Incendiary on paper seems like an amazing concept, a down trodden mother trapped in an almost loveless relationship has to come to terms with the death of her husband and child after a terrorist attack on London. Add to this already volatile concoction the woman in question has an affair with a journalist, and the two are having sex at the same time the disaster occurs. In my mind I pictured allsorts of ways the story could go from there. Sadly my version of the movie differed from the directors.

Made by Film Four Incendiary harks back to the pretentious days of the film company, back in the 1980's when they made movies that were almost on a higher intellectual plane than the average movie of the day. The movie is the ultimate hollow gift something that turns out to be nothing.

It's rarely that I start a movie review in such a scathing manner, but there is this phenomenal build up in the opening 20 minutes. As the lead character played by Michelle Williams battles with the dullness of her life, almost living her life for her child. She sees journalist Jasper Black (Ewan MacGregor) zipping around in his car, and you almost feel her want to be in his life. As a relationship blooms between the two of them, you feel the coldness of her current relationship. And during an uncomfortable sexual encounter with Japer on her sofa you see her life fall apart before her eyes, the television tuned into a football match where her husband and child are displays the grim picture of a massive serious of explosions, and in moments 1200+ victims are wiped off the face of the earth. For Williams character the only memory of her loved ones comes in the form of her child's cuddly toy, a rare survivor from the disaster. Its here that the story moves from being interesting to abysmal.

One of the most annoying aspects, and in some sort of deep meaningful aspect Michelle Williams character is never given a name, credited simply as Young Mother, how pretentious can you really get. I'm not saying this to be spiteful, but really who wants to watch a movie where you have no idea of the lead characters name. Its one of those movie gimmicks that some think almost adds a stamp of genius to a piece.

You see the mother wrestling with a number of issues, having been tipped off by Jasper she strikes up a relationship with the son of a suicide bomber, potentially the very bomber that took her families lives. Then there is the friend and colleague of her husband played by Spooks actor Matthew MacFadyen, who wants to run away with her. And finally and chiefly the grief she feels having lost her son, a fact that completely over shadows the death of her husband. But with all these issues, the movie becomes more and more insignificant. As Williams is bought to the very edge of sanity, at one point stood on the edge of the building you find yourself asking would anyone care if she went over the edge? I certainly never cared.

On the side of praise I loved the character Williams played up to the incident, and really enjoyed her convincingly British behaviour, and accent. This ballsy and sexy woman really lures you towards the screen; her blunt way of talking not only seduces Jasper but the viewer too. There's this wonderful scene in which at the height of her directness she pulls off her underwear to the horror of Jasper If I waited for you, we'd get nowhere or a similar line comes from her mouth. The sex scene that follows is incredibly realistic and true to life, as these two recently connected characters struggle to find a sexual position that suits them, there are none of these flowery sex moments, its gritty and to the point.

Sadly the movies magic is captured in 20 minutes and beyond then writer/director Sharon Macguire leaves the audience stunned, but not in a good way. This is most definitely the sort of movie that were you to watch it in a cinema, people would get up and walk out. The only remaining audience would be either those fascinated by Williams and her beauty, or those too tight fisted to walk out on their expensive seats.

I'd like to draw some real positives from the majority of the movie but I just can't, its dull, depressing, overly melodramatic and most importantly hollow and completely emotionless. With actions you cannot understand, and characters you care little about there is nothing to endear the movie to you as a whole. If your considering watching the movie, heed my warning this is not something you'll disagree with me on.

Learn more about this author, Spencer Hawken.
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