COMPLICITY

UK, 1999, 99 minutes, Colour.
Jonny Lee Miller, Keeley Hawes, Brian Cox, Paul Higgins, Rachel Sterling, Bill Patterson.
Directed by Gavin Millar.

Complicity is a complex melodrama based on a novel by Iain Banks. Jonny Lee Miller is a journalist who becomes involved in a series of brutal killings, becoming a suspect, pursued by policeman Brian Cox. The film has flashbacks to the childhood days of the journalist and his range of friends. The friends have grown up, he is emotionally tangled with one, another who has fought in the Gulf War has bought himself a castle in Scotland and has retired there.

It is difficult for the journalist to know whether he is being set up or whether he has an actual contact in the intelligence services. As he pursues the investigation, with the friend from the Gulf War, it soon emerges that it is the friend who has an outraged sense of justice, especially as regards the Gulf War and as regards the treatment of the environment and is wreaking vengeance. It all moves to a very melodramatic and confrontational conclusion.

1. An interesting thriller? The writings of Iain Banks and their popularity? The transferral of a complex novel to ninety minutes of screen time?

2. The Scottish locations, their beauty, sinister aspects? The Scottish towns and cities? The musical score?

3. The title, Andy's comments about everyone's involvement in injustice, abuses, the complicity of everyone?

4. Cameron, his personality, age and experience, work as a journalist? His voice-over and perspective?

5. The focus on the deaths, their brutality? The phone voice, the conspiracy, the links, the newspaper headlines? The claim to be from National Intelligence? Cameron, his work at the paper, his investigations, the clashes with his bosses, his being put on research? His continued interest in the murders, the personalities who were killed and trying to find the links? His greater involvement, the further phone calls, his being at the scene of crimes? His becoming a suspect, the confrontation by the police, the interrogations, in the cells? His behaviour towards his friends, the sexual relationship and its kinkiness with Yvonne, the memories of the death of Claire, William and his affluence, Andy and his experience of the Gulf War, retirement, his house and the people who lived there?

6. The insertion of the flashbacks, the group of youngsters and their bonds, children and their life, their relationships, the build-up to the sequence of the assault, Andy as victim, Cameron and his fear, his trying to help Andy, hitting the man who assaulted him?

7. Cameron and Yvonne, her marriage to William, the sexual relationship? The memories of Claire, her drug-taking? The memories of Andy, his being supported by Cameron, the best of friends?

8. The investigation, the arrest, the interviews, his being sacked from the paper, his going to the island of Jersey, finding the body, the further interrogations?

9. The inspector, his pursuit, the arrest, the interrogations, torture? Cameron trying to think, his continually going back to his past, his realisation that the murderer was Andy?

10. Going to Andy's house, meeting his friends, their discussions? The fire, the identification of the teeth? Andy and his framing Cameron? The car breakdown, Andy's confrontation with him, the explanation? Andy's death? The story and the truth, Cameron's escape?

11. The funeral, Cameron's relationship with his friends, the change of attitude, his work and the future?