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Mr In-Between Review: The Film The guilt was starting to get to Jon (Howard). He couldn't get the images of what he has done for his employer (Calder) out of his head, even when he escaped into the oblivion of a drugged up haze. It was starting to consume him. The main problem is that he has lived with nothing else for many years, not knowing what a normal life could be until he ran into his old school friend Andy (Tiernan). He was married to his childhood sweetheart Cathy (O'Rawe), they had a daughter and they welcomed him into their home. Now that he had seen what he could have, Jon is torn between the life he wants and his duty to his employer, a man who will not let him leave his job that easily. British gangster flicks have become a bit of a craze since the release of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998. Mr In-between plays slightly different than your usual London crime movie however. Based on the novel by Neil Cross and doffing its cap very strongly in the way of the Mickey Rourke, Robert DeNiro film Angel Heart, the movie introduces us to the pure evil that has gathered at the very bottom of the London underworld. The villains are portrayed as sadistic, moral less killers that could even be assessed as slightly demonic, consumed by evil and a distinct lack of any type of conscience. Chief protagonist is The Tattooed Man, played with great gusto by David Calder. His devil like qualities are abundantly obvious but never really clarified. He lives in an underground compound, enclosed in darkness and shadow, his own interpretation of Hell, barking out orders and promising love and devotion to his especially chosen and gifted employees. Despite all the promises in the world, you won't trust him in the slightest however. Andy and Cathy, played well by Andrew Tiernan and Geraldine O'Rawe, are the complete opposite. Their normal life in their flat, high above the devilish underbelly of London is almost idyllic in comparison. This is a place of real love and normality that people from the depths couldn't even dream of, let alone fathom. Jon character is caught in the middle of these two worlds, thus the Mr In-Between of the title. The problem is that what should have been a riveting struggle between the merits of good and the sheer indulgence of evil becomes an incomprehensible mess. Despite Andrew Howard's excellent performance, the sheer amount of confusion gained from the plot ruins what is a very good premise. The motivations, other than evil, of the Tattooed Man are never truly explained. Jon's backstory isn't fleshed out enough. How did he meet the Tattooed Man, what drove him to the job and why is a man with a conscience working for a man without even an essence of one? These questions are never answered, bringing the whole motivation of the movie into question. The finale is also extremely confusing. Yes I understand the dilemma Jon faced but his final act showed too much respect to the Tattooed Man and hardly any sign of redemption of his former sins. He should have been consumed by guilt but this is a British movie not your typical Hollywood piece, so you don't really know what to expect. Mr In-Between has an intriguing premise that is never really exploited to its possible potential. The little known cast do their best with the material but the surrealness of the script and situation overpowers any type of comprehension or understanding you may have for their characters. What you end up with is a jumbled mess that really can't decide whether it is a London gangster flick or something slightly more supernatural. Star Rating = * *
DVD Extras Director's commentary from Paul Sarossy Making of Documentary Theatrical trailer Interactive menus and Scene selection
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