Neive Bellamy
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Cissy Évelyne
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
secondtake
An Inspector Calls (2015) This BBC production is a clever, subtle, well acted movie that is very much in the form of the play it is based on by J.B. Priestly. Some will find it too controlled and knowing, frankly-it suffers from that gift playwrights have of outsmarting a viewer while captive, but not sustaining that smartness once you head home. Another movie of this kind is "Sleuth" which is even more clever and twisty.
There is a murder of sorts at hand, but not quite. There is certainly a victim, or so we think. And the perpetrators seem guilty of nothing but being self-absorbed and rich, which of course means they are guilty of all kinds of sins, directly and indirectly. Here, the effects of callousness or selfishness are front and center.
Expect to be spellbound once you give it your time. Written in 1945 but set just before World War I, there are lots of embedded points about war and class difference. Priestly was a leftist, and the substance of the play is utlimately about responsibility and the idea that we are all part of a family-a global one, you might say, but certainly a national one, with rich Brits looking out for their less fortunate compatriots. Not at all pro-business, of course.
Eventually you realize you are being taken for an interesting ride, and you are in the hands of the mysterious title character (named Goole). This man leads us through the discoveries that he has already made, and we are almost as astonished as the members of this unprepared family. Then there is a playwright's twist-saying there is a twist is almost unfair, because you might well cruise through most of it thinking it was about the interrogation itself. But more comes along. Fun, almost funny, and tragic as well.
I thought it was great entertainment. With little plugs for human decency burrowed in.
samuel-lewis12
This adaptation is very good and was very helpful for my GCSE's. Quotes were very accurate and story line clear. Amazing acting and very good well delivered message. Some of the quotes were not accurate but main ones were.
TheLittleSongbird
Definitely a highlight of 2015 television, and has made me interested in checking out the earlier versions highly recommended by several viewers.There's not much to add to what's already been said. A very well-made, brilliantly acted and gripping drama. Two of 'An Inspector Calls' strongest elements are the production values and the acting. It's filmed with class and atmosphere and the production and costume design are evocative and beautiful to look at.Faring best of the cast are David Thewlis, Ken Stott and Miranda Richardson. Thewlis gives an understated but quite brilliant performance that tells so much in the facial expressions while doing little but still making it interesting, it enhances the character's ambiguity very well. Stott is commanding and suitably gruff, while Richardson portrays her character's coldness flawlessly. The rest of the cast also impress, if not quite up the level of Thewlis, Stott and Richardson.Writing is similarly very strong and thought-provoking, a lot is covered and talked about but done in a way that never comes over as confusing. The emphasis on the psychological elements give a lot of complexity, help make the characters interesting and show their flaws without making us hate them.'An Inspector Calls' storytelling is gripping from start to finish. While taking its time to tell the story it does not drag and the ending, while a bit confusing on first watch, is very clever and unexpected.Overall, splendid stuff and a 2015 television highlight. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Reno Rangan
Just a month ago I saw 'Maigret Sets a Trap', and this is another terrific BBC film. Based on the JB Priestley's play of the same name made for television. I never saw other versions nor I knew the story, so that's the reason I loved it. I don't know the difference, the changes between this and the original material, but I think a screenplay like this should have been a big screen product. Surely one of the best films of the year with a great suspense and twists.I expected a crime solving drama, like a detective use his brainpower to nab a suspect in a style, but this was complete an unexpected narration with various angles of briefing involving a family and their individual link to a woman. This is a story about the chain of events that could happen for us in real life. But what this film's specialty is that makes realise for its characters that how their part influenced a woman's life.It's the year 1912, during a wealthy Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement, a mysterious inspector interrupts them to question on a woman who committed suicide on that evening. In the hours long interview, some unexpected truth comes out and corners the family from their celebration. With the outcome of a surprise encounter with the inspector, how the family outcome from it is what the rest of the film was focused on."We don't live alone upon this earth. We are responsible for each other."I don't know the most of the actors, but their performances were simply outstanding. Not just leaned on one or two, but everyone had their turn fairly equal. The character played by David Thewlis as Goole was effortless, but very important among others in the film, so it is impossible moving away without praising his contribution. Among all, the young woman role as well very impressive. Alongside JB Priestley, this screenwriter, as well as the director must be appreciated for their incredible job.The film was a one night based narration, but due to the quick flashbacks, the layers formed, hence creates a lot of curiosity for the viewers. Being a detective film, it had those special moments, but with its own style. It reminds me a couple of films, but I can't name them, because of the spoiler alert. Even though this is a very unique from its similar films.Obviously it leaves many questions regarding the last 10-15 minutes of the film. But the reasons are very clear, and you might get it in the second viewing, or maybe from the discussion boards on the online platforms. I strongly suggest that you to learn more about it on its hidden stuffs rather simply finished watching it and forgetting it forever. Like always, the BBC did not disappoint me or maybe I always chose the better ones. Either way I benefited and I recommend this for those who are interested in murder mysteries, though it is not a homicide theme. I hope you will love it as I did.8.5/10