The Hide

2008
6.5| 1h22m| en
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On the windswept Suffolk mudflats creaks a bird-hide, inside which hovers Roy Tunt, a prematurely aged, mildly obsessive-compulsive birder. With one more sighting - the elusive sociable plover - he will have 'twitched' the entire British List. Tunt has his shortwave radio, packed-lunch and a portrait of his ex-wife Sandra for company. Suddenly, in the midst of a conversation with Sandra's portrait, the hide door blows open and a bedraggled stranger - unshaven, edgy and bloodied introduces himself as Dave John, a fugitive from the storm. After a tense introduction, the two men discover that they have a good deal in common, sharing sandwiches, tea and personal exchanges which are frank, poignant and often funny. As the two men begin to form a close bond news of a police manhunt sets them both on edge driving their fragile relationship to a tragic conclusion.

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Also starring Phil Campbell

Reviews

Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Alexander Fodor Excellent film. You have to work to get people to watch a film about two people in a bird hide for an hour and a half, but everyone I've bullied into it have been thrilled at the experience! It's just not what you expect at all. I only watched it because I accidentally recorded it one night in the tele. Excellent direction, acting, shooting and of course screenplay. The only thing wrong with the film is its lack of marketing. How can so few people ever have even heard of it?! Ever since watching I've been looking for stage plays to direct to go the same route, haven't found it yet but thoughts of The Hide keep me hunting!
c-cheetham It's not my scene to write reviews of films and such though I couldn't help but leave a comment here.In my opinion this film is a refreshing slap round the face for directors, actors, and viewers alike. The actors' screen presence is terrific, and accentuated by a fantastic script which is punctuated by a perfect amount of sub-script to let the viewer form their own opinion of where the film is going to go.Perfectly paced and beautifully shot in its own macabre way I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see how a film should be made, showing that you don't need to have a lot to give a lot.
turners-1 Sorry to disagree with Mr Hitchcock, but this film gets twitchers spot on: like him I am a birdwatcher, and I have lost count of the number of them who, like Roy Tunt, claim 'I am not a twitcher: I am an ornithologist'. Just spend a day in a hide on the Somerset levels and you will see what I mean. Of course there are inaccuracies in the film - for example, no serious birdwatcher would go to the location where the film is set without a telescope, but that is beside the point: the film is about an obsessional man, and birdwatchers are a pretty obsessional bunch. Several years ago I was in a hide on the levels on a very cold Boxing Day afternoon: an elderly couple came in and during the course of a lively conversation informed us that a well known local birder had spent the whole of the previous day in the hide - despite have two children under the age of five. One can imagine Mr Tunt doing the same. To get back to the film, after the showing at the Bath Film Festival one of the producers did a Q&A, much of which revolved around why it can't get distribution: incredible really, especially when compared to a film like Cold Souls, also at the festival, which has a negligible plot. The film was apparently shot in 11 days, 5 days on location, 6 at Pinetree: the hide was bought for £100 from a Lincolnshire farmer, who couldn't believe his luck ! If anyone is wondering why the actor who plays David hasn't done any work for a few years, tragically his brother was murdered 4 years ago. No-one will be surprised to hear that a huge amount of effort went into the lighting, which perfectly captures the progress of a dank day from dawn to dusk. See it if you can, this is a gem.
adamk-2 Roy, a somewhat retentive middle-aged loser, hunkers down in the eponymous hide --a birdwatching shed on the marshes -- apparently hoping to spot the one rare bird that has eluded him so far. Into his little haven comes lurching Dave, a towering, laconic figure with a secret. The two men warily circle each other as their respective pasts slowly unspool.This is a wonderfully low-key little film with a wonderfully simple set-up that slowly but surely ratchets up the suspense as it goes along. What powers it so beautifully is the acting, which is just stunning. Phil Campbell, new to me, at first exudes weary menace which gradually gives way to a greater sadness, and Alex MacQueen, as Roy, deserves awards to be showered upon him for the performance he pulls off here. Better known for playing stuffy and/or supercilious characters on TV, here he plays Roy with a dweebishness and deadpan humour but keeps a deeper vein of underlying tension bubbling under before it erupts entirely. He manages to be both irritating, vulnerable, clueless, tragic and frightening all at the same time, and delivers some real laugh-out-loud moments amid the suspense.Unfortunately, when the truth comes to the surface, the film begins to lose its power: The motives, once revealed, are outlandish and unconvincing and the film subsequently slips into the melodramatic. But, even then, the acting from both of them is never less than top-notch, the chemistry between them lights up the screen, and the finale, deftly delivered, stops the heart.