The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie Review

Right, left, up, down, twist, turn.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 4, 2010

We will kill you.

The girl-in-peril movie just got a little more interesting with The Disappearance of Alice Creed, a taught, windy ride of psychological turmoil; incessant backstabbing; and enough thick, gut-wrenching tension -- particularly in the opening act -- that even a well-placed slash with a Bowie knife couldn't cut through it. Audiences interested in a movie that deviates from the norm and piles on the suspense and the plot twists will find plenty to like about Director J Blakeson's debut feature-length film that's an oftentimes exhilarating and occasionally draining picture that weaves in plot twists like they're going out of style. Built around three characters and three characters only and taking place primarily in but a single location, The Disappearance of Alice Creed defies most traditional Thriller/Kidnapping/Horror conventions and instead paves its own route towards potential cult classic, the film lacking the spit-and-polish of a major league Hollywood blockbuster but more than making up for its shortcomings with a unique approach to a tired genre. The movie could be better -- for as intense as it oftentimes is, it never finds the same kind of horrifically relentless attack on the nerves as does a movie like Director Adam Green's Frozen -- but the various plot developments and strongly-penned characters make this one of 2009's most pleasant surprises in the Thriller category.

Not exactly Alice's idea of a fun evening.

Two men -- Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) -- quickly, efficiently, and with motive and smarts pepare a room to hold a high-profile kidnapping victim. They install soundproofing siding, remove unnecessary furniture, cover the windows with plywood, add deadbolts to the door, and bolt down a bed, among other devious and frightening actions. They put their plan in motion, kidnapping the young Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton) who is tied to the bed, stripped, photographed, and once again clothed in apparel of the kidnappers' choice. The abductors keep their victim hydrated and fed while instructing her to signal them with a hand gesture should she require use of the bathroom. So begins the dangerous game of holding Alice for ransom. As the hours tick away, tensions rise, and the kidnappers' plan reaches the point of no return, secrets and relationships with potentially deadly consequences are revealed and threaten to not only ruin the chance at a ransom but irreparably tear apart three now very much interconnected lives.

If The Disappearance of Alice Creed's level of intensity was charted on a graph, with the X-axis representing runtime and the Y-axis representing the Liebman Gauge of Cinematic Tension (no Z-axis, sorry, the movie isn't in 3D!), the film would open highly near the top of the scale, fall off a bit after the first third of the movie, and level off to a respectable range in the 65-75-ish area. When a movie starts out this hot, it's hard to believe it can retain that same level of excellence throughout, no matter the genre and no matter the item being measured on Y (see The Other Guys as another example). It's only those "best of the best sorts" -- a movie like No Country For Old Men -- that can maintain or even increase the tension all the way through to the end and keep it there even on repeat viewings. Creed's drop-off isn't unexpected, then, but the film's success comes from the fact that its tension level never completely drops too drastically, falls towards zero, or even worse, slips into negative numbers. Alright, that's enough algebra for today. Just remember that Y=MX+B, but look for a trigonometry lesson in the upcoming review of Anchor Bay's Dear Mr. Gacy! OK, not really.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed finds its stride through the many plot twists that keep the energy level high and the movie fresh; it unravels quickly but not all at once, with a new secret revealed every few minutes. Has Alice been kidnaped for rape, for ransom, or for some other devious deed, one can only wonder as the movie begins. With all the careful attention the kidnappers have paid to every fine detail of their plan, how can this unfortunate heroine potentially escape from her captors and make a movie of things? Is there more to the relationships between the kidnappers and the kidnappers and their hostage than meets the eye? The only time that the plot isn't unraveling is when it's being wound up tight at film's start, and Director J Blakeson makes sure it springs forth at an even and exciting pace once it's primed and ready to go. The film moves far beyond Thriller/Kidnapping movie clichés and reveals several incredible plot dynamics throughout that completely redefine the movie at several junctures; it might not have infinite replay value once the audience knows all of its secrets, but The Disappearance of Alice Creed is certainly worth watching twice if only to look for any hints that point towards any of the major revelations. Additionally, the wonderful plot and script are supported by three fine performances and a highly proficient crew that manages to make a movie out of a visually boring primary set that houses the bulk of the action.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Disappearance of Alice Creed features a 1080p transfer that's reflective of the quality of the typical Starz/Anchor Bay release. Exceptional detailing and strong colors abound as this transfer captures the finest textures of faces where every pore and all the streaking of Creed's eye makeup is revealed in every scene. Additionally, the general griminess seen around the main locale and the textures on the soundproofing materials and any of the other pedestrian furnishings seen around the structure used by the kidnappers are seen in full throughout, with the 1080p transfer cutting no corners and showing off the sharp and crisp details of most every in-frame object. Colors are neutral, appearing neither too vibrant nor too dull. The digitally-shot picture gives off a glossy sheen and appears free of any excess noise or other visual intrusions, save for some unsightly banding that appears in a few shots. The Disappearance of Alice Creed looks quite good, ranking among the better Blu-ray discs on the market, particularly those transfered from a native video source.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Disappearance of Alice Creed features a proficient Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Anchor Bay's track isn't fancy, but neither is the film's sound design. Outside of a few gunshots, there's very little here of note. Said gunshots don't pack the punch of the more finely-tuned sound effects found in big action blockbusters, but listeners will certainly note the ear-splitting bang with every pull of the trigger. Music plays with excellent clarity across the front and with a fair back channel support structure. The surrounds don't enjoy too much activity, though; a few external atmospherics find their way into the mix later in the movie, but as a general rule, most of the action plays out up front. Dialogue is center-focused and rarely problematic; one scene in chapter three features Vic chewing out Danny at the dinner table, with Vic's words sounding unnaturally hollow. Otherwise, this is a skilled and enjoyable track that does all it can with the picture's limited source.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Disappearance of Alice Creed features a fairly standard assortment of extras. There's nothing here to get excited about, and what's included is what's to be expected of a movie of this caliber and popularity.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director J Blakeson mans the disc's lone commentary track, offering up his thoughts on the film's structure, shooting in the primary location, little secrets and nuances visible in various shots, the absence of dialogue in the opening 10 minutes, the importance of music to the movie, set design, some technical observations, the challenges for a director working on a first feature film, and even pointing out an homage to Alien. Blakeson's commentary will prove a worthwhile listen for fans of the film.
• Deleted Scene (480p, 1:43): Phones with optional director commentary.
• Extended Scene (480p, 7:42): Alice Gets the Gun with optional director commentary.
• Storyboard Comparison (480p, 5:32).
• Outtakes (480p, 4:16).
• Trailer (1080p, 1:21).

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a well-conceived and smartly executed Thriller that's oftentimes raw, hard to stomach, and packed with surprising twists and turns that come often and unexpectedly. The picture rarely relents in its level of gut-wrenching tension, though it never quite reaches the same level of gnawing uncomfortableness that makes up cinema's best. Still, for a relatively low budget picture that's based out of one primary set and features only three characters, it's hard to find fault with how well it all comes together and how strong it stays through the duration. It's not so intense that it's unbearable, but combined with the constant revelations that are always redefining the entirety of the plot, The Disappearance of Alice Creed delivers a potent movie watching experience. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of this destined-for-cult-status Thriller features a quality technical presentation and a handful of extras. Recommended.