Rising Star: Andrea Riseborough

It’s not at all an uncommon occurrence to see both the good guy and bad guy work together in a cops and robbers thriller. And in order for this unlikely allianceto become a believable one, there needs to be careful planning, both in terms of characterisation, as well as the plot that will eventually connect the two.

Director Eran Creevy, in his second outing behind the cameras after his BAFTA-nominated Shifty (very highly recommended), is in some ways successful in paying tribute to some of the best films of this particular genre. In an almost Heat-esque style and dynamic between his hero and villain, he attempts to create strong and stable core central players, as well as surrounding in a murky conspiracy-driven plot set in the parts of London you don’t get to see in many films set in the capital.

Three years after his leg is shot by Jacob Sternwood (Strong), a notorious criminal, Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) has since become a wounded man, both physically and mentally. He no longer shows the passion or enthusiasm he once had, and goes about his everyday job without exactly having his head in the game, to much disappointment from his eager partner, Sarah Hawks (Riseborough).

But he is faced with one last chance to face off with the man who has permanently scarred him for life. Jacob’s son, Ruan (Elyes Gabel) ends up in a hospital in critical condition after taking a bullet. Convinced that Jacob will return from hiding to see his own son, Max works closely with the case, always trying to outsmart his nemesis, determined now more than ever to put him behind bars. Max is a flawed individual who would never admit his shortcoming. His leg injury always seems to be getting in the way, but what makes him stand out is his undying sense of duty, in part driven by revenge to take down the bad guy. Even in the film’s opening where four motorbikes are chased by Max’s car in the dead of night in Canary Wharf, his relentless pursuit is what explosively kicks everything off. And McAvoy has that beaming intensity to create a hero worth rooting for.

Strong has never had a problem playing the villain but here he has a slightly more layered role to play, as behind that tough, hardened exterior lies a genuinely worried father showing his softer sides, even for the briefest of moments.

But despite the actors’ best efforts, however, the film never spends enough time into looking at their relationships in adequate detail. There is very little background story to explain their drive and motivation. The only other clichéd element missing from McAvoy’s character is that he’s lacking a bottle of alcohol, and with Strong, the lazy reference to the villain’s wife poses questions and intrigue whilst never going back to address it later. Riseborough’s character is entirely wasted here – she has great chemistry with McAvoy, and the wordplay between the two is great fun to watch, which is why it’s such a shame to see her amount to very little when it comes to the overall plot.

A lot was left on the cutting room floor it seems, as Creevy wanted the “present-day” action to speak for itself with its tight running time to pack in the tension but when it comes to actually understanding the characters, the script quickly glosses over them, wanting to get on with its main forte, the action scenes. Budgeted at a modest production value of 8.5 million dollars, don’t go in expecting to see lots of explosions and big-scale gun fights. Instead what you get are skilfully mounted, intensely shot and patiently filmed sequences, often a whole lot more effective than having far too much money to spend. With its “less is more” approach, the film does find assured footing with handling the kinetic action, always managing to keep the slick style intact despite the relatively modest scale.

The overall achievement is a satisfying one, but you get the feeling that it could easily have been better, with a little more attention paid to its characters. Perhaps a director’s cut edition would be worth a look.