Review of Red Road (2006) by Mel V — 23 Jul 2008

The unpleasant attributes of Britain's 'surveillance society' are apparent to anyone who visits London. Do you feel you're being watched? You are. That this would become the basis of a cinematic treatment was a matter of time.

So: in Glasgow, a lonely woman tasked with monitoring a set of public security CCTV cameras becomes obsessed with the people she watches. However, the subject and the viewer get enmeshed when one of the surveilled turns out to be intimately connected with her past.

Though by the end you know what's going to happen, the twists along the way did keep me guessing. In its absence of a soundtrack (except for 'found' music in bars, pubs etc) and its naturalistic cinematography, this is Dogme I suppose.

But unlike most recent films from original Dogme auteur Mr Triers (except his own Scottish effort 'Breaking the Waves'), this remains a plot-driven mini-masterpiece. The DVD also features the prize-winning short film 'Wasp' which is probably worth renting this for.

A flinty little film with such a grim, grubby premise - yet which ends up being vaguely cheering. See it.