24th Day on DVD (2004)

blacksmoke from London, England , 31/12/2004

It's easy to dismiss James Marsden as yet another Hollywood 'pretty boy' actor. His performances to date have been unchallenging and his movie-choices somewhat formulaic. No doubt his agent holds a very tight rein on the offers that come in. So it comes as a pleasant surprise to find that 24th Day managed to slip under the radar and prove he can not only act but is also willing to take a genuine career risk (albeit calculated, no doubt).

24th Day focuses almost entirely on the two lead actors (Marsden and Scott Speedman). They deliver a passionate and convincing performance in this low-budget indie film, confronting a difficult and complex moral issue. The lack of financing has perhaps forced the Director to present the film in the familiar structure of a play, but in this case it's the perfect technique for a movie that relies on emotional resonance rather than slick editing and forced visual style. 24th Day is an actor's movie and both leads deliver a passionate and convincing performance, proving their aesthetic merits are matched by their genuine talent.

The final frame of 24th Day closes with a symbolic visual act of enlightenment for the two lead characters. It's a revelation for the viewer too: a rare opportunity to see young actors try something very different and prove the real quality of their talents. In this case, it paid off.

Everyone involved in 24th Day clearly took a risk to produce something quite different. If you think that's a good idea, follow their lead and rent this movie.

  64 out of 64 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Jack Sewell from Midlands, UK [Highly rated reviewer] , 11/03/2007

The concept of this movie really attracted me. Guy who has contracted HIV, holds hostage the guy he belives gave it him, while waiting for his test results. If it's negative, he goes free. Positive, he kills him. I had heard so many good things about this and enjoyed other films in the same vain, Death and The Maiden, Hard Candy.

This fell flat on it's hype, and I found it no more than a vehicle for the two main actors to do some real acting in an average thriller. It's a shame as the first act was tense and really had me gripped to the edge of my seat. Worth viewing just to break away from the usual rubbish that gay themed films tend to be, and for it's important moral on sexual responsibilty.

  5 out of 7 people found this review helpful

Read all reviews

Martin Faulkner from Rugeley,Staffordshire , 31/05/2006

A real good gay thriller,well acted,good story, my only complaint was that they slightly over did the short flash backs.

No sex,very little violence--just a real good entertaining film.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

Read all reviews

wikkidsmyle from Newmarket [Highly rated reviewer] , 14/08/2008

You can tell that this is a stage-to-screen adaptation and that, unfortunately, not a lot of money was available to finance it. The script is intelligent and moralistic, without being cloying, and Scott Speedman and James Marsden (in particular) really get into their characters. The ending is a bit odd and inconclusive, but the rest of the film runs smoothly. A bit more money thrown at the project would have done wonders though.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

Read all reviews

wikkidsmyle from Newmarket [Highly rated reviewer] , 14/08/2008

You can tell that this is a stage-to-screen adaptation and that, unfortunately, not a lot of money was available to finance it. The script is intelligent and moralistic, without being cloying, and Scott Speedman and James Marsden (in particular) really get into their characters. The ending is a bit odd and inconclusive, but the rest of the film runs smoothly. A bit more money thrown at the project would have done wonders though.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

Read all highest rated reviews

Jack Sewell from Midlands, UK [Highly rated reviewer] , 11/03/2007

The concept of this movie really attracted me. Guy who has contracted HIV, holds hostage the guy he belives gave it him, while waiting for his test results. If it's negative, he goes free. Positive, he kills him. I had heard so many good things about this and enjoyed other films in the same vain, Death and The Maiden, Hard Candy.

This fell flat on it's hype, and I found it no more than a vehicle for the two main actors to do some real acting in an average thriller. It's a shame as the first act was tense and really had me gripped to the edge of my seat. Worth viewing just to break away from the usual rubbish that gay themed films tend to be, and for it's important moral on sexual responsibilty.

  5 out of 7 people found this review helpful

Read all highest rated reviews