Incendiary (2008/I)

Director:

Sharon Maguire

Writers:

Chris Cleave (book)
Sharon Maguire (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 October 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The truth can blow you apart.

Plot:

An adulterous woman's life is torn apart when her husband and infant son are killed in a suicide bombing at a soccer match.

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Mother | Caravan | Suicide Bombing | Beach

Cast

Michelle Williams	...	Young Mother
Ewan McGregor	...	Jasper Black
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Terrence Butcher
Nicholas Gleaves	...	Lenny
Sidney Johnston	...	The Boy
Usman Khokhar	...	Bomber's Son
Sasha Behar	...	Bomber's Wife
Edward Hughes	...	Danny Walsh
Alibe Parsons	...	Pearl
Stewart Wright	...	Charlie
Al Ashton	...	Male Survivor (as Al Hunter Ashton)
Benjamin Wilkin	...	Young Policeman
Robin Berry	...	Dazed Supporter
Mercy Ojelade	...	Nurse Mena
Joe Marshall	...	Gary / VT Man

Also Known As:

Blown Apart (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a strong sex scene and brief language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:16 | Finland:K-13 | USA:R | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R21

Filming Locations:

Camber Sands, Camber, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Aramid Entertainment Fund

Trivia:

Natalie Dormer filmed two days, playing the role of Ewan McGregor's girlfriend, but her role ended up on the cutting room floor. Nevertheless, she called it a "great experience".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where her husband's boss is taking her to the memorial for the dead, her facial cuts are quite healed and well into the scarring stage. But a few minutes later in the scene where she's watching home movies, her facial cuts appear to be freshly scabbed over and quite irritated around the edges.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Boy: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go...
The Boy: Mommy you blinked, I won.
Young Mother: Yes you did. Now in you get. Tomorrow we're going to the sea-side.
Young Mother: [narration - boy running on the beach] So, if I'm going to show you my life, better start here. My boy, in Camber Sands. Why this and why now? I'll come back to that.
The Boy: Mommy!
Young Mother: [narration] A force of nature was what the midwife called him when he came howling into this world 4 years ago. And he hasn't stopped since.
The Boy: Mommy!
Young Mother: [narration] Me and him spend a lot of time together on account his dad is a right miserable bugger. To be fair, he wasn't always miserable. Or maybe he was and I just didn't see it. I wouldn't be the first one in my family to have her nickers charmed off her by some fellow in the Army. Any way, for better or worse, I got my boy and he got me.
The Boy: [dangling a sand worm] Mommy! Mommy!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features "Top Gear" (1978)

Beautifully shot but slow and unfocused

This film is about a woman who lost her husband and son in a terror attack. Her life goes into a mess as she deals with her loss and hunts for the truth.

I have mixed feelings for "Incendiary". On one hand, it is beautifully shot. Every scene is nicely planned and constructed. Camera work is great too. On the other hand, the plot is confusing and strange. The pacing is excruciatingly slow, with a lot of repetitive scenes (such as London burning).

I also think "Incendiary" is not focused enough, as it tries to deal with too many topics including grief, guilt, quest for truth and the road to healing. If the filmmakers only focused on grief and guilt, without the subplots of the anti-terrorist guy or the suspect's family, I would have enjoyed the film more. Despite of Michelle Williams' superb acting, I find "Incendiary" disappointing and boring.