This started out as a moody, tense piece & maintained it's slow- building hold for the majority of the film.
The acting can't be faulted, especially the lead, but there is a curious use of cameos; I'm thinking in particular of Michael Gambon. To say his appearance is fleeting would be an understatement! Completely unfathomable to me that an actor of his calibre should be relegated to a role befitting an extra.
That's just one of the incongruities in this film. Plotlines start to wander then peter out without adding anything to the body of the story, in particular the trip back to the family home, but I could have forgiven them except...
Then there's the end. A wasted opportunity to gain a further insight to both protagonists & ultimately a damp squib that I felt let down everything preceding it.
On one point - a previous reviewer praised the "oboe" music which provides much of the soundtrack. It's actually cello, quite a different sound &, as the neighbour is a cellist, has quite a bearing on the plot.
Anyway, watch this for the performances & the atmosphere but be prepared for a residual feeling of dissatisfaction!
