A LONELY PLACE TO DIE

UK, 2011, 99 minutes, Colour.
Alec Newman, Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Kate Magowan, Holly Boyd, Douglas Russell, Sean Harris, Karel Roden, Eamon Walker.
Directed by Julian Gilby.

This is an atmospheric thriller, set in the highlands of Scotland, he mountain climbing story. The film opens with a sheer climb, dangers, the fall of one of the climbers and his being rescued.

The group recoups and others join the party for a second climb. They are delayed when they hear a voice in the woods, discover a pipe emerging from a dug-out hole and rescuing a young girl.

There are hunters in the woods but there are also two criminals who have been abducting children and holding them for ransom. They kill the hunters, take their rifles and then pursue the young girl and her rescuers. There are dangerous feats of climbing, falls, going into rivers, waterfalls… And there are quite a number of deaths.

Eventually, two of the rescuers reach the town, ask for the protection of the police, but there are shootouts, especially with the group of shooters acting on behalf of the father of the abducted girl – and he is a Serbian war criminal.

The film is somewhat pessimistic in tone with a number of deaths of “goodies” but there is basically a happy ending.

1. The title? Expectations? Thriller?

2. Scotland, the mountains, the scenery, the town, forest, waterfalls, rapids? The police in the town, the restaurant, homes, the festival celebration and procession? The musical score?

3. Plausibility and implausibility of the plot – pace and involvement?

4. The opening, the climb, the exhilaration, the scenery, the fall, the rescue, the aftermath? Alison and her blaming Ed? Cautioning him? The house, the hosts, the meal, playing cards, and winning?

5. The expedition, everyone going, hearing the sound, the ground, the pipe emerging? Opening the hole, the rescue of the girl? The dilemma about how to rescue her and get back to the town? The plan?

6. Harry and Allison, their skills, to go down the mountain, four miles to the police? Alison descending, the rope not long enough? Harry’s for, his rope having been cut? Alison going to the river?

7. The hunters, out in the mountains? The clash with the killers, the shooting, taking the guns? The pursuit of Allison? The pursuit the group?

8. Anna, her age, not speaking English, her fear? The mystery why she was there? Jenny, the feminine touch, helping, seizing? Jenny and her being dragged into the water, falling, drowning in the river? Alison rescuing Anna?

9. Alison, calling to the group, the killers and their pursuit of Alex, the confrontation, shooting him, his memory of his wife’s death and his accepting his own death?

10. Ed, an ambiguous character, his presence? His being hurt? His helping, he and Allison getting into the town?

11. The killers, this story, the past abductions? Going to the town, the restaurant? The leader of the recovery group, the bluff, the money? The contact by phone?

12. The recovery unit, their involvement, payment, motivation, students?

13. Ed and Alison, going to the police, suspicious of the officer, the police being shot, their escape, in the street, and being shot, his leg, left to die?

14. Alison and Anna, going to the house, the pursuit, the owner being killed, the pursuer setting fire, going upstairs, falling from the window?

15. The killer, his being taken, interrogated?

16. The father, criminal background, war crimes, suspicions, his daughter abducted, his getting the group to get her back?

17. The hospital, and, Alison, restoration?

18. The grim perspective – and so many been killed, not a completely happy ending?