The Understudy
20 Sep 2008
Last night we caught the UK premier of The Understudy at the Cambridge Film Festival, and - assuming it gets a more general release - I’d thoroughly recommend it. The basic story (the tag line, “Dying for stardom she finds a role to kill for”, tells you pretty much all you need to know) could have turned into a schlocky car crash if given the standard Hollywood treatment. However, even though it was filmed in New York, it’s written and directed by a British couple, which might be why its both subtle and very, very dark. The only fault I might find with it is that the plot never really surprises - however, that doesn’t particularly detract from a great film. Highly recommended.