The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Plot synopsis:
Victor and Danny met in prison and hatched a plan to kidnap and demand ransom for the only child of a rich family. The film opens with scenes in which they make meticulous preparations to carry out the kidnap. They take their victim, Alice, her head hooded, to a soundproofed room. They cut off her clothing and tie her to a bed with a ball-gag buckled into her mouth. They force her to look at a camera as she is photographed naked. They then dress her in a tracksuit, put a hood on her head and leave her. They bag up both her clothes and theirs for disposal and Vic sends the pictures to her father as first step towards making the ransom demand. In continuing graphic scenes, they explain to Alice that she needs to sign when she needs the toilet and strip her lower half in order that she use a bed pan whilst still tied up. Neither shows any emotion during her humiliation but Vic, who is dominant, questions Danny's resolve now that the formerly 'hypothetical girl' has become real.
Vic is the one who leaves the place where they are holding Alice in order to make preparations to obtain the ransom, whilst Danny is left guarding Alice. In his absence, Alice, signing that she needs to do a 'number two'. persuades Danny to untie her and turn his back. She attacks him with her bed pan and grabs his pistol, which she fires during the struggle between them, hitting the wall. Believing he is about to die, Danny reveals his identity to Alice. They were lovers before his time in jail and he says he met Vic while in jail and chose her as the kidnap victim with a view to getting money from the father she had told him she hated. He says his plan was to double cross Vic and to start a new life, sharing the money with Alice. They hear Vic returning and Danny points out that even if she were to shoot him she would not get past Vic. Alice agrees to play along with Danny's plan and lets him tie her back up. Later, while Vic is away again, Alice gets Danny to untie her and seduces him, managing to handcuff Danny to the bed. She tries to leave but finds the front door bolted from the inside and can't get out. She sees a mobile phone on the table and dials 999 but cannot tell the operator where she is. She then notices Danny's gun and decides to use it to get him to tell her where the keys to the front door are. Danny tells her they are in his trouser pocket, which is close enough to the bed for him to overpower her whilst she is attempting to retrieve them. He reties the unconscious Alice to the bed. Vic returns and says the exchange is on. Vic is left alone with Alice while Danny prepares the van. As Vic starts to get Alice ready for the trip, the mobile phone she managed to obtain falls out of her pocket onto the bed. Vic checks it and finds it shows a 999 call. Then he spots the bullet in the wall, ungags Alice and threatens her. She screams for Danny, proving she knows him. She then tells Vic that Danny intended to double cross him and that she had done a deal with Danny to play along as kidnap victim in exchange for a share of the money.
Vic is shocked at Danny's betrayal. When Danny returns, Vic gives Danny a chance to admit something was amiss by saying he feels something is 'not right'. But Danny does not reveal anything to Vic. They inject Alice with something to put her temporarily to sleep and move her to a deserted, rural warehouse, where they chain her up in a back room. Vic asks Danny for his set of keys to the locks and then drives him to a forest where he says they are to pick up the ransom. There, Vic confronts Danny about his betrayal, saying he has consigned both himself and Alice to death through it. He says he now intends the hole they had dug for the ransom to be for Danny's body. Danny flees and Vic shoots at him, wounding him. Danny manages to get away and hide. Vic then retrieves the ransom elsewhere and returns to get Alice. He tries to give her an injection, as he has done previously in order to render her unconscious whilst moving her, but the wounded Danny returns as he is doing so, overcomes him and gets his gun. In a stand off between Vic and Danny, Vic reveals to Alice that the two men were lovers. He attempts to use the bond between them to persuade the fatally wounded Danny to put the gun down and be taken to hospital. Danny shoots Vic point blank and then, to Alice's horror, leaves the room, switching off the light on his way out. She is still handcuffed to railings and Vic appears to be dead. However, he revives sufficiently to throw keys to Alice. She manages to unlock her fetters and stagger out through the deserted warehouse. Outside, she finds Danny has not got far. The car he was leaving in is a short distance up the road, the ransom money on the passenger seat and Danny's dead body in the driver's seat. Alice opens the car door and drags his body out. The radio is still playing. She looks at the bag of ransom money and drives away.

Tags: violence, plot twist

Review:
Apparently working to a tiny budget, he's proved that he has an incredible understanding of what makes a thriller film work.There are three excellent performances (lucky, as with only three actors this needed to be the case), particularly Gemma Arterton as Alice Creed, who uses her wits and womanly wiles to make a stand against her tormentors, Vic and Danny.Much has been made of the plot twists - but I still didn't see them coming at all!
You tell him that you have no doubt that we will kill you."The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a brutal little thriller about a woman who gets kidnapped by two men, who plan to use her to ransom £2 million from her wealthy father.
This film to me personally was a little bit of a surprise to say the least, I was recommended the film by a friend, who said to me its worth watching, and as a film critic, I put aside some time to give it a viewing.I was not disappointed either, with the film starting out somewhat a little confusing, and uncomfortable at first, it soon dawns upon you that this is no ordinary kidnapping.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED is a three-hander that sees spoilt rich kid Gemma Arterton kidnapped by a couple of goons and tied to a bed while they demand a ransom from her father.
As for the other two cast members, Eddie Marsan is a seasoned professional as ever, but Martin Compston is a little bland and whiny and gets way too much screen time.THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED does well to avoid falling into clichéd territory - there's no torture, for instance, which would have been an obvious inclusion these days - but once you know the storyline it doesn't really have much in the way of rewatch value.
Even though about 75% of this kidnapping tale takes place in a two room apartment, director/writer Blakeson finds enough effective and compelling ways to photograph his tiny set, and enough sharp plot twists and reveals that any claustrophobia becomes a plus not a problem.
There are a few times when credulity is stretched, and a few plot turns that have that sense of being a 'clever twist' instead of something organic to the characters or the story (you can feel them as they're where the acting is less strong, you can see the actors strain to make them 'work'), but neither shortcoming is enough to keep this from being a highly entertaining, and even ultimately oddly touching nail-biter..
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Recently released from prison, convicts Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) meticulously plot and execute the kidnap of the titular Alice Creed (Gemma Anderton) a young woman with a rich father.
Having filmed the ransom demand, everything seems to be running smoothly, until Alice turns the tables on them, after which various twists and turns and sneaky revelations come to light that set the plan down a very different and more deadly path than anyone planned.Opening entirely in silence, with the main characters going about doing and getting what they'll need for their crime, TDOAC certainly opens with a decent sense of atmosphere and impending terror.
Overall it's an amazing, erotic, shocking and riveting movie and the director J.Blackson proved that he truly is capable of bringing a good story in complete natural brutal and believable way.
The title is something that confused me, as we spend the whole time with the titular character, yet at the end of it, comprehension dawns.Acting: Arterton actually surprised me as in Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia and Clash of the Titans she was uneven and had this contrived, grating posh accent but here, she speaks in her normal accent and is far more consistent in emoting.
Budget constraints meant the cast remained a trio, but I would've liked to have seen other important characters mentioned.Cinematography: Conveys a true sense of sickening planning in Alice's kidnapping, humiliation at the hands of the pair, deception, fear - all pretty much what I'd expect from a thriller of this sort.Score: What little there was there was good and I loved the Radiohead-sounding song with Bjork-esquire vocals Holy Moly by Cathy Davey, as it's suitably mellow for the end of the film.Overall: This has been called a glorified stage play by some people, but to me, it felt like a film with nuances concerning characters and much like Hard Candy(comparison as it's also indie and had a small cast) was a really taut thriller that had me glued to the screen all the way through.
Writer and director J Blakeson has crafted a truly impressive film giving both the perpetrators and the victim interesting but realistic character traits that translate into an original and astute plot about kidnapping.
I recommend this as a must-see for the dominating and masterful performances by Arterton, Compston and Marsan, for the perceptive, engrossing and bewitching story-telling and direction, and for capturing the true art of film-making..
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a taut,lean,economical film.there are only three players in this film.the two kidnappers Dannny (Martin Compston),and Vic(Eddie Marsan),and their victim Alice Creed(Gemma Arterton).all three put in outstanding performances.there are a few surprises here and as well as some unexpected twists and turns.the movie contains a fair amount of graphic language and nudity and sexuality.and some disturbing images.and there's one scene in particular which some may find especially offensive.i won't point it out now.you'll know when you see it.it's not for everyone.but if you're OK with the above,i'd recommend this film.it's not your standard thriller.it's much more intelligent than the norm for this genre.for me,The Disappearance of Alice Creed is an 8/10.
Only three characters inhabit three locations, but it is skillfully utilized towards building a taut, twisting, economical thriller about a kidnapping gone awry.Vic and Danny meticulously plan the kidnapping of rich girl Alice Creed.
Directed like a car commercial and written as if by a teenager who has read a bad screen writing manual and been given the impression that simply adding 'twists' to a plot is what makes a story good, this has to be one of the worst films I've seen at the Toronto International Film Festival - and why this sort of film, which clearly aspires to be mainstream/commercial, was shown at a film festival to begin with is uncertain and reflects poorly on the judgement of the programmers.The story itself is weak, not because the aforementioned twists were predictable, but because the fact that there are twists is predictable - it's just that sort of movie.
Apart from these larger problems were smaller ones of basic credibility, especially in a scene in a forest near the end.Additionally, as a minor note, "The Abduction of Alice Creed" would have made a better title, since that was the focus of the plot - the "Disappearance" in the title would have fitted a story told from the point of view of the police or her parents.
However, The Dissapearence of Alice Creed ended up being a wonderful thriller thanks to its intelligent screenplay, perfect direction and brilliant performances.Arterton, Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston make a fantastic work at bringing their characters to life despite the facts that the film's short running time and frantic rhythm do not let too much time to deepen into their characters' past.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED is a brilliant little film, full of surprises, well written and crafted by writer/director J Blakeson, and acted to a fare-thee-well by a trio of excellent actors.
The film opens silently as two men, ex-cons Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston), go about their business buying materials to soundproof and block out the windows and apply multiple locks in a sleazy apartment as well as prepare a van in the same way.
Doesn't get any better than this.I rewatch this film on a regular basis, especially with anyone that has yet to see for the first time .Three actors and the lowest of budgets allows for no distractions and none are needed.I remember the ad campaign in the London Underground of the 'missing person' posters reporting the disappearance of Alice Creed.
Former prison cell mates Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) kidnap Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton) for £2 million ransom.
No unnecessary scenes - you get the information you need, even if he drip-feeds it in via throw- away lines in dialogue.The cast consists of only three actors - Eddie Marsan, Martin Compston and Gemma Arterton - and they all give excellent performances.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a low budget three hander filmed in the Isle of Man.The early scenes are Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) kidnapping Alice (Gemma Arterton) who is bound and gagged in a bed after being stripped naked.You can sense the economy in the filming as there is no dialogue for the first few minutes in the film.Alice's predicament is harrowing, not only is she is restraints, she has to pee in a bottle and get fed by her captors.
The following year, she took on a much more demanding and disturbing role as the eponymous Alice in this dark thriller filmed on a low budget in the Isle of Man. She acquits herself very well, showing that she is far from being just a pretty face.
Her co- stars - Eddie Marsan and Martin Compston who play Alice's kidnappers - are equally convincing in a work that has a mere three roles.Considerable credit goes to J Blakeson who is both writer and director of this stylish work which is essentially wordless for the first ten minutes and simply gripping as the narrative unfolds with twist after twist.
Arterton was surprisingly good at playing the kidnap victim and maintained her character well throughout.Marsan and Compston were brilliant too-Marsan being perfectly cast as the ruthless, aggressive kidnapper.It's fantastic that it can be so gripping with just 3 characters-sometimes more is less.Camera angles and effects are well used.It really deserves to be called a thriller and I haven't seen a thriller as good as this in a long time.
This starts out as an interesting, meticulous and seemingly straightforward crime thriller until the first of the astonishing revelations that then follow thick and fast with more twists than 'Volpone', as the audience is bombarded with information not always known to all three cast members at the same time; with yet another surprise thrown your way while you (and the characters) are still absorbing the likely consequences of the previous one.Some of the twists were so grimly comic they made me laugh out loud; and even as I was teetering on the edge of my seat I was aware of the mounting number of contrivances and improbabilities (and counted at least three major ones), but found the ending satisfying precisely because the reality would have been so much grimmer..
There is a strong, low budget scene and British cinema is able to be very gritty and hard hitting and The Disappearance of Alice Creed is very well made debut film by J Blakeson.Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) are two criminals who kidnap a woman, Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton) and ransom her for £2 Million.
Blakeson, The Disappearance of Alice Creed is not the crass; smug; ugly piece of horror/thriller commodity one might think – on the contrary, and in spite of its premise of a young female kidnapped; bound and humiliated, with flashes of nudity and a whole lot of anguish complete with homosexuals at the centre as villains, the film is more a relations drama featuring characters we can get behind with their own respective sets of standards; morals and prerogatives, than anything else.The film begins its rigorous, agonising opening at that of an airport car park, and one of a pair of men breaking into a parked van which we can perhaps be forgiven for assuming, given the locale, no one is going to miss for rather-a while.
Even though this is a small budget movie and has only 3 actors in it 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' delivers one of the most wonderful and powerful movie experiences to the fans who likes thrill and drama.Surprisingly the plot is way easy and familiar.
You may think that you can only make so many kidnapping films, but Blakeson has made a new one without really making us think of old ones.And the way he did this was pretty smart: he knew he would not have a budget, so he developed a script based on the concept of keeping scenery and characters to a minimum.
This viewer found these devices irritating.Comparison with other early movies like Reservoir Dogs or Blood Simple helps show the value of a straight plot with good lines to tell a compelling story.However, the bare bones of the plot are excellent, with clever plot twists, and this is a decent first film, with a few good thrills..
Alice is in her 20s, was not taken for her beauty, and as far as we know is not especially "special" in any way.In fact for 10 or so minutes we are told nothing about much at all.The two kidnappers are both male; one is around 40 (Eddie Marsan), he appears to be running the show and the main driver of remaining professional and adhering to the master plan, the second (Martin Compston) is in his 20s and appears nervous, skittish and edgy.We learn Alice is to be ransomed for a large amount, and all going well the duo should be paid within 36 hours.But a lot can happen in 36 hours, even to a perfect plan.##################################### Decisions are made.
What I will say is that this is a very effective low budget thriller, and that while it goes into dark territory at times it never veers off the rails or moves into silliness.The three leads (and only people in the film!) are all excellent and believable for the most part, and even with all the twists it is easy to follow the action.The fact that we never really know who will have the "happiest ending" (or maybe least sad) maintains the interest.Final Rating – 7.5 / 10.
This low budget British indie film is full of violence, nudity and cursing and it's also pretty damn good.The film's set-up is pretty straightforward; it's a kidnapping thriller in which two ex-convicts called Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) kidnap a young woman called Alice Crred (Gemma Arterton).
It's a lot cleverer than it seems though; there's a couple of excellent plot twists which are hard to see coming and the plot is super focused and tightly written.Director J Blakeson keeps things simple; there's only 3 characters and 4 locations seen in the film.
Danny turns out to have less of a cold heart than we are led to believe, and he has a motive for getting involved in the kidnapping that seems a little more complicated than it needs to be.Gemma Arterton, one of my favorite young actors, gets the humiliating role of Alice whose early scenes, tied to a bed with a ball-gag in her mouth, are difficult to watch.
This British thriller film is about Alice Creed who is kidnapped for ransom by two blokes( Vic and Danny), they take her to a flat with soundproof walls and tie her to a bed while they wait for the money from her father.
I don't know much about British actors but I'll tell you that all three gave very strong performances.The story revolves around a plot by two meticulous kidnappers, Danny and Vic, to extract $2 million dollars ransom in exchange for a young female hostage, Alice Creed (Duh!).
The only other negative to the film is the back and forth between the two kidnappers goes on far too long...does he know, does he not know, who is onto who and what is happening next.Gemma Arterton, former Bond girl, and recently seen in Clash of The Titans really goes for a dark twist as Alice Creed.
Alice (like her kidnappers Victor and Danny) is given no back story or character; instead the three roles serve only to try and develop some sort of tense plot.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed starts with a silent sequence of 10 minutes or so in which two men make elaborate preparations to create a secure location in which to imprison the daughter of a rich man for ransom.This claustrophobic 3 hander is written and directed by first-timer Joe Blakeson, and is a most impressive debut.
Now first off, this film had good twists and turns throughout, to the last minute I was guessing as to how it would end and what would happen to the people involved.
*** end of questionable spoiler *** i like this movie so much that i may buy it and watch it with my adult son, who will appreciate the plot's twists and turns, full of surprises.
The cast does a great job; Gemma Arterton does a brilliant job as Alice and Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan are great as Danny and Vic. As the end approaches things get so tense that I wondered if anybody would survive.
Basically criminals Vic (Filth's Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Sweet Sixteen's Martin Compston), who met in prison, hatch a plan to kidnap and demand ransom for Alice Creed (Quantum of Solace's Gemma Arterton), the only daughter of a rich family.
I wondered if this film was based on a play because of the setup, you can tell it is low budget, the script does lack a little with its clunky dialogue, but with an impressive silent opening with the criminals meticulously preparing for the crime, some very tense scenes and a fair few twists and turns to keep you guessing and hooked, overall it is an energetic and worthwhile neo-noir thriller.