Aug 08, 2015
Robyn O'Mahony - ScreenRelish.com
Small budget indie’s don’t get much better than this. CONTAINMENT is a tense, well-written – well-acted – survival thriller whose director, Neil West, puts the emphasis on performance and location in order to deliver a stark and thrilling feature. At only 75 minutes, CONTAINMENT takes place in a tower block in an undisclosed, and unnamed – location. Strangely for me, the location is just five minutes from my door-step, and to see a local council estate turned into a film set is pretty special. Initially, the choice of location seemed a weird one – upon watching, it makes complete sense. The towering visage of the diagonal flats, the sea-side landscape – these elements, and more, make for perfect apocalypse/survival imagery. West’s film see’s a divorced artist Mark (Lee Ross), and his neighbors Enid (Sheila Reid), Sally (Louise Brealey), Sergei (Andrew Leung), Aiden (William Postlethwaite) and Nicu (Gabriel Senior) as they discover they have been locked inside their flats inside a tower block during the night. With no idea of why this is happening to them, they soon start to put the pieces together following the arrival of a team of people in hazmat suits outside of their homes. Watching as residents of the estate begin to be taken by the medical team, the group of survivors are charged with finding a way to escape their indoor prison and discover what is happening on the outside. It’s not an unfamiliar premise, but it is an original take on it. West’s characters are a realistic representation of societies working-class citizens, with Reid in perfect reminiscent mode as an old woman comparing today’s contemporary – and diverse – world, with 1900’s England. There’s a definite political undertone, or at least some kind of social commentary, but it never dominates, and therefore doesn’t risk alienating its audience. CONTAINMENT is short’s director West’s first foray into feature filmmaking, and it’s a strong debut. A simple enough story – and one which has been adapted and adopted many times in cinema – backed by a fantastic ensemble, and a surprisingly impressive script, means this small-time movie deserves a big-time audience. The cast is made up of six actors, three of which give stellar performances. These three; Ross, Reid, and Senior, lead the rest as they each independently – and together- shine brightly. Many will recognise Ross from Brit soap EASTENDERS or THE CATHERINE TATE SHOW, as well as supporting performances in films SECRETS & LIES, HARD MEN and THE ENGLISH PATIENT. Similarly, audiences will know Reid from hit Brit sitcom BENIDORM. Senior is a relative newcomer, but not short on talent. While he doesn’t have any dialogue, he channels enough silent energy and emotion to stand out amongst the crowd. Together, these three provide us with a great dynamic, and as the narrative unfolds we see the growth of a new-found family trio. Features of this genre allow room for various themes and sub-plots, which West and writer David Lemon connect to, if only one or two. Writer Lemon encapsulates so much enigma which amounts to a level of intensity which sits ominously throughout, and that’s pretty stirring considering the lack of much of a soundtrack. Director West doesn’t rely on a score to set the tone – which most films of this genre often do – instead, he uses a carefully crafted story, with a genuinely accomplished script, and a more than capable cast, to deliver the goods. Those goods, are so worth the watch. With asides of wit, and a thrilling, grab-your-face finale, CONTAINMENT is the stand-out indie feature of the year.
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