Mister Foe

Hallam foe is a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears & his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the cause of his mothers death he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of edinburgh for love. Studio: Magnolia Pict Hm Ent Release Date: 11/11/2008 Starring: Jamie Bell Claire Forlani Run time: 95 minutes Rating: R

A benevolent voyeur sounds like a contradiction in terms, but no one would confuse David Mackenzie's charming Mister Foe with Michael Powell's chilling Peeping Tom. Two years after his mother's death from drowning, 17-year-old Hallam (Jamie Bell, recalling Tom Courtenay) leaves the verdant Highlands to try his luck in the concrete jungle of Edinburgh. Suicide would be bad enough, but he's convinced his seductive stepmother Verity (Claire Forlani) murdered Mrs. Foe in order to have the prosperous Julius (Ciarán Hinds) all to herself. Upon arrival in the city, Hallam spots a businesslike blonde who resembles his mother. Obsessed, he convinces Kate (Art School Confidential's Sophia Myles) to hire him as dishwasher in the hotel she represents. Aside from keeping an eye on the personnel director at work, Hallam spies on her flat from his hiding place in the hotel clock tower. If Kate's reaction to Hallam's nocturnal activities comes as a surprise, the overly-Oedipal reasons for his behavior don't (marking one of the script’s few missteps). Since Mackenzie and Ed Whitmore adapted from Peter Jinks' novel, it's hard to say whether they also took inspiration from Jerzy Skolimowski's Deep End or Krzysztof Kieslowski’s A Short Film About Love, but their troubled protagonist is just as sympathetic; the older object of his affection just as appealing. Like Skolimowski's 1971 effort, Mister Foe also features a marvelous soundtrack, a choice collection of Scottish indie pop, including Franz Ferdinand's closing theme. Mister Foe marks essential viewing for fans of Mackenzie and Bell alike. --Kathleen C. Fennessy