The Red Right Hand
  www.theredrighthand.co.uk





44 INCH CHEST
Without Jealousy, There Is No Love

Director
Malcolm Venville

Starring
Ray Winstone
Ian MacShane
Tom Wilkinson
John Hurt
Stephen Dillane

Weird one to call. A film that simultaneously felt intriguing as well as a completely wasted opportunity. A film gifted with fine actors and exceptional acting but void of progressive plot. A film of pervasive swearing and little dialogue other than that. No conflict, no resolution, just a room. I thin k I'd rather like it.. if I didn't hate it so much. What little plot there is boils down to a tough wideboy (Colin, played by Winstone) gathering his hard-nut friends to capture and torture the young waiter who's been having an affair with his wife. That's pretty much it; for a solid hour and a half. For some this is will feel like an interesting look into the mind of a man scorned, tussling between revenge and moral decency. For others it will be a sweary waste of time that will no doubt appal them from the start.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why this film was made - by that I simply mean that it would have worked better as a stage-play; granted an almost Pinter-esque play (in structure and almost frustrating conclusion of 'nothing happens') but a play nevertheless. Then there's the fact that every word of dialogue is expletive-filled and yet not wholly unnecessary; as such, each actor is judged by how much or how little he swears. It's less a narrative and more a tale of the integrity of moral self, without outside intervention such as societal moral standards, church or law. Once you understand that, the whole thing breaks down to sheer acting chops as each archetypal supporting character draws a parallel with various elements of Colin's psyche as he works through the rage of betrayal and guilt of his subsequent actions.

Winstone has a thankless job as the distraught Colin, so the supporting actors pull main focus. First we have Tom Wilkinson's timid but loyal Archie, a nice man who seems to have almost fallen in with the wrong crowd but quietly enjoys it. Then there's Stephen Dillane as the vicious Mal. Dillane is an incredibly good thespian who usually gets shunted to the background but proves his worth here, as he did in HBO's John Adams. Ian McShane plays the charming yet viciously cold homosexual swindler, Meredith with equal parts camp humour and deadpan callousness. And finally we have John Hurt as Old Man Peanut, an absolutely foul-mouthed gangster, spouting his old-world ideals about a man's place and obligations. Each role personifies a different side of Colin's emotional spectrum, with Colin himself representing the devoted love of his wife. On top of all that, we have an incredibly well shot film with beautiful cinematography and a dark moody soundtrack to round it off.

In light of these comments, you might think this is a misunderstood yet thoroughly profound release (much like A Serious Man) but the majority of cinemagoers are going to find it boring, despicably vulgar and incredibly fruitless. Audiences will note the actors involved, possibly see the poster or trailer and instantly earmark it as a Guy Ritchie-esque release. In truth, the film fails on a great many levels but as an analysis of self, it's moderately interesting.

Release Date:
15th January 2010

The Scene To Look Out For:
Having asked the others to leave the room, Colin is left with the battered and tied hostage. Without the nagging of his colleagues, his devoted love for his wife pours out in a convoluted but strangely identifiable speech. In his own crass way, Colin explains to Loverboy [Melvil Poupaud] that love is hard graft and rewarding in the most subtle of ways. The whole thing is shot close-up with Winstone's eyes glistening and nose running as he swigs away at a bottle of brandy but the intensity and sincerity in his voice really sells the moment.

Notable Characters:
It's a close battle between the majority of the supporting cast but the most instantly memorable role is that of John Hurt's grumbling old git, Peanut; combining that miserly old bastard routine with a harmless out-spoken friend. I suppose if you had a horridly racist old uncle, who was all-talk and no teeth - the type the entire family tolerate and are quietly amused by but his personality is difficult to explain to outsiders. Yeah, that'll do; that's an adequate description.

Highlighted Quote:
"I want you dead. I think you owe me that; I do. Because that's what you've done to me - you've fucking killed me"

In A Few Words:
"Littered with dank shots and punctuated with obscenities, 44 Inch Chest is going to be a quickly forgotten release, despised by the majority. However, that's not to say it's not worth a watch if it's your cup-of-tea"

Total Score:
5/10


Matthew Stogdon