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Downtime on DVD (1997)

Downtime cover art
Average rating: 47%
14201463
2.5
from 146 members
 
Starring: Paul McGann, Susan Lynch, Tom Georgeson, Dave Roper
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Studio: CINEMA CLUB
Run time: 87 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Thriller
Languages: English
Released: 20/03/2004

Brief synopsis of Downtime

Two people who live in a Newcastle tower block, one a former police psychologist and the other a depressed single mother, face a terrifying future...

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 1 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Two people from totally different backgrounds fall in love while trapped in a tower-block lift in director Bharat Nalluri's ludicrous romantic thriller. Even dafter than it sounds, this Newcastle-set fiasco switches between low-rent suspense (the dodgy lift sequences) and glib, socially aware drama (teenage thugs terrorising the neighbourhood) with absolutely no rhyme, reason or logic. No one acts sensibly in this dumb mix of Die Hard and Barbara Cartland, while the hostage crisis finale defies belief. This is British film-making at its absolute nadir.

Time Out

Imagine Ken Loach remaking Die Hard. Police shrink McGann talks single mum Lynch out of jumping off the tower block... Read more on www.timeout.com

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 3 starsUp and Down

robertconnor from Gloucestershire [Highly rated reviewer] , 28/10/2004

This low budget Brit thriller follows all the standard Hollywood plot devices (feisty heroine, troubled hero, child-in-jeopardy, bad-boy villains) but uses a gritty, urban Northern English council estate as a backdrop.

After a fairly gripping start, Downtime settles into a formulaic scenario - four people trapped in a lift, hanging by threads. The script clunks from time to time, the bad boys are given no character development, and the 'quirky' hero quickly becomes irritating and cliched. Credit though to Susan Lynch for making Chrissy naturalistic and believable. She holds the entire film together, and gives it three stars.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsGRITTY ENTERTAINMENT

Guy and Karen Lewis from Telford, Shropshire , 15/05/2005

This movie rang true with me, as i used to live in a towerblock, but not as dirty as that, i may add. The lifts frequently broke down and there were undesirables living there.

Language in this film was true to life, but nevertheless, a bit much. Would recommend, but only if you don't easily mind bad language

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Rated - 1 starsAwful

A customer from Church Village, S.Wales , 14/12/2005

Could not get into this film at all. Really Bad!

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Rated - 1 starswhat a load of rubbish

A customer from Newcastle, England , 05/09/2006

no evern filimed in Newcastle all was done in Liverpool and Manchester. so why set in Newcastle dont waste your time like I did

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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 3 starsUp and Down

robertconnor from Gloucestershire [Highly rated reviewer] , 28/10/2004

This low budget Brit thriller follows all the standard Hollywood plot devices (feisty heroine, troubled hero, child-in-jeopardy, bad-boy villains) but uses a gritty, urban Northern English council estate as a backdrop.

After a fairly gripping start, Downtime settles into a formulaic scenario - four people trapped in a lift, hanging by threads. The script clunks from time to time, the bad boys are given no character development, and the 'quirky' hero quickly becomes irritating and cliched. Credit though to Susan Lynch for making Chrissy naturalistic and believable. She holds the entire film together, and gives it three stars.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 1 starsAwful

A customer from Church Village, S.Wales , 14/12/2005

Could not get into this film at all. Really Bad!

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