Dom Robinson reviews
The Debt Collector Pay up or pay the price
Distributed by
Film Four
Producers:
Graham Broadbent and Damian Jones
Screenplay:
Music:
Cast:
Dryden: Billy Connolly (The Big Man, Mrs Brown, Muppet Treasure Island, Still Crazy )
Keltie: Ken Stott (The Boxer, Fever Pitch, Plunkett and Macleane, TV: Rhodes, The Vice )
Val: Francesca Annis (Cleopatra, Dune, Macbeth, Under the Cherry Moon, TV: Lillie, Miss Marple, Reckless )
Lana: Annette Crosbie (Shooting Fish, TV: One Foot in the Grave, The Six Wives of Henry VIII )
The Debt Collector Billy Connolly ) having just been released from
one of the toughest prisons in Scotland after 18 years. He's determined to go
straight, starts a new career as a sculptor and has married Val (Francesca Annis ).
Even doing the TV interview circuit he wants to put the past behind him.
However, there's one man who just wants to rake it all up: Keltie (Ken Stott ),
the policeman who put Dryden away, does not believe that he's rehabilitated
to any kind of degree like he's claimed. It turns his stomach and wants to make sure
the "policy" is never forgotten. This was when he went debt collecting, but
instead of taking it out on those who owed money, violence was dished out to
their friends and relatives. It's a dangerous obsession that's only going to get
worse as time goes on.
Someone else who isn't going to forget is a young boy known to his friends as
Flipper (Iain Robertson ). He sees Dryden as his hero and wants to emulate
him and his terrible crimes and won't think twice about punching an innocent woman
hard in the face so she falls down and her head cracks against paving stones, or
gashing a janitor in the face with a flick knife. Such scenes look very
realistic and require a strong stomach.
Let's get one thing straight. I don't find Billy Connolly in the least bit
funny these days in his more usual profession as a comedian so I wasn't sure if
I'd warm to him in this. However, like Robbie Coltrane and Lenny Henry ,
of whom I only find the former funny now, they are certainly capable of putting in a
good dramatic turn.
Better still though is Ken Stott . Although we are given an insight into his
home life, which he shares with his mother Lana (Annette Crosbie ), he has a
really nasty streak in him and pulls off brilliant scenes as his character will
stop at nothing to wind up Dryden to breaking point. To go into any more detail
would rob the film of its surprises.
The picture quality of the disc is excellent. Anamorphic 16:9 presentation
with no artifacts are the words you want to hear, not to mention the fact
that any disc that can make a bleak backdrop of two tower blocks set behind
Keltie's house in the early evening look crisp and clear is worthy of
applause. The average bitrate is a fine 5.13Mb/s, often peaking over 8Mb/s.
The sound quality is also very good. While clearly not an action-fest,
the film has a pleasing score and the dialogue and ambience come across
clearly with effective brief surround sounds as Dryden's voice echoes in an
interview early on in the film. The soundtrack also includes a tune called
"Life in Mono" by Mono, which is co-written by John Barry and
has been featured in a recent Rover advert.
Extras :
Chapters, Trailer and Production Notes : Anthony Nielson and
a cast list.
Languages/Subtitles :
Menu :
When I first received the press released for this film I'd never even heard
of it before and the prospect of a film starring Billy Connolly had about as
much appeal as getting up in the morning to go to work, but what started as a
film with promise soon turned out to be a brilliant and gripping British film
with strong and superb performances from all concerned. Go get it now.
FILM CONTENT : *****
PICTURE QUALITY : *****
SOUND QUALITY : *****
EXTRAS : *½
-------------------------------
OVERALL : ****
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000
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