Retreat and Counting Down the Minutes to the Big Reveal: A Movie Review

Director: Carl Tibbetts.

Writers: Carl Tibbetts and Janice Hallett.

Retreat is a misnomer; this is a vacation from hell! Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton and Jamie Bell star in this film from first time director Carl Tibbetts. How did he get such a great cast on his first film? This holiday involves murder, infection and marital strife. Throw in a recent miscarriage and you have a grumpy time all round. Luckily there are some soft moments early, with the action begining in first third of the film. Released October 21st, Retreat is a psychological thriller that plays with the truth and viewers' perceptions of reality.

Kate (Newton) and Martin (Murphy) are dropped off at an isolated island for some soul searching and relationship mending. Kate is withdrawn, while Martin is oblivious to the issues at hand. Then, their quiet retreat is invaded by a private of the United Kingdom army. He is cut and bruised. He also has tales to tell of the mainland and a rampant infection. His behaviours are overly emphatic, which made this reviewer question his real motives. But these are not revealed until late in the film.

In the meantime, there are lots of untruths told amongst the characters as Martin and Kate just want to go back to an idyllic vacation. The soldier, Jack (Bell), just wants to go about boarding up their little abode with tarps and plastics. He also wants Kate to cook for him, while this critic wants the real action to begin already. But this is a psychological thriller where characters are sparse, settings are minimal and the storyline is focused squarely on the characters. The only action here comes from a whole lot of gun pointing (a half hours worth).

So, the truth is stretched out and so is the time to ensure the Retreat comes in at just the right length for release, ninety minutes. This is thirty minutes longer than the film needed. All the cat-and-mouse chase scenes and tense dialogue seems a little like filler, with writers Carl Tibbetts and Janice Hallett hoping you will stay to the finish. Many reviews of this title have been positvie, but more complex writing was needed. Perhaps Martin and Kate could have a hidden secret as well.

Colin Kennedy at the Metro compares this film, rightfully so, to a stage play: "Retreat is a little claustrophobic masterpiece that plays on tension and confusion [in] this play-like thriller." However, almost ninety minutes of being cooped up in a single set creates feelings of cabin fever. Let this reviewer outside already! This film could have used an additional chase scene in an exterior environment where viewers might not be sure if the air is clean or full of infection. Instead, you are welcomed to enjoy more gun toting and lies housed within other lies. Retreat is a film for fans of stage plays, while fans of film might want to see a little more exciting use of the camera, or the inclusion of more characters to fully utilize the visual frame.

Writing/story/plot: 6.75 (very little dialogue early, it is hard to get into Kate's head, or this might be due to Newton's poor performance).
Genre/formula: 7 (stays close to the psychological thriller throughout, the viewer is often left guessing as to what is real).
Cinematography/mise en scene: 6 (very little use of cinematography or complex set arrangements).

Overall: 6.5 out of 10.

A more positive review of this title at the Metro (Kennedy):

Retreat Reviewed at the Metro


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Posted in: 2011,cillian murphy,disease,infection,isolation,movie review,psychological thriller,psychological thriller movie review,thandie newton