Jack (Sam Donnelly) has returned to London after a few years away to hook
up with old criminal connections and make some quick money. After learning that they have all ‘gone
straight’ he meets the enigmatic Laura (Amie
Burns Walker) who knows of a diamond dealer called Duke with a safe full of
£300,000 cash (Robert Goodman).
The criminal lovebirds hatch a plan to
rob the old man, but not before he manages to find Jack’s houseboat and send a
pair of goons round for an amazing Sergio Leone inspired silent stare-down. It
then becomes a classic cat-and-mouse between rival criminals, but told across a
twisting, time-shifting narrative…
Almost everyone in The Return speaks in rhetorical questions (starting with a police
questioning that feels like a scientology audit). But this constant uncertainty fits the mood
and reflects a paranoid London zeitgeist that has dominated
this
year’s Raindance. I’ve lost track of times when watching
British Films where London has become a battleground for us vs. them narratives
between rich City workers and striving outsiders.
Filmed on 35mm in a classic monochrome
with husky voiceover and non-linear narrative, director Oliver Nias has created an adept London Neo-Noir with all the
classic themes of corruption, betrayal, lust and inquiry. Yet what makes it more interesting is that it
is set entirely during daylight hours: an unsettling twist on the classic
nighttime Noirs.
Having said that, I think focusing
solely on the visual style of the film does the project a slight
disservice. Considering it was shot on
film, Nias has got great performances out of the cast (time is money, remember)
and the pacing of the film is just about perfect.
From the off, The Return makes itself abundantly clear that nothing will fall
into place until the final scene – indeed, there are hints (not least the
title) that the film should be watched more than once. This does not, however, mean that there aren’t
long stretches to enjoy along the way.
For a fairly complex film about lying and deception, it is remarkably
easy to get sucked in…
The Return's second Raindance screening is this weekend - more details here
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