Hallam Foe
Dir: David Mackenzie
2007
****
David Mackenzie's adaptation of Peter Jink's exceptional novel is the great British film of 2007. I was somewhat disappointed with David Mackenzie's 2003 Young Adam after the hype that surrounded it upon release and was apprehensive of whether he was really the right man for the job. After watching the film I couldn't think of another director who would have done as good a job and it turned out to be my joint favourite cinema experience of 2007 along with Guillermo del Toro's Pan's labyrinth. The story was understandably re-written for the film, Hallam Foe in the novel spends most of his time in a Tree house and it would have made quite dull viewing, so moving the action to Edinburgh but still giving the character a high vantage point, was perfect. Jamie Bell is brilliant in the lead role, his arrogance after the praise he received for Billy Elliot was embarrassing but almost seemed justified, he was even better than we all thought he was. The pace and subtlety of the of the film is perfectly balanced and it evokes a whole range of emotions. My only criticism is that the acting capabilities of the leading cast members isn't always equal, there are times that it feels like a made for TV drama rather than the perfect cinema that it so nearly is.