Hidden City

I only watched this picture because of my current obsession with Charles Dance. It's a very strange film, rather too artsy and noir for my taste, but in general a pretty good picture.

A few items: far too much is made of the "hidden city" component. Any older city has subterranean tunnels and chambers. Disused subways, dry drains, utility shafts and connectors, power cable channels, catacombs, and sewage pipes form a veritable honeycomb beneath a city's surface. Not secret so much as not relevant to the daily life of ordinary people. That these areas might be useful for file storage is sensible and efficient.

The more intriguing mystery for me was why the writers writers (who otherwise did an excellent job) failed to give us explanations to these questions:

Why would an intelligent, sophisticated, educated man disregard several days' worth of scheduled meetings in order to assist a complete stranger in an ill-defined quest for information of questionable value?

Why, having learned the mysterious government secret, do the pair do absolutely nothing with what they've learned? It's implausible that anybody would go to so much trouble merely to satisfy idle curiosity.

And finally, why do the pair decide to continue rummaging for secrets?

On the plus side, "Hidden City" does include a very excellent performance by Charles Dance. I think that one of the more difficult challenges for an actor is speaking lines that convey information the audience needs but would never be uttered in real-life conversation. The film contains an astonishingly large number of such lines, and Dance delivered them so naturally that only when I'd finished watching did I realize. In fact, I can't think of a better example of that sort of acting. Well done, Charles Dance!

What a strange movie. The story is amazingly thought-provoking and intriguing. Think of all the hidden secrets a city like London hides beneath it's surface? All the archives of wartime experiments, government mysteries, documents and information never meant for public eye.

You have a young woman trying to convince a statistician (?) played by Charles Dance that there are hidden messages or clues of a bigger picture in some wartime archive films.

The story sadly never quite uses all of it's potential. It's interesting all the way, but you're never really sure what is going on until the very end and the motivations of the characters are left a bit unknown. They're basically just intrigued and driven by pure interest rather than a real cause.

What makes the movie a bit messy and difficult to follow, is the fact that there are a few separate leads they're following, the archived films and a few documents they find at a waste dump. You also have people trying to catch them, but you're not really sure why. At least I was left a bit puzzled of what's going on at times, but maybe that was the point. You never know what you find, if you just look carefully.

Definitely an interesting story, but the execution is a bit flawed and dated. It's got a very strong late 80s vibe to it and it's a bit of an artsy one. Someone might call this a "strange one", but definitely worthwhile if you catch it somewhere.

I am another one who can't understand the good reviews. Maybe you have to be British to like it. I'm not so, I don't. Why did Charles Dance's character keep following the girl around? Tell her to give you the money she promised for ripping your jacket then tell her to go away. Movie over.

Instead we get, I'll take you here but I'm not going in. Next scene, he's in. Okay I'll take you there but I'm not going in. Next scene, he's in. He shows no interest in what she's looking for. Why keep following her? Does he really need the money to fix his jacket? She did steal his book too. Call the cops, have her arrested, end of bad movie.

This film is a such a unique gem. Anchored by two amazing main characters, with so many differences between them, and there are also so many side characters introduced, and every single one of them is likeable, interesting and believable. So many shots and scenes that give you the idea that this was a tremendous production. The opening scene through the water tunnels is mesmerizing.

The back and forth dramatic dialogue between the two protagonists is something you don't get much anymore. There are so many lines that consist of something you may have never heard of. This film rewards itself for having the magical combination of an ambitious and creative filmmaker, talented actors and a unique and thoroughly interesting script. Not only that but it takes place in some incredible locations.

This is a vibrant film, obviously the masterpiece of a painstaking and meticulous production. This film will show you parts of London many people have likely never seen. Kudos to Stephen Poliakoff. It is highly recommended to watch this with his commentary on the Blu-ray release.

The film is not without faults. I got the feeling that there was sometimes too much music. In some scenes, the music was perfect and elevated the moment to new heights. In other scenes, I wanted to plug my ears and enjoy the fantastic cinematography. Many of the best scenes are also the quietest and I think that says something. Quite possibly it could have been elevated to greater stardom if the music had just let the scenes breathe. This film will test your patience if what you're after is the mystery itself and not the journey. In this film you should be patient and enjoy the ride if you want to appreciate it more.

At times you might think the film takes itself a little too seriously. But if you keep watching you'll realize that they should indeed be taken seriously.

One of the better British films of the last 20 years and criminally neglected - it doesn't appear to be currently available on video let alone DVD.

Intriguing (and somewhat unsettling) plot. Sensible portrayals - no overacting, Unusual settings - a London rarely seen either in life or on screen. Well constructed - the atmosphere builds beautifully.

All in all, it puts so much of recent British cinema to shame.

And we go and bury it.