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Mr In-Between

Mr In-Between
Theatrical poster
Directed byPaul Sarossy
Written byPeter Waddington
Neil Cross (novel)
Produced byAndreas Bajohra
Michael Cowan
Yvonne Michael
Jason Piette
Bob Portal
StarringAndrew Howard
Geraldine O'Rawe
Andrew Tiernan
David Calder
CinematographyHaris Zambarloukos
Edited byEddie Hamilton
Music byJennie Muskett
Distributed byVerve Pictures
Release dates
  • 10 September 2001 (2001-09-10) (TIFF)[1]
  • 3 October 2003 (2003-10-03) (UK)[2]
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Mr In-Between (also called The Killing Kind) is a 2001 British crime drama film based on the 1998 novel of the same title by English novelist Neil Cross. The film was directed by cinematographer Paul Sarossy, his only directorial role to date, and the screenplay written by Peter Waddington, who also has a small role in the film.

Plot summary

In 2002, hitman Jon lives a life of relative solitude, until one day he happens upon an old friend, Andy, and is plunged into an unneeded relationship. The truth slowly unravels about Jon and what he does, endangering the lives of those close to him, and Jon is faced with an ultimatum. He must make his most difficult decision ever: whether to save the woman he loves or kill her and the child.

Cast

Actor Role
Andrew Howard Jon
Geraldine O'Rawe Cathy
Andrew Tiernan Andy
David Calder Tattooed Man
Mark Benton Phil
Clive Russell Mr. Michaelmas
Saeed Jaffrey Mr. Basmati
Clint Dyer Rickets
Peter Waddington Priest
Gina Yashere Dancing Woman
Perry Benson Nelson
Al Hunter Ashton Fat Dave
Brian Hibbard Gordon

Production notes

UK film poster
  • Early on, the film's producers were skeptical about the choice of Paul Sarossy, a first-time director and a Canadian in an otherwise all-British production crew, but eventually agreed he was the best man for the job.
  • Sarossy, better known for his work as a cinematographer, wanted to focus on his directing and told cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos not to let him behind the camera, no matter how hard he persisted, for the duration of the shooting.
  • In the original screenplay, as well as in the novel, the tattooed man's lair was a large Victorian-style manor; Sarossy wanted something more dismal, and so writer Peter Waddington revised the scenes to take place in the sewers under the streets of London.

Reception

Derek Elley of Variety called it "unevenly acted and scripted".[3] Jamie Russell of the BBC rated it 3/5 stars and called it "commendably ambitious, but only occasionally successful".[2] Alan Morrison of Empire rated it 3/5 stars and wrote that the film becomes more pretentious as time goes on.[4] Total Film rated it 2/5 stars and called it "intense, reflective yarn" that wallows in sadism.[5] Time Out London called it bleak, stylistically bold, and occasionally pretentious.[1] David Johnson of DVD Verdict called it "a refreshingly original take on the hitman-with-a-conscience gig."[6] Glenn Erickson of DVD Talk called it "an overachieving straight-to-video feature" that treats its subject matter as more important than it is.[7]

Awards

Mr In-Between won Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival.[8] Andrew Howard won Best Actor at the Tokyo International Film Festival.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Mr In-between". Time Out London. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b Russell, Jamie (29 September 2003). "Mr In-Between". BBC. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  3. ^ Elley, Derek (21 November 2001). "Review: 'Mr In-Between'". Variety. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  4. ^ Morrison, Alan. "Mr In-Between". Empire. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Mr In-Between". Total Film. 3 October 2003. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  6. ^ Johnson, David (2 April 2004). "The Killing Kind". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 26 April 2004. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  7. ^ Erickson, Glenn (27 February 2004). "The Killing Kind". DVD Talk. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  8. ^ Hernandez, Eugene; Mitchell, Wendy (8 November 2002). "DAILY NEWS: European Film Award Nominees, Raindance Winners, and iW Buzz for the Week". Indiewire. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  9. ^ Bourton, Tom (9 January 2003). "Actor reprises Hopkins' Lionheart role". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 December 2013.