Andy Steel I wasn't too sure about this one at first, but as it went on I found it more and more compelling. The sexual tension between Jack and Julie comes across really well and this really gives the film an edge. I did find it quite gritty in places and I was a bit surprised at the way the kids reacted when their mother suddenly died. It's not perfect by any means, but even so, if the themes don't put you off, it's still a worthy watch… Recommended.My Score: 7.9/10IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 2,349 votes at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes 'Tomatometer' Score: 100/100 (based on 7 reviews counted at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes 'Audience' Score: 57/100 "Want to see" (based on 2,262 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

The_Void The Cement Garden is based on a book by Ian McEwan and follows a group of siblings as they try to cope with the loss of their parents. However, there is much more to this film than merely the basic plot outline; through interesting character design, surreal locations and a gentle stream of shocking happenings; writer-director Andrew Birkin has created a truly unique and fascinating piece of cinema. Of all the films I have seen, I can't think of a single one that is really anything like this one. The film takes place in and around an isolated house surrounded by concrete (presumably on the edge of a town). The house is inhabited by two adults and four children; until the father dies of a heart attack, and the mother's health deteriorates until her eventual death shortly thereafter. This then leaves the four children to fend for themselves. The eldest siblings, Julie and Jack, decide to hide the mother's body in the basement rather than allowing themselves to go into care. The event affects each of the children in different ways.The Cement Garden is characterised by its setting; a large and morose house stands amidst a landscape made purely of concrete. This location serves the story as it creates isolation and separates the central family from the rest of the population. The film's colour scheme is based on grey and the gloominess of it helps to enforce the melancholy nature of the story. The film features plenty of shocks and breaks many taboos; but everything is presented in such a gentle manner that most of things featured actually seem quite normal, and that in turn makes them even more shocking. The film really is quite daring, and even more so for the fact that the central cast is so young. The dialogue can be quite awkward at times but the actors make the best of it. The film does become more surreal as it moves along, and while the ending of the film is not really a surprise; it still does manage to provide a shock. Overall, The Cement Garden is an excellent adaptation and well worth a look.

thinker1691 The Cement Garden is a remarkable film which establishes itself as first among dark classics. Filmed in black and white, it's stark sexual imagery and brutal realism is both disturbing, and equally powerful in it's subtle erotic message. The story relates what can happen when parents unexpectedly abandon their emotionally deprived, and woe-fully neglected children superbly played by Andrew Robertson as Jack and Charlotte Gainsbourg as Julie. With their parents dead, it is the older sister and the sexually curious younger brother who adjust to the certainties of social rules and regulations which demand the dissolution of the disintegrating family. Faced with the social erasure of their tiny family, Jack and Julie assume the role of parents. However, their acceptance promotes sexual privileges and not parental responsibilities. Eventually, the older sister's involvement with an admirer threatens their secret but developing illicit relationship. All in all, this film is exquisitely constructed to elicit the deepest emotions within all of us. ****

nicksholl *A few spoilers, if you care*What sort of a man decides to write a book about a death within a family which sparks off a romance between two siblings. Surely only somebody disturbed. Because thats the feeling I got when I watched this weird film. It had no meaning, no moral and certainly nothing to relate to, well unless there are other people out there who feel attracted to their siblings from time to time.A family who live in an isolated suburb are attempting to cover their weed filled garden with cement, (well all but one who is in the bathroom doing other things!) when the father suffers from a stroke and dies. Being within the first five minutes it's hard to feel truly sorry for the family because you don't know any characters properly yet. The next 110 minutes consists of another death and an ongoing attempt to cover it up.For this reason I cannot recommend this at all as it is completely boring and will leave you wishing you'd rather not bothered. Some people have compared it to The Shining as it deals with what happens if you left.......alone in isolation, but I see a greater resemblance with Casino Royale to be frank: they're both crap.P.S - if anybody out there knows why the teenager in the family feels the urge to run outside in the rain 'commando style' half way through then please email me and let me know, its been bothering me for months.