Review of Incendiary (2008) by Daniel P — 03 May 2009

"Paradise was a grey day on an English beach with my boy." Michelle Williams' outstanding performance as "The Mother" (we never learn her real name) anchors this film which tries to be both a thriller and a meditation on grief.

Unfortunately, this unwillingness to concentrate on one theme harms the film. As the grieving mother, Williams is truly superb and very understated, and when the film concentrates on her story and her struggle following the death of her son and husband in a suicide bombing, barely a foot is put wrong.

The mention of a beach she took her son to by another character visibly wounds her, and her expressions tell more than the words she speaks. Conversely, the thriller aspects simply do not work - there's not enough scope (budget restrictions?) or breathing space for such moments to convince, and the other characters feel contrived.

It's a shame - if Sharon Maguire had enough faith in her lead actress' ability and kept the film pared back then this could have been a masterpiece. Yes, it's based on a novel, so I'm assuming the final result is representative of the original source - but if so then perhaps a mini-series would have been a better medium.

Incendiary is worth watching for Williams alone, but at the end of the day it remains a frustrating experience given the huge potential. "Come to me. Come to me, and we will blow the world back together with incredbile noise and fury.

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