Red Road

Although there are thriller elements to filmmaker Andrea Arnold's Glasgow-based tale about a female security guard who takes an obsessive interest in a man she sees on her bank of closed-circuit television monitors, Red Road is better appreciated as an enigmatic character study of a person emotionally trapped by an unhappy past. After first noticing Clyde (Tony Curran), obviously troubled protagonist Jackie (Kate Dickie) begins using the surveillance equipment to keep close tabs on him, eventually shadowing Clyde as he goes about his daily business, and later worming her way into his shabby apartment during a party, then abruptly fleeing his advances. In time, the pair become more involved, and the film offers a few twists as it inches toward a painful confrontation. Red Road doles out the details of the characters' past lives carefully, keeping us on edge throughout, uncertain as to if or when violence might suddenly erupt. Anyone expecting some big surprise at the end will be disappointed, but those willing to work their way through a woman's halting effort to overcome grief will find this a sensitive and engrossing watch, though not always entirely plausible. Although the film is in English, the Scottish accents are so pronounced that subtitles are provided. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the Oscar-winning short film “Wasp” (24 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid psychological thriller.] (F. Swietek)