If what you are looking for in a movie is to see an acting masterclass then you need look no further than Séance on a Wet Afternoon. This psychological drama is very much a character-driven piece and it features a pair of truly outstanding performances at its centre. It tells the story of a medium that has lost sight of reality since the death of her child. She convinces her weak-willed, overly dependent husband to kidnap a young girl from a wealthy family in order to collect a sizable ransom and from which she can then subsequently use her 'powers' to assist the parents in finding the child, leading to her attaining fame as one with a gift of the second sight.
The two lead actors here are Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough. Stanley only appeared in seven feature films, meaning that she is far from a household name but she was quite obviously an actress with incredible talent. Seemingly an advocate of method acting, she is unbelievable as the unbalanced complex woman at the centre of the plot. It's a pretty intense role but it's played to perfection without resorting to anything over-the-top. Richard Attenborough is practically just as impressive as her husband in an understated performance of a character with many flaws and contradictions. His presence is key to the film's success in that he has feet in both camps, in that he acts with his wife in carrying out their crime, yet he is the one who has moral doubts and so is the audience identification figure. It takes some considerable skill on Attenborough's part in order to create a character which is so believable – sympathetic yet quite reprehensible. Both actors work beautifully together and create something very real. The film also offers very good turns from Patrick Magee as a wily police inspector and Nanette Newman as the broken mother of the missing girl.
John Barry is on hand too with a moody score which perfectly complements the moody black and white photography. It all adds up to a film with considerable depth. Despite the subject matter, it isn't really a thriller; it's more of a psychological drama. It doesn't play out in a very predictable manner either which is never a bad thing. This British film still remains relatively unknown, which strikes me as a bit of a shame. I guess it's one that will remain under the radar but which will reward those who seek it out.
The two lead actors here are Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough. Stanley only appeared in seven feature films, meaning that she is far from a household name but she was quite obviously an actress with incredible talent. Seemingly an advocate of method acting, she is unbelievable as the unbalanced complex woman at the centre of the plot. It's a pretty intense role but it's played to perfection without resorting to anything over-the-top. Richard Attenborough is practically just as impressive as her husband in an understated performance of a character with many flaws and contradictions. His presence is key to the film's success in that he has feet in both camps, in that he acts with his wife in carrying out their crime, yet he is the one who has moral doubts and so is the audience identification figure. It takes some considerable skill on Attenborough's part in order to create a character which is so believable – sympathetic yet quite reprehensible. Both actors work beautifully together and create something very real. The film also offers very good turns from Patrick Magee as a wily police inspector and Nanette Newman as the broken mother of the missing girl.
John Barry is on hand too with a moody score which perfectly complements the moody black and white photography. It all adds up to a film with considerable depth. Despite the subject matter, it isn't really a thriller; it's more of a psychological drama. It doesn't play out in a very predictable manner either which is never a bad thing. This British film still remains relatively unknown, which strikes me as a bit of a shame. I guess it's one that will remain under the radar but which will reward those who seek it out.