The Hide

When Sandra left him, he slept under his model railway; the bedroom held too many memories. Now Roy Tunt ("not a twitcher, an ornithologist") is holed up in his hide, binoculars in one hand, chicken-paste sandwiches in the other, waiting to tick off a sighting of the elusive Sociable Plover, a bird that hides among others. When a mysterious stranger (Campbell) shows up, with a tattooed neck and a gun under his coat, everything changes.

The Hide is directed by Marek Losey, grandson of Joseph, purveyor of elegant, chilly, often bleakly funny psychodramas like The Servant. On this evidence, the fruit has barely tumbled from the bough. Reprising his role from the stageplay, MacQueen is especially brilliant as the fusty Tunt – something like a shaved real-ale drinker, with all the beer irrigated out of him. It's stagey, sure. But which also guarantees some exceptional characterisation and dialogue.

I just watched this movie on Film4's British connection season and was surprised at how little recognition this film has received. The message board is bare, only 12 votes and no comments have been made so far, so I thought I'd make a deserved contribution.

I'll be honest: I was expecting something fairly mediocre and cheap-looking but I was very pleasantly surprised. It didn't look cheap at all with great cinematography of the Suffolk countryside and the general colour and tone of the film was perfect and felt really authentic.

Both actors do very well - especially considering the whole cast consists of just them. Phil Campbell's performance was occasionally quite wooden and unnecessarily clichéd as the 'mysterious dark stranger' character; but "occasionally" is a key word there, as he - with MacQueen - really shines toward the end. I was impressed with Alex MacQueen, especially as I've only ever seen him in very minor roles in various sitcoms such as "The Inbetweeners", but his character is complex and brilliantly pulled off.

The film starts off well and captivatingly with great dialogue in the interaction between the two leads, with mystery and suspense surrounding the two as 'Roy Tunt' is clearly intimidated somewhat by Dave. Unfortunately, the film then becomes rather slow until the last half an hour or so - and the clips of the crows feasting on flesh become tedious after a while. But "The Hide" climaxes with a surprising twist and a great dénouement revealing why both characters find themselves in this remote mudflat. The very final scene is a particular favourite of mine, ending on a sharply shocking note.

Overall, it's a decent little film, which is slow in parts but ultimately rewarding. A solid debut from Marek Losey.

7.5/10

Roy, a somewhat retentive middle-aged loser, hunkers down in the eponymous hide --a birdwatching shed on the marshes -- apparently hoping to spot the one rare bird that has eluded him so far. Into his little haven comes lurching Dave, a towering, laconic figure with a secret. The two men warily circle each other as their respective pasts slowly unspool.

This is a wonderfully low-key little film with a wonderfully simple set-up that slowly but surely ratchets up the suspense as it goes along. What powers it so beautifully is the acting, which is just stunning. Phil Campbell, new to me, at first exudes weary menace which gradually gives way to a greater sadness, and Alex MacQueen, as Roy, deserves awards to be showered upon him for the performance he pulls off here. Better known for playing stuffy and/or supercilious characters on TV, here he plays Roy with a dweebishness and deadpan humour but keeps a deeper vein of underlying tension bubbling under before it erupts entirely. He manages to be both irritating, vulnerable, clueless, tragic and frightening all at the same time, and delivers some real laugh-out-loud moments amid the suspense.

Unfortunately, when the truth comes to the surface, the film begins to lose its power: The motives, once revealed, are outlandish and unconvincing and the film subsequently slips into the melodramatic. But, even then, the acting from both of them is never less than top-notch, the chemistry between them lights up the screen, and the finale, deftly delivered, stops the heart.

I was not sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it, and it kept my attention throughout, despite the late hour. The writing was excellent, both actors were terrific and the film was beautifully shot. The film is full of tension without descending into cheap shocks.

I would say it is less 'Pinteresque' (as one reviewer said) than Sam Shepherdesque... as you carry on thinking about the characters and the things you learn about them long after the film is over.

The scenes of the lonely marshland and the distant birds are very atmospheric, too.

I hope it gets the success it deserves! It's great to see a British film, and I presume a low-budget one, with such promise.

Saw this film on Filmfour one night and thought it was so good. It's got a really nice set up - a middle aged man with borderline OCD, who is waiting to see the last bird on his list. He is articulate and polite. He is joined by a rough, inner city northern guy, who looks a little banged up and dangerous. From here on is a tense game of back and forth with the power shifting between the two men as more layers are peeled away and they learn more about each other. The two actors command attention and are very engaging throughout. Marek Losey has delivered a tight, well paced and taught thriller which uses it's claustrophobic environment well to create a nervous watch.