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DVD Retreat
 Run time: 90 min Rating: 5.8 Genres: Thriller Director: Carl Tibbetts Writers: Janice Hallett, Carl Tibbetts Stars: Jamie Bell, Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton |
| Storyline In a last-ditch attempt to save their failing marriage after the stillbirth of their first child, Kate, a journalist, and Martin, an architect, escape London for a retreat to the beautiful, yet remote and unpopulated Blackholme Island, which is off the west coast of Scotland. Fairweather Cottage is a place where they once shared a romantic holiday and the island holds fond memories of happier times. Kate and Martin arrive by boat, it’s autumn and the rocky barren moors are blown by freezing winds and the before they’ve even settled in, the generator and CB radio communication start to fail. Their relationship is already fragile and anxieties are pushed higher when they lose all contact with the mainland and after a heavy storm, an injured man is washed up on the shore. Dressed in military fatigues and carrying a gun, the mysterious stranger regains consciousness and identifies himself as a British soldier called Private Jack Corman and he soon reveals that he carries a deadly message … Written by Vertigo Films |
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| Plot Keywords: island, retreat, boat, virus, washed ashore | |
| Details: Country: UK Release Date: 26 April 2012 (Bahrain) |
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DVD Retreat
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"Retreat" is a three-hander, starring Thandie Newton, Cillian Murphy and Jamie Bell (although there is one other character with a brief speaking part). Kate (Newton) and Martin (Murphy) have gone off to an island retreat to regroup after Kate miscarries; they return to a solitary cottage on a remote island where they had been happy years earlier, thinking it might help their relationship. But Kate is withdrawn and Martin doesn't know what to do, and the whole thing might not have been a very good idea after all. One day, they stumble upon Jack (Bell), an injured military man to whom they are quick to offer shelter. Unfortunately, the generator in the cottage has shorted out, and the CB radio seems not to be working, so when Jack tells them that a fast-moving and lethal air-borne infection has been sweeping the world and the only way to protect themselves from it is to barricade themselves inside the cottage, they have no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or not. But Jack's decisive (and bullying) behaviour convinces at least Martin that something is going on, and although Kate initially resists and suggests that they just leave the cottage to the "crazy" man, she too is more or less bullied into submission. And it is true that something is going on, but whether they can figure it out in time to save themselves is an open question….
This is writer/director Carl Tibbetts' debut film. I expected it to be a very tense psychological thriller, and to some extent it is, but there are flaws that perhaps a more experienced scriptwriter and director could have smoothed out. Largest among these is the simple fact that if Martin had listened to Kate right after Jack shows up, they wouldn't have gotten into this mess. It's hard to swallow disbelief when some plot points are so, well, silly. This is not to pan the film at all – it's sharp, has some beautiful cinematography (it was filmed in Gwynedd, Wales), and a lot of the twists and turns (especially at the end) are unexpectedly rich. But really the best reason to see this film is for the acting; our three leads are just outstanding, with Thandie Newton's performance serving as the focus that holds the whole film together. Definitely recommended.
As the title says, I am genuinely shocked that Retreat has an IMDb score of 5.7 (at the time of writing). Whilst not a terrible score, it is below the average of scores I usually see on IMDb.
Retreat was, admittedly, rather slow to get going. However I did not see this as a negative element of the film as it served to provide the back-story of the protagonists, a much needed element to discover why they were on the island in the first place. The chemistry between Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton was good, and as always they both acted their parts excellently (Jamie Bell, also, played his role brilliantly, although he will always be Billy Elliot to me!)
The film itself is brilliantly written. The dialogue is believable, and there is just the right amount of confusion and suspense building up to the twist ending.
Speaking of the ending, I genuinely did not see it coming at all, and for me it just made the film that little bit better.
In summary, it's a brilliantly acted film, it's a new twist on the whole "pandemic" concept that has come about during the last few years, and I think it definitely deserves a watch. Do not let the mediocre IMDb score put you off!
An above average virus movie, very enjoyable. I am not sure why some people that appear to not enjoy horror or virus/plague movies insist on watching them then complain when they do not like it. That would be like me eating my least favorite food then complaining how the meal sucked. It makes no sense, this movie was great for those that enjoy this type of movie. The acting was good and it keeps you guessing to the very end.
Worth your time to watch. Good acting, very nice location and good plot.
Give it a shot, it is worth it.
I don't understand the bad critics,it is a good movie. I watched it after I read the reviews here and was expecting something worse.I must say I was pleasantly surprised by Retreat. It is a psychological thriller,the acting is very good (Cillian Murphy is a remarkably good actor,but also Jamie Bell and Thandie Newton are a pleasure to watch)and the story kept me guessing until the end. Retreat slightly reminded me of 28 Days Later,but it is a totally different story and captivating in it's own way.I liked the pace and the atmosphere of the film,and I would recommend it to everyone interested in this genre. Retreat definitely deserves better critics and a better rating!