed by a vicious gang of assassins and the whole adventure turns into a deadly cat and mouse game, a race against time to get to the nearest village.
What strikes you about the movie from the very beginning is its remarkable cinematography coupled with a good deal of symbolism. The tiny figures of people are often contrasted with the enormous cliffs and mountains, the endless flow of nature. Birds frequently appear as metaphors: Alison gazes at an eagle in the opening scene and an owl sitting on a tree witnesses Anna’s rescue from the hole later. Atmospheric music accompanies the film throughout and the action scenes are really effective. There is a slow introduction of new groups of characters every now and then which keeps tension up continuously.
Despite stunning photography, dramatic music and symbolism promising some kind of spiritual depth to the protagonists, the leading characters are however one dimensional. Melissa George delivers a convincing performance as a tough action heroine: she jumps, climbs, swims and runs defying the elements, while we admire her voluptuous figure in her body hugging hiking gear. She demonstrates her leadership potential guiding the group and taking on dangerous enemies but we don’t get close to her heart or get a glimpse of her vulnerabilities. She is a great action figure but that is all there is to her. The rest of her group nobly sacrifice themselves to save the kidnapped child, but Ed (Ed Speleers), Jenny (Kate Magowan) and Rob (Alec Newman) rather resemble toy soldiers come alive, who execute a dangerous mission assigned to them at any cost without giving us any hint of their own stories. Whether they live or die has no particular importance. They are expendable and appear to be resigned to this fate, while little Anna is passed on from one rescuer to another almost accidentally. Ironically, the most intense and varied performances come from Anna, who speaks no English but conveys volumes with her eyes and the antagonists. Sean Harris is chillingly hateful and despicable as the sadistic assassin Mr.Kidd, while Eamonn Walker’s Andy conveys a bad criminal with fear hidden inside. Award-winning Czech actor Karel Roden as Darko shows an ambiguity, which suggests a human heart battling with an evil mind, as is apparent in a scene when hatred mixed with contempt flashes in his eyes at the sight of Mr Kidd gloating over the murder of a young victim.
The strength of the film lies in its brilliantly fast-paced and tightly packed script that does not let us take our eyes off the screen. Despite its few shortcomings regarding characterisation, A Lonely Place To Die is a movie well worth watching. It is great entertainment, and mixes several genre elements while keeping us on the edge of our seats.
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