Sindre Kaspersen English actor and director Tim Roth's feature film debut which was written by British author and screenwriter Alexander Stuart, is an adaptation of a novel by Alexander Stuart from 1989. It premiered in the Premieres section at the 15th Sundance Film Festival in 1999, was screened in the Panorama section at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999, was shot on location in London and the county of North Devon in England and is a United Kingdom-Italy co-production which was produced by producers Sarah Radcliffe and Dixie Linder. It tells the story about a boy named Tom who moves from London, England to a remote house by the coast in Devon with his father, pregnant mother and older sister named Jessie. Finely and precisely directed by British filmmaker Tim Roth, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a gripping and unsettling portrayal of a young man's relationship with his sister and how everything changes when he begins to suspect that their father is molesting her. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by Northern Irish cinematographer Seamus McGarvey and fine production design by Australian production designer Michael Carlin, this character-driven and dialog-driven coming-of-age story depicts a reflective study of character and contains an efficient score by composer Simone Boswell. This minimalistic, atmospheric and unsentimental psychological drama about incest which is set during a spring on the countryside in South West England in the late 20th century, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, subtle continuity and the understated and poignant acting performances by English actor Ray Winstone, English actress Tilda Swinton and British actress Lara Belmont and British actor Freddie Cunliffe in their debut feature film roles. An authentic, graphic and prominent directorial debut from the late 1990s which gained, among several other awards, the European Discovery Award Tim Roth at the 12th European Film Awards in 1999.

PeterMitchell-506-564364 Like Gary Oldman, actor Tim Roth has made his first feature, and again, it's doesn't fail to disappoint. Who would of thought in his directing debut, the subject would set around incest. This is a tight solid drama, some of impossible situations. Winstone is having it off with the daughter, but she's not the only one. On their private trips to London another older woman joins them, hence making a threesome. One night the son spots the two in the bath from outside. He threatens to tell the mother if they do it again, which of course they will. This brings the violent streak out in the son. While rummaging through the sister's drawers he finds some naked photos. See, the son is too scared to confront the dad but when he does, it's WAR. Winstone brings a much lighter character to his one in Nil By Mouth, but near the end when he's spouting a string a f words, this kind of resembles him in that movies with virtually some of the same lines. Tilda Swinton (always fantastic) the mother character who has fallen pregnant, of course is oblivious to this. When she has the baby, Winstone already started on it. See, Winstone's got a real problem. The War Zone treads dangerous waters, going places a lot of other movie don't want to go, one scene has the father leant over the daughter, in their private hideaway, the daughter telling him, "Why do you always have to do it like that?". I guess Winstone is courteous, and almost human in that sense, but the real reason is, he can't, is he so's guilt stricken inside, where he would see the mother's face instead. That's my analogy anyhow. I felt sorry for the son who suffers the most in the movie. He so wants to tell the mother, but this is about the worst time. He disclose it near the end which causes the explosive confrontation scene between father and son near the end, a heavy scene with Winstone heavily denying it, and again, the son saying only very few words. Both teen actors in this weren't previously trained and works better for them in the natural performances they give. The War Zone is not for all tastes, but for the others, it's compulsive viewing. performances the give.

Armand a story about hate.against a fundamental sin. against yourself. against lost of a space. against universe as reaction of age. gray lines. delicate subject. truth as drawing of profound sin. and search of sense for each character. a film like a stone in ash. harsh touch, memories of fire, culpability, fear, need of freedom, gloomy shadows. most cruel - the scene of ordinary family. and powerful feeling to be one of many other similar stories. nothing else. only a bleak circle like deep hole. and the art of Tim Roth to create affective mist of a situation. because the crime is only fruit of a hopeless situation . the man. his family. the power and levels of frustration. silence and fragile world of a teenager. a case. but not isolated. a cry. only as sign of empty space.

Varun B. THE WAR ZONE is as compelling and powerful as it is disturbing and sickening. This motion picture is not for everyone, but those who manage to sit through its ~95 minute run-time will feel like they have experienced an almost unrivaled cinematic journey.I will not give away the plot/synopsis here for the benefit of those who would like to be surprised. Just know that while the film itself is not about 'War' in the conventional sense, the title is appropriate, if one realises that War can also be defined as active hostility or contention; conflict; struggle.Tim Roth is masterful in his debut as director, as he ably pushes the envelope to limits that veteran film-makers seem fearsome to approach. Roth is helped by an outstanding lead cast, half of whom are virtual unknowns. Ray Winstone and Tilda Swinton are reliable and dedicated as always, and should have garnered some more recognised plaudits for their roles. For me, the real star of this film is newcomer Lara Belmont, who delivers a stunning performance, encompassing and portraying a range of powerful emotions that will leave most veteran actresses somewhat jealous. If this film deserved only one Oscar nomination, it should have been for Supporting Actress (If it deserved two, the other should have been for Screenplay). Suffice it to say that due to its powerfully realistic approach to sensitive content, the Academy seemed to 'graciously' shun this film. I myself was not surprised, as mainstream success would have come hand-in-hand with widespread protestations.The location (shot almost entirely in Devon, England) is suitably haunting, as is the musical score. Both go long ways to emphasising and enhancing the overall theme of the motion picture. In almost every outdoor shot, the weather is bleak and rainy, which suits the atmosphere inside the house, and inside the infamous bunker. The scenic shots of the beach are especially beautiful.I say that this is one of the best films you will NEVER see because it was doomed to fail at the box office, due to its subject matter. It is very unlikely that any Cable company will show this during prime-time either. As such, your best bet will be to visit the local DVD video-store. I strongly urge you to use whatever means to see this motion picture. You will be shocked; your jaw will drop for most of the last half of the film; you will feel sickened, angry, and saddened; you will be sporadically moved to tears even long after you have left your seat. But at the end of this experience you will come to accept that you have witnessed one of the most powerful events in cinematic history. This will haunt you for some time to come.I will give this movie 4 stars (out of the conventional 4) simply because I think everyone should see it. It focuses on one of the most taboo and commonplace themes in modern families (note that statistics do very little to highlight the common nature of this theme since most of the victims remain silent) and should not be bypassed, even if it takes you more than one sitting to get through.10/10. Should enter my Top 60 at #55 or so. Unreservedly recommended.