44 Inch Chest (2009)

Director:

Malcolm Venville

Writers (WGA):

Louis Mellis (written by) &
David Scinto (written by)

Release Date:

8 October 2009 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A jealous husband and his friends plot the kidnapping of his wife's lover with the intention of restoring his wounded ego. |

Plot Keywords:

Number In Title

Cast

John Hurt	...	Old Man Peanut
Ray Winstone	...	Colin Diamond
Ian McShane	...	Meredith
Tom Wilkinson	...	Archie
Joanne Whalley	...	Liz
Dave Legeno	...	Brighton Billy
Stephen Dillane	...	Mal
Steven Berkoff	...	Tippi
Melvil Poupaud	...	Loverboy

Directed by
Malcolm Venville

Writing credits (WGA)
Louis Mellis		(written by) &
David Scinto		(written by)

Produced by
Richard Brown	....	producer
Steve Golin	....	producer
Paul Green	....	executive producer
Peter Heslop	....	co-producer
Dave Morrison	....	executive producer
Tim Smith	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Angelo Badalamenti

Cinematography by
Dan Landin

Film Editing by
Rick Russell

Casting by
Gary Davy

Production Design by
John Stevenson

Art Direction by
Nick Gottschalk

Set Decoration by
Gemma Ryan

Costume Design by
Caroline Harris

Makeup Department
Louise Coles	....	makeup artist
Frances Hannon	....	hair designer
Frances Hannon	....	makeup designer
Jemma Scott-Knox-Gore	....	contact lens technician

Production Management
Mark Harris	....	post-production supervisor
Bobby Prince	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Heidi Gower	....	third assistant director
Martin Harrison	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Grace Brook	....	stand-by art director
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	chargehand stand-by props
Sophia Chowdhury	....	production buyer
Peter Fentem	....	property master
Claire Fleming	....	art department assistant
Pip Fox	....	stand-by propman
Loretta Lipworth	....	art department trainee
Daryn McLaughlan	....	assistant art director
Steven Morris	....	props
Nick Pelham	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Antony Bayman	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Orin Beaton	....	boom operator
Ed Colyer	....	adr recordist
Michael Fentum	....	sound effects editor
Samir Foco	....	dialogue editor
Glen Gathard	....	assistant adr recordist
Dominic Gibbs	....	sound effects editor
Ishmael Harris	....	trainee sound assistant
Alistair Hawkins	....	assistant sound editor
James Mather	....	supervising sound editor
Kevin Tayler	....	adr recordist
Mark Taylor	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Anne Marie Walters	....	senior special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Alex Bicknell	....	visual effects consultant
Paddy Eason	....	visual effects supervisor
David Emeny	....	digital compositor
Björn Fredriksson	....	compositor
Timothy P. Jones	....	digital film bureau
Alex Llewellyn	....	digital compositor
Hugh Macdonald	....	digital compositor: Stranger
John Palmer	....	digital film bureau manager
Rob Pizzey	....	digital colourist
Becky Roberts	....	visual effects producer
Aurora Shannon	....	digital intermediate assistant
Sally Spencer	....	visual effects producer

Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Barnes	....	additional focus puller
Tim Battersby	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Kerry Brown	....	still photographer
John Clarke	....	electrician
Andy Cole	....	rigging gaffer
John Colley	....	gaffer
Sam Goldie	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Lizzie Kelly	....	video assist operator
Gavin MacArthur	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Tobias Marshall	....	additional clapper loader
David McAnulty	....	key grip
Paul Molloy	....	electrician
Simon Muir	....	grip trainee
Sophie Wilson	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda O'Reilly	....	set costumer
Marco Scotti	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Rob Gordon	....	digital film editor
Emily Greenwood	....	digital film editor
Stephen Haren	....	additional editor
Stephen Haren	....	first assistant editor
Katura Jensen	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Jim Bruening	....	score recordist
Daniel James Chan	....	composer: additional music
Phil Marshall	....	composer: additional music
Gerard McCann	....	music editor
Bill Pearson	....	music recordist
Susan Stone	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Simon Jones	....	transportation captain

Other crew
David Broder	....	location manager
Lesley Broderick	....	production accountant
Diana Dill	....	script supervisor
Stephanie Dölker	....	production coordinator
Richard George	....	assistant location manager
Catherine Golding	....	assistant production coordinator
Jenny Hargreaves	....	assistant to director
Charles Heaphy	....	production financing
Natasha Hook	....	unit nurse
Adrian Hubbard	....	runner/stand in
Matthew Jenkins	....	assistant coordinator
Hakan Kousetta	....	production legal advisor
Hannah Lamb	....	location assistant
Gareth Lewis	....	floor runner
Liam Lock	....	additional floor runner
Gabriel Olson	....	assistant: director
Eve Swannell	....	production coordinator
Catherine Tyler	....	assistant to producer
Piotr Walczak	....	facilities manager (2009)
Laura Windows	....	floor runner

Production Companies

• Anonymous Content
• Entertainment Corporation
• IM Global
• Omni Films
• Passenger
• Prescience Media
• Twilight Productions

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Aurum Producciones (2008) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Stranger (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI Media  camera equipment provided by
• Arion Facilities  telecine dailies
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language including sexual references, and some violence.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Anonymous Content

Not as good as it should be

(I saw this at the Sydney Film Festival, but IMDb has it as "in production", so I may have seen an incomplete version.) The pitch would have been something like "Reservoir Dogs meets Last Orders". From Reservoir Dogs we get the basic set-up of a bunch of crooks played by fine actors meeting in a lock-up and debating what to do with their captive, plus an enigmatic title and a flashback structure. From Last Orders comes a group of top-notch actors clearly enjoying themselves in a brown, downbeat London.

Some of the dialogue is fun if you like expletives spat out in poetry-like rhythms. There are good jokes and the acting is, as you'd expect from this lot, pretty fine. I was particularly pleased to see Stephen Dillane get his chance to prove himself cinematically after such an impressive theatrical career.

The downside is the plot, or rather the lack of it. The basic premise is laid out early on in the piece, and there is no real conflict to maintain our interest. Contrast the uniformity of opinion here with the combustible dynamics of Mr Blond, Mr White et al and the problem is clear. Some dream sequences intended to open the tale out feel forced, and a couple of minor twists are inconsequential.

If this script had been produced with a younger group of unknown actors it might get hailed for its promise. With this cast, 44 Inch Chest can only be counted a disappointment.