Neville's Island

Friends in the UK raved about Tim Firth's play NEVILLE'S ISLAND, so when I saw this title, I got excited. What a let-down! This is the sort of thing British TV churns out in a fortnight and is just as quickly forgotten. But now, with DVD, forgetting takes a bit longer. The play's stage roots are badly showing here. The boat wreck that strands four men on a deserted island during a team-building weekend goes completely unseen - just a slow-mo shot of Tim Spall popping up from underwater. Budgetary restrictions, no doubt. Even the helicopter rescue shots were probably faked by a grip with a flashlight on a very tall ladder ("cue the chopper sfx"). Although the thesps are all top-notch, they seem mis-cast here - all straining for laughs as if they're still in the stage play. For American ears, the accents are as thick as day-old custard, so be warned. Also, any resemblance to DELIVERANCE is merely your wishful thinking.