Low Winter Sun (2006)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Mark Strong shows why he is one of the best male British actors around nowadays. From Emma to Tinker Tailor he dominates films and that's what he does in this dramatic story. He is torn apart in front of our eyes. His conflict is played out and you know it is going to end badly, but you can't help but hope. The bit with the contents of the bag was pointless and in normal circumstances I'd have marked it down a star for that, but given how strong the rest of it is it is forgiven. There's a strong (sorry) cast as well, with some brilliant acting, making you think they had been hand picked for who they are. The cops are bad but human. The baddies are worse. The atmosphere of Edinburgh comes through a treat. I loved it.

This is a brilliant film noir and Edinburgh, possibly the most haunted and haunting city in Europe, is the perfect backdrop for this gripping drama of deception, corruption, love and moral conflict. Though the film is downright grisly at times, it is completely in line with Scotland's brutal history and Auld Reekie's Burke and Hare past. In fact, the town and its history are one of the main characters. Low Winter Sun is a murder/missing person mystery that is a classic tale of human evil that also addresses today's urban problems, such as, illegal immigration and the weakening of religious faith. It is superbly acted with outstanding performances by Mark Strong and Brain McCardie. The cinematography is disturbingly beautiful and the editing is seamless. My only complaint about this film is that it is not available on DVD!

'Low Winter Sun' is an atmospheric, complex and exceptionally nasty crime thriller set in Edinburgh, with a story centred on no less than three rampaging policemen. Agenw is perhaps a sanest, a man chasing his disappeared girlfriend and furious with Geddes, who has tricked him into murdering McGann. McGann, coke-fuelled and corrupt, is the out-of-control vacuum at the heart of the tale, dead when the story begins; while Geddes, his former partner, slowly self-destructs under the pressure of the vice in which he has become trapped. Lacking the stagy melodrama of most similar material, this is above average fare: even so, one can't help but feel that a story that features three (possibly four) murders and a suicide, as well as numerous lesser crimes, is just a little bit over the top. One to watch shivering on a cold winter's night.

Up there with Prime Suspect (another Mark Strong arena). A wonderful piece of Brit suspense/thriller writing and acting. Highly recommended viewing. Although it was a good 2.5 hours long it never lost its pace or dark feel. Great title too - a real piece of TV noirNice to see John Session acting again, haven't seen him in anything for a while. His scenes will put you off your dinner though...I did find some of the story a little convoluted and found the pass the parcel with 'the bag' a little hard to believe, but these are small criticisms; it is great edge-of- the-seat drama.Nice one Channel 4 - more please.