The Swap

If it were not for the brilliant portrayal of a family in which the married couple are no longer in love with each other, this would be only slightly better than a normal crime story. The relationship has reached a stage in which even banal conversations between the parents of two boys and a young adult daughter are likely to end in ugly arguments. Tom Forrester, played by Michael Maloney, is too busy running his business to have enough time for his family. His wife, Jen, played by Jemma Redgrave, is a busy mother who is dissatisfied with her role, and regrets not having continued with her work. This relationship is the main story, and the two characters keep up a tension throughout the film between their dissatisfaction with their partner and their remaining hopes for happy family life.

Jen organises a house swap with the family of an Australian professor for the Christmas holidays. While they are staying in Australia, the professor, Charles Anderson, played by Jonathan Cake, steals various belongings from the house in England.

There are various twists in the tale, which keep up the interest in the criminal part of the story, and also increase the likelihood of the family pulling together through adversity.

The supporting cast were very good. Rose Trenchard, played by Phyllida Law, was a very credible typical older lady neighbour, and Lissa, the nineteen-year-old daughter of the family, played by Lara Belmont, was very convincing as a young adult slightly disturbed by the constant arguing of her parents.

Following the various twist and turns in the story, the film reaches a dramatic final scene in which the married couple play out a thoroughly logical and satisfying ending, and even this may not be what one is expecting.

A Christmas house-swap with an Australian professor seems like a nice change of air for a family suffering from a workaholic husband and a wife resentful at having sacrificed her career for motherhood.

But the joys of a festive season on the beach just don't seem to materialise, as the husband is distracted by news of an African war, seriously affecting his firm's investments, and his mind is still stuck in the office. Meanwhile, back in England, a close neighbour leaves a voicemail alerting them that all is not what it seems at home. It is giving nothing away if we reveal that the 'professor' is a fraud, and that his 'family' were invented to pretty-up the cover-story.

The bulk of this film is a slow crescendo of loathing for the fake prof, who is shown to be guilty of one sickening outrage after another. When he manages to forge the deeds of the house, and the estate agent asks him why he's in such a hurry to sell, he fabricates a sob-story about the recent loss of his cherished wife, that makes us want to slaughter him on the spot. And nobody could have been better cast than the English actor Jonathan Cake, his convincing Oz accent being only the beginning of it. He simply lives the part with every movement, every gesture, every sign of the outlaw mindset in his complacent smile. But the real twist is too sensational to be revealed.

Phyllida Law carries full conviction as the neighbour, and some of the minor players do full justice to their small parts, notably the Scottish police inspector, and an Australian whose daughter had been raped by you-know-who.

So - a rare verdict of ten out of ten, and for once I found myself wishing there was an eleven.

This is such a smart, gripping, captivating drama, I find it hard to believe it dates back to 2002. ITV were producing some very high quality, one of psychological dramas, this ranks as one of the most memorable.

The premise is terrific, and very original, melodrama meets Pacific heights.

Charles Anderson is not the house guest you want in your property, although it's great to watch him in full flow.

Very well produced, it looks very good. Superbly acted, Jonathan 'Beef' Cake in particular is superb.

Bursting with intrigue, absorbing, and stands the test of time. I would recommend. 8/10

What starts off as a suspense filled drama about a family doing a house swap with a family in Australia soon becomes a more mundane plot about adultery and deceit. Showed promise but limped to a poor ending.