The Debt Collector Details

As hard-hitting as a kick in the stomach, this gritty Scottish drama is outstanding on all fronts. First-time director Anthony Neilson has crafted a visceral and cathartic tale with virtuoso skill, combining tragedy on a Shakespearean scale with vibrant colour and superb camera control. Billy Connolly stars as a reformed ex-con and now successful sculptor whose violent past comes back to haunt him in the shape of his arresting officer, Ken Stott. Stott takes it upon himself to deal Connolly true retribution for his crimes and in the process they and their families suffer severe repercussions. With a simple enough synopsis in the revenge tragedy vein, this film manages to exist in a class of its own owing to incredible performances from Francesca Annis, Annette Crosbie, Connolly and Stott, and the formidable talent of the debuting Neilson.

Violent , intensely-acted melodrama of hatred, rivalry and obsession that also casts an ironic sidelight on the current cult of the gangster as celebrity.