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Retreat Review
The Film Pilgrim.com
14 October 2011
By Laura Clark
Release Date (UK) — 14th October 2011
Certificate (UK) — 15
Country — UK
Run time — 90 minutes
Director — Carl Tibbetts
Starring — Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandie Newton
Cillian Murphy returns with more apocalyptic vibes and to reprise a similar role which assisted his international success (in 28 Days Later), dodging humanity-threatening viruses. Retreat sees the reappearance of the doomsday vibe and the potential end of the human race with yet another virus which has apparently begun sweeping the planet, this inevitable harbinger of death brought to us by first-time director Carl Tibbetts. Architect Martin (Cillian Murphy) and journalist Kate (Thandie Newton) seek solace in Retreating to a small, desolate island off the UK coast to resolve their personal tragedies and their marriage, recently riddled with lies, long silences and a yet unmentioned problem between the two. With the cracks slowly cementing, they are suddenly hindered by a faulty generator, leaving them stranded on the island and then the arrival of Jack, a half-dead and bloodied army private who quickly informs them of the potential danger of the approaching virus.
To ensure a maximum chance of surviving, Jack helps them to transform their house of solace into a shelter; doors are bolted shut, windows blackened and barred as they create, unbeknownst to them at first, their own prison. No one is to enter, no one is to leave. Forced to seal themselves in, very quickly the psychological soon turns physical. Jack's dictatorship quickly results in manipulation, and this strange ménage-a-trois of a married couple with trust issues and a badly injured but power hungry intruder finds a warped un-love triangle of failing trust, power and survival. The three must remain in their cage until the virus kills them or they kill each other. Martin and Kate begin to question what is more dangerous — to be shut in this cage with a militant murderer supposedly concerned for their safety yet who simultaneously threatens it, or to escape to the outside world and be greeted with inevitable death.
There are some genuinely flourishing moments of tenseness, fear and hiding-behind-the-hands-sweatiness that are perfectly composed. But horrifying the viewer and making them feel as uncomfortable as possible has greater predominance than any sensical or believable narrative, and this is where the film ultimately trips and falls. The weakened, generic script ticks off expectations, clichés and tame psycho-sexual fumblings, culminating in an ending that is puzzling and disappointing. The triangle of power, often in flux, and the tsunami surges of dictatorship are well executed, serving as one of Retreat's stronger points, additionally with Martin's Stockholm Syndrome-esque bafflement and the tense, claustrophobic and edgy atmosphere of the house and situation, retains the attraction of the audience. Such limitations regarding the setting and few characters can pose a problem when trying progress both in narrative and to captivate the audience, particularly with what is real and what isn't constantly waxing and waning.
There are some absolutely stunning long shots of the island, the landscape and the surrounding sea, and comparisons can be drawn to Danny Boyles The Beach (2000) and its obvious sense of foreboding in this not so idyllic island Retreat.
Jamie Bell is almost unrecognisable in his role as hard army man Jack, and Retreat feels like his film, bloodied, brutal and unforgiving, a far pirouette away from Billy Elliot's gentle and delicate nature and uplifting atmosphere. Cillian Murphy also shows promise, but he is reinterpreting a character that is similar to his previous roles. Tibbett's effort at a twist, particularly with Murphy's previous genre hit 28 Days Later is not great and could have been much more engaging, Thandie Newton as Kate seems a little lost, and although she has had previous decent roles in films like Crash (2004) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) she feels as though she is constantly playing catch-up with the stronger male roles. Her role as Kate feels general, generic and a little bit uninspired. Her secret, which she keeps hidden from Martin, is disappointingly ordinary and if there was a proper secret, it could have been a little thought-provoking, not a failed attempt at character depth. Although the film is significantly weakened by the lacklustre and predicable script, some powerful acting, particularly by Jamie Bell significantly aids its redemption.
There are boundaries which try to be pushed, but ultimately they never fully tumble over. Retreat is quite a stumble from its finish-line of perfection, but it still makes a consistent, albeit not wholly successful attempt with a genre recently revisited over and over and a strange, unsensical ending, yet the tense, intimidating atmosphere still captivates. Tibbett displays promise for future films, but the script ultimately pulls it down. If Tibbett wishes to keep up with the Paddy Constantine's of the British film world, he mustn't be afraid to be a little daring, or use a little more substance.
