Review: I Against I

After watching the trailer for I Against I, I was very excited to see the movie itself. For the most part, I was not disappointed.

The film follows two very different men faced with the same problem: to kill the other before morning. Both convinced that the other committed the same crime, Ian and Issac are instructed to hunt each other down or they themselves will be killed. With the clock ticking the race for survival becomes more and more desperate. As the plot develops however, they quickly realize all is not as it seems.

I find myself hesitant to be too critical, but if I’m honest, the first thing I have to admit is that I hated the ending. Well, that was my first reaction anyway. I suspect if I watched the film a few more times, I would appreciate why it ended like it did, because on reflection, I cannot think of a way it could have ended better.

I did feel like the plot dipped a little at the end and though I don’t have the answer for how it should have turned out, I just felt like I was waiting for the big crescendo, but it never came.

That isn’t to say that the film itself was bad, because though the ending often determines my verdict, I can’t fault the majority of the film.

It was generally, thrilling, compelling, intricate and incredibly well edited. The fact the film is set over one night is brilliant, not only because the pressure feels realistic but because the simplicity of it works. I was impressed with how detailed the plot became just in one night due to the use of different timelines and fantastic editing.

The acting too was generally brilliant, especially the two lead characters. Both were names I was unfamiliar with, but ones I would like to see a lot more of in future.

Kenny Doughty (the character Ian Drake) reminded me of Danny Dyer a little in looks and character, but on his acting it would be wrong to make any comparisons as his performance was completely his own and thoroughly convincing.

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson played the reserved and calm manner of his character, Issac Revchenko really well and this made a perfect contrast with Doughty’s erratic and skittish character.

Mark Womack, Sónia Balacó and John Castle all played their parts convincingly too, each giving very good performances.

Not only was I really impressed by the editing in the film but some of the camera shots were also beautifully filmed, particularly in the opening scene. It caught my attention straight away, which is exactly what a good film should do. In fact from a technical point of view, I can’t fault the film. It was clever, even down to the small details of sound effects, like those used when the time was shown.

There was a slight comedic element at moments that I enjoyed. this most often derived from Ian who, as someone who has never killed before tended to screw up quite a lot. I don’t want to say too much but do look out for the hotel scene, it certainly made me laugh.

In this way the film harks back to some of the best British Gangster movies where at least one character is a bit stupid and ends up causing trouble. The whole tone of the film in fact, felt a bit ‘Guy Ritchie-esqe’ (another one of my technical terms.)

Going back to the plot, I thought the twist towards the end was blindingly obvious which was a shame. I just felt there were too many clues as to what was going to happen

Though I didn’t like the ending, it was a surprise and perhaps it’s one that you either love or hate. Arguably, there is a second twist as it is one of those endings that is debatable. I don’t want to spoil the film but if you watch it yourself you’ll understand what I mean (hopefully!) I do recommend this film not just for this reason but because it is enjoyable throughout and the ending may be one that comes down to taste. For those who share my dislike of the ending, I’m sure it won’t detract from the rest of what is a very good film.

7/10.