The War Zone
1999
Drama
An alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.
"When the worst of men hides in a family with no history."
GB | en | Italy,United Kingdom
Portobello Pictures,Fandango,Mikado Film,Film4 Productions
98 min.
Released
Release: 6/11/1999
Tim RothDirector
Freddie CunliffeTom
Lara BelmontJessie
Ray WinstoneDad
Tilda SwintonMum
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Reviews
John Chard
2/28/2016
Darkness in Devon. Tim Roth dons the directing hat for the first time and brings to the screen a shattering tale of incest and child abuse. Alexander Stuart adapts from his own novel and it stars Ray Winstone, Lara Belmont, Freddie Cunliffe and Tilda Swinton. Story is about a family who have moved from London to the Devonshire coast. The son, Tom, is unhappy and feels alienated in the new surroundings, but when he discovers a dark family secret, things become much much worse. It's an uncomfortable viewing experience at times, making it a film you don't readily recommend, but Roth's approach to the story gives out a powerful message without exploitation or sermonising. The script is deliberately taut and sparse, while the marrying up of the crashing waves and jagged rocks of the locale with the emotional turmoil is a deft piece of directing. The use of newcomers Belmont and Cunliffe add a potent sense of realism to the whole thing, aided no end by an intelligent screenplay that doesn't go for conventionality. Quite simply it's an unforgettable film, a claustrophobic emotional battering ram of celluloid. 9/10
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