Everything (18)

The premise is simple: A man in his late 40’s visits a prostitute in an upstairs London apartment nine days in a row without once soliciting a sexual favour.

Naturally his manner is suspicious and makes both feel uneasy, leaving the viewer to guess as to why he is there. Like many British films this is far from mainstream cinema.

Gritty and challenging throughout, Everything simply epitomises Britishness in its entirety. This stretches from the murky London setting right through to the typically stark character acting.

Ray Winstone delivers his usual resolute performance exquisitely, holding together what is otherwise a very over-simplified narrative. Newcomer, ex-Eastender, Jan Graveson, does well in her role as the experienced prostitute.

While the acting is superb, the minimal nature of the film leads to an all to obvious conclusion. When the action does finally veer away from the seedy rent-room, the finale disappoints as the essence of the narrative disperses.

This aside, Everything is a brave stab at a genre that is all too often forgotten. The kitchen-sink British film is reinvented for a modern era, with an altogether harsh reality that drives into the viewer.