Dial 999

This British production is quite unusual, for its time, in that the storyline develops in parallel. That is to say that whilst one enactment is taking place on screen, a part of the story is then shown in parallel, from elsewhere in the story. It is quite an effective manoeuvre and certainly draws the film from out of the ordinary run of similar type crime thrillers. Although, the basic premise of the story - man on the run trying to flee the country - is very simple, the production values, and solid playing by the cast, help to retain the viewer's interest and the film builds to a quite effective climax. Belief needs to be suspended, concerning the way in which the wife and brother-in-law rush to the aid of the obviously tarnished man-on-the-run, and the way in which he manages to dodge the clutches of the law. But this doesn't detract from the fact that this is an entertaining and reasonably exciting movie, which tries to be different.