The Disappearance of Alice Creed opens with stark efficiency as we watch a pair of crooks silently prepare for the perfect crime. First, the perpetrators steal a plain, white van, the kind that serial killers always use in the movies. Next, they proceed with workmanlike manner in purchasing various items such as a mattress, duct tape, and power tools. They line the bedroom walls of their dingy flat with insulation for sound proofing and install additional bolts and locks to the front door. They dress in matching outfits and black gloves before driving to their destination. Suddenly, they've wrapped some poor girl in a blanket and thrown her in the back of the van.
As we soon learn, the criminals are Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston), partners who originally met while in prison. Danny is the young hotshot while Vic is the stone cold veteran. Their victim is one Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), the daughter of a very wealthy man. Danny picked the girl and Vic has planned the entire operation down to every fine point. Vic and Danny tie Alice down to the bed, handcuffing her wrists to the bed post and placing a ball gag in her mouth. They strip her naked in order to take photos to send to her father. Once that's out of the way, Alice is dressed in a purple tracksuit then has a hood placed over her head. Vic and Danny exit the bedroom and dispose of all their clothing. Danny seems to be losing some of his nerve now that the girl is no longer "theoretical," but Vic sets him straight with a steadfast ruthlessness. The ransom from Alice's father will make them rich.
Anybody who's seen a good crime movie knows there's no such thing as the perfect crime. Twists and turns lie ahead as the film reveals more and more about the crooks and Alice, who is hardly the helpless lass the bad guys thought.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed marks the feature film debut for writer/director J Blakeson, whose most notable credit was as screenwriter of the direct-to-video sequel, The Descent: Part 2. The enigmatically named Blakeson keeps his direction simple without drowning the picture with a lot of flashy camera tricks. He allows the film to rest solely on the shoulders of his actors. The Scottish-born Compston (who has previously appeared in films like Red Road and The Damned United) does a good job of evolving his character beyond that of the rookie in over his head. However, it's Eddie Marsan who commands attention whenever he is on screen. Marsan has become a noted character actor following excellent turns in Happy Go Lucky and Sherlock Holmes. Here, Marsan comes across as an icy sociopath without resorting to cartoonish histrionics.
Blakeson keeps his focus on the villains in the first half of the movie with the title character serving as a supporting player. Usually, when the audience is asked to identify with the criminals, they are charming rogues as evidenced in the Ocean's franchise or the classic Rififi. Make no mistake about it; these guys will never be called charming. They are nasty, especially Vic.
Considering the film is named after her, it needs a capable actress to be Alice Creed. Blakeson has found his damsel in distress in Gemma Arterton. The lovely actress had only just appeared in Quantum of Solace when production began. Her star status rose this year following roles in the big-budget blockbusters Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia. That's has certainly helped gain notice for Alice Creed, which debuted in 2009 at the London and Toronto Film Festivals. Arterton has a rough time of it in the first half as she's mainly restrained or blindfolded. In addition to the earlier nude scene, she's forced by her captors to pee in a pitcher while spread-eagled across the bed. To Blakeson's credit, he doesn't shoot these sequences in a salacious manner, but it's hard to completely leech away the inherent elements of exploitation cinema.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a bit of a mixed bag. Blakeson directs with a restrained assurance and the film starts off as a strong crime thriller. If only Blakeson had kept the script as clean as his direction. The plot suffers from a one too many left turns as the narrative becomes bogged down with shocking revelations. Alice Creed comes on strong, fizzles out and only just rights itself at the climax.
Rating: ** (*****)
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