The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Danny (Compston) and Vic (Marsan), a pair of ex-cons, are outfitting a van and a small flat with the latest in Guantanamo-chic - plastic sheeting, soundproof foam insulation - for an obviously nefarious purpose. They plan to kidnap Alice Creed (Arterton), and ransom her back to her very rich father - and they do. But having kidnapped, beaten and imprisoned Alice, they suddenly find that she has more than a few aces up her sleeve. The seemingly simple kidnap operation quickly becomes a battle of wills between the hardened criminal, his nervy assistant and the distressed, shrewd Alice.

The first film from a director we’ll undoubtedly be seeing great things from, Alice Creed is in some respects like a one-act play blown up for the big screen; there are three characters and four locations, but that’s all the distraction you get from the powerhouse struggle between the three characters. Eddie Marsan finally has a role to get his teeth into with the hard-as-nails Vic, but Arterton is the much-publicised revelation. Terrified, vulnerable, smart and brave all at once, her performance is worth the ticket price alone.

The other standout of the movie, however, is the script - finely tuned, and packed with twists, counter-twists, double bluffs and betrayals. Like Reservoir Dogs, another independent one-room hostage drama, Alice Creed pulls no punches in terms of violence, but is intelligent and well-acted enough to keep you gripped throughout. Movies that “everyone talks about” are ten a penny, but miss this, and you’ll miss out.

Marcus Kelly