Close to now; not quite now

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2006)

The enthusiasm of many of the reviews of this picture is entirely justified. Though it is unlikely to make anyone feel 'good', it will offer a thought provoking and chillingly plausible vision of a world sliding into despair. The pseudo-documentary camera work is slightly jarring at times, but lends further weight to the film's sense of being grounded in a realist tradition.
Performances have been hailed, deservedly, as very good, but Pam Ferris deserves a special mention: we know what Caine and co. are capable of but it is refreshing to see her create a warm, believable character from what could otherwise be a flimsy 'tree-hugger' stereotype. That is one of the qualities that makes this a remarkable film. There is little of the 'throwaway' about the performances; the settings are entirely believable. Above all, the sense of the here-and-now extended 21 years hence is anchored in the presentation of a world very like 2006 but where the 'Grand Design' take on ecologically sound or penthouse living is taken to its ultimate conclusion and where a turbo-charged UKIP sets national policy.
All this and King Crimson in the soundtrack!