Some people who believed that they could make the world a better place later turned out to be unable to put their own personal lives in order. Protagonist of Complicity, 2000 British film directed by Gavin Milar, belongs to that category. Plot, based on the eponymous novel by renowned Scottish author Iain Banks, is set in Edinburgh. Cameron Colley (played by Jonny Lee Miller) is a newspaper reporter who used to be left-wing radical in the past and whose life nowadays revolves around large number of bad habits. They include cigarettes, cocaine, video games and sadomasochistic sex with Yvonne (played by Keelley Hawes), wife of Cameron’s best friend Willliam (played by Jason Hetherington). While his lifestyle is clearly self-destructive, what gets him in trouble is something else. Mysterious confidential source from British intelligence circles tells him that the series of bizarre deaths among members of British business and political elite has something to do with scandalous weapons sales to Iraq. Cameron begins investigation during which he visits the places where he spent childhood and starts remembering days when he thought that he could make a difference in the world. In the meantime, series of deaths escalate into series of vicious murders and Cameron, because of various circumstances and his own radical past, become prime suspect for police.
Four years earlier Millar has adapted The Crow Road, another Banks’ novel, into highly regarded BBC miniseries. The script then, like in case of Complicity, was written by Bryan Elsey. However, Millar and Elsey this time failed to repeat their success. The main reason is in Elsey’s apparent failure to fit rich content of Banks’ novel into feature film format. As a result, Complicity is often unfocused, switches different genre and leaves many characters and subplots unexplored. It begins as character study of a self-destructive person, then turns into political pamphlet against modern capitalism and corruption in Scotland only to end as by-the-numbers serial killer story. Audience would soon lose interest, even with relatively large amounts of violence, gore and explicit sex. Milar tries to solve some of the issues with efficient use of flashbacks and he puts Scottish locations to good use, but he can’t compensate for disappointing and unconvincing finale. Jonny Lee Miller, one of the actors who rose to fame with Trainspotting, is rather bland in his role. Same thing can be said of veteran character actors like Brian Cox and Bill Patterson who weren’t working very hard in their roles. Despite few lucid moments, Complicity is a disappointment that could serve its purpose only if the viewers are led to read Banks’ book.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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