Must see classic from Ben Wheatley.
This review is a sister to Kill List linked at the bottom of this article as well as forming part of a career retrospective of director Ben Wheatley featured at the bottom of this paragraph. Quite simply, many of my favourite films are buried within much lengthier articles and they deserve a dash of the spotlight as stand alone articles and, whenever I hear Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s incredible song “The Power of Love”, I am immediately transported back to my teenage youth as well as this incredible film of a decade ago.
Ben Wheatley and 6 highly recommended British films
Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, High-Rise and Free Fire. 7 years. 6 incredible films. Lovingly…medium.com
“I’ve never been a Muse before!”
Part funded and supported by both Film 4 and the National Lottery, Ben Wheatley’s third fantastic film is bookended by two differing version’s of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” and therein lies the first of many metaphors for this darker than dark triumph. Written by the film’s two stand out stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram (with additional material from long time collaborator Amy Jump), the film depicts a love story that on the surface isn’t immediately apparent and is driven by instant carnal lust rather than a developing romance. Even 88 minutes later and following yet another Wheatley inspired cinematic denouement that crunches and takes the breath away in equal measure, their love affair fails to resonate fully but that’s to the film’s eternal credit as from beginning to end their love, their escape, journey and indeed their English caravanning holiday is tainted and fractious but in an incredibly endearing way.
Amidst the genteel rolling hills of the English countryside and World Heritage museums that we share with “Tina” (Alice Lowe) and “Chris” (Steve Oram) we encounter chaos at every turn as their unusual love affair takes many oblique turns for the surreal and bizarre, often juxtaposing a natural high and pleasing moment with a disturbingly dark counter point. As with his two previous films, Ben Wheatley has again blended light with dark brilliantly and from the very outset and very first scene it is quickly established that nothing, and absolutely nothing at that, is what it seems.
Tina and Chris are two very disparate characters yet can also be seen as a mirror to each other despite their differences. Tina, cosseted from life by an overbearing Mother “Carol” (brilliant cameo from Eileen Davies) and leading a sheltered, withdrawn life, is Chris’ “Muse”, the inspiration and driving force for his writing. Chris is on a sabbatical from the corporate world and trying to find his voice amid the clutter of writers block and desperate for adventure to show Tina the small world of museums and places of natural beauty that surrounds her.
Their week long caravanning holiday is meticulously planned to the nth degree to include the Crich Tram Museum, Blue John Cavern, Mother Shipton’s Cave and the Pencil Museum before the ultimate end to their odyssey, the Ribblehead Viaduct. Both Tina and Chris are incredibly awkward, outsiders in a world where they both prefer to be living inside a bubble of their own making and away from the noise and clutter of the outside world. It could also be argued that both suffer from manic depression as they swing uncontrollably from tremendous and joyous highs to crushing lows and as the film develops (and Tina becomes the more dominant of the two) there is also a sense of egging the other on, that they’ve come this far together and can’t allow anyone or anything to get inside their bubble.
There is a definite undercurrent of depression and especially societal anxiety at the outside world and all this despite their meticulously planned holiday and numerous destinations, but both Tina and Chris increasingly find it difficult to interact with the world that surrounds them. As with his previous films Down Terrace and Kill List, Ben Wheatley quickly establishes that uneasy feeling that nothing is quite as it seems, with conversations trailing off without an answer, awkward interactions prick the bubble of calm serenity and beauty, and scenes often merge into one another with a continuing narration (of sorts) from a previous segment of the scene. This again propels the film but more importantly establishes the fractious nature of our characters minds, feelings and intentions.
So often the film has an almost calming, single camera shot on one or both of the character(s) looking directly at the audience, almost asking “are you with us?”. Chris’ joy is etched all over his face after the early accident at the Crich Tram Museum as the one camera close up testifies, but his barbed “He’s ruined the Crich Tram Museum for me now” comment later is another overt clue that all is not what it seems.
This is all firmly established early on, as are the characters huge duality swinging from tremendous highs of joy and laughter to brutal, distanced and almost psychopathic tendencies as their week long holiday quickly becomes a random, cold and somewhat schizophrenic killing spree. Did I mention that Chris was on a violent and bloody killing spree? Neither does Chris, or Tina for that matter!
Nor do they mention their burgeoning love affair as this often mirrors the schizophrenic nature of the killing spree. On the surface only it appears cold and awkward with very little real tenderness between them. This is deliberately so but to comment further would be to enter spoiler territory. There is very little outward expression of love, the holding of hands or kisses and cuddles but theirs is a love of passion, of a moment in time, of extreme excess and carnal lust so aptly shown by a rocking caravan and Tina’s screams from within! Tina, nose deep in her treasured Pot Pourri exclaiming “Oh God Chris, this is exactly how I imagined it!” is absolutely priceless!
Their love is frantic and passionate, capturing that one moment in time of pure lust and absolute joy, living life one hedonistic moment at a time and damning the consequences. Yet by the time “The Power of Love” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is played (and another massive, iconic and lingering direct nod at the audience) you may well be cheering for yet more characters in a Ben Wheatley film than your conscience should really allow. To continue the metaphor, that specific moment in time of the film, the capturing of Tina and Chris nearing the end of their journey, their broad smiles accompanying the music, their moment in time that they’ve dreamed of is absolutely stunning, and befitting another darkly beautiful film from Wheatley.
Sightseers is another triumph for Ben but special praise is also reserved for Director of Photography Laurie Rose. Amid the madness of furious sex and Pot Pourri, the violent and bloody killing sprees and Chris and Tina’s nonchalant and detached attitudes to the aftermaths through to their incredibly awkward social interactions, Laurie Rose brings to life so many treasured English tourist destinations with ease. But it’s the dawn and dusk pictures of England that please the most, the rising sun captured in glorious wide shots of the English countryside and the dark, haunting dusk of a full moon that capture brilliantly the intensity of impending dread and violent destruction. This is their third joint collaboration and I’m pleased to note that more are to follow.
The musical choices of Soft Cell and Frankie Goes to Hollywood are inspired, as is the haunting “Season of the Witch” by Donovan, a scene which simply has to be seen to be believed. As with Ben’s previous films there is a small supporting cast of just 29 total actors, some of whom return in minor cameo roles again but this is very definitely Tina and Chris’ story, a bloody, brutal and brutally blackly comedic caravanning holiday that I simply adored from the first minute until the last. It is also Alice Lowe and Steve Oram’s film and they should be lauded highly for their portrayals.
Eminently quotable, this is wince inducing brilliance again from one of Britain’s finest Directors of our age. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Light to dark and back again, and quite possibly again and again, I’ve dissected the following brief scene as a taster only as this scene encapsulates the majesty of this film perfectly:
An early morning ramble in the English countryside (brilliantly captured by Laurie Rose) as Tina and Chris head for a circle of sacred standing stones. Chris, always ahead of Tina and striding purposely forward ignores Tina’s repeated requests to slow down as their dog Poppy relieves herself. Tina is approached by a separate rambler who is aghast that she is neglecting to pick up the excrement in an area of such natural beauty and Tina quickly crumbles, tearfully crying for Chris to return and help her. Their brief interaction is predominantly captured by one moving camera between the rambler and Tina with a second camera angle quickly cut into the narrative. Chris returns and quickly both he and Tina subtly egg each other on, taking an innocent situation which should have been rectified immediately into a subtext of sexual indiscretion to which Chris must now defend Tina’s honour as a “serf” to their “Lord and Master”. Chris strides purposely again, this time behind the retreating rambler who defends his public school education whilst Chris, prophetically one might argue, counters that China will soon own and dominate this once sacred Country.
Cue John Hurt:
“And did those feet in ancient time. Walk upon England’s mountain green. And was the holy lamb of God, on England’s pleasant pastures seen!. And did the Countenance Divine, shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here, among these dark satanic mills?”
Slumped against a sacred standing stone, Tina watches nonchalantly, without expression, as Chris violently beats this innocent rambler to death. No motive, no reason, just pure in the moment psychopathy. Slow motion cameras capture the violent madness, quickly cutting between a prone and still emotionless Tina and a raging Chris before he quickly regains his composure with an equally nonchalant “report that to the National Trust mate”. The regaining of composure is key as it again establishes the psychopathy and random nature of the attack and of Chris’ detached antipathy towards anyone apart from his muse. Tina dead pans “I’ve never thought about killing innocent people like that before” to which Chris coldly and completely detached from reality counters “He’s not a person, Tina. He’s a Daily Mail reader. Perspective. Grab it with both hands, it’s free”. This detachment continues as without a thought for the mindless act that has just transpired Tina urges Chris to use this as inspiration for his writing. “I’m musing!” Tina exhorts excitedly before the scene ends with Tina and Chris embracing the sacred stones that surround them.
Oh, and by the way “Mint Me!”
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film and television articles are linked below or there’s well over 100 blog articles (with 300+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
Kill List (2011)
Ben Wheatley’s horrible horror is still horribly magnificent.medium.com
“Moon” revisited from the dark side of Sam Rockwell
Duncan Jones cinematic debut is still a disturbing joy.medium.com