Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Sugarhouse (15)

Reviewed,Anthony Quinn
Friday 24 August 2007 00:00 BST
Comments

In Gary Love's determinedly gritty Brit-crim movie, three good actors chase around a script that keeps promising more than it delivers. Set in the badlands of an east-London housing estate, it concerns a middle-class Everyman (Steven Mackintosh), a desperate crack addict (Ashley Walters), and a murderous drug kingpin played by Andy Serkis, who appears to have more tattoos on his head than most people could fit on their body. The quest for a hand-gun brings this trio into violent confrontation.

The script by Dominic Leyton, based on his earlier play, is one of those self-consciously ballistic efforts in which someone says a line and then repeats it with savage emphasis. Scenes are extended way beyond their dramatic potential. Serkis's maniacal performance will be the talking-point, though try as he might, it's still not as scary as his Gollum.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in