The Innocent Sleep (1996)
Inspired by the 1982 Roberto Calvi Affair in which an Italian banker was found hanging from a bridge across the River Thames, the story follows Alan, a man from Northern England who is homeless after the loss of his wife and job. One night while sleeping in a deserted building, Alan witnesses the murder of a high-profile businessman. He attempts to leave the scene unnoticed, but the killers realize that someone has seen them commit the crime. He goes to the police only to discover that one of the killers is leading the case. To stay alive, Alan recruits the help of Billie Hayman, an American journalist, to cover his story.
- Scott Michell
- Michael Elliott
- Ray Villis
Rating: 4.3/10 by 3 users
Alternative Title:
Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 50 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: police, witness, reporter, homeless
OK, hands up - I'm a fan of Rupert Graves. Ever since his "Scudder" in "Maurice" (1987) he has been able to do little wrong. Here, he is the likeable dosser "Alan" who accidentally witnesses a mob-style hit in London. The killers know someone saw them and so he must keep one step ahead as they close in. Luckily for him, the crime has attracted the attention of journalist "Billie" (Annabella Sciorra) but can she help keep him alive as he faces pursuit from bent copper "Matheson" (Michael Gambon) and his paymaster "Cavani" (Franco Nero)? As British crime efforts go, this is OK - a decent cast present a reasonably paced drama with just about enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Sadly, though, the dialogue is straight out an episode of "The Sweeney"; Gambon is nowhere near his best and Nero features just a bit too sparingly to make much of an impact. The illuminated London skyline offers some added menace, and though the ending is really rather poor, director Scott Michell still takes a little time to try to develop the lead characters. No it's not great, but it is still quite a watchable effort.
