Smokescreen

In films, so many mysteries are investigated by police officers, investigative reporters or family members, all of whom usually conform to a certain 'type', so it's a refreshing change to find a film such as 'Smokescreen' where the person doing the snooping is a very atypical character, a quirky insurance claims investigator who goes about searching for the truth in an efficient yet coldly detached manner. In bringing this character to life, the film affords us a rare early leading role from the excellent Peter Vaughan, but just about every character in this piece is portrayed by a gem of a British actor from the period, even those that appear rather fleetingly.

Added to which, the film is beautifully shot, making very good use of its Brighton location yet not to the point of distracting from the plot. From the dramatic opening scene, in which two young lovers on a clifftop have their tryst disturbed by a burning car zooming along nearby perilously out of control before it plummets over the edge, it is apparent that this is a film of superior quality. Whether or not the car's owner was actually in the vehicle when it plunged into the sea isn't clear, and that is the question which Vaughan's character, Roper, must find the answer to. And even he himself is guarding a secret, as becomes apparent among the various twists and turns this pleasing yarn takes.

My only sense of disappointment as I watched it was that I'd worked out the solution long before the end. Or so I thought, for at the climax I discovered that the film outsmarted me. See if it manages to outsmart you.

Peter Vaughan, a wonderful actor, is the rather slimy insurance investigator investigating a claim in coastal Sussex.

And this unlikely hero succeeds where the Police have failed!

Made on a tiny budget, this film proves that enormous budgets are not always necessary to make good cinema.

Truly a minimalist marvel.

A gently, wryly humorous fairly engrossing who-done-what lacking top names but packed with familiar and able players who'd supported many a British classic. Sam Kydd - was there a British post-war film without him as able seaman, workman, stuttering gang-member or as here,once again, a waiter? Derek Guyler in a neat cameo reminding us of a time before "have-nice-day" came to these shores. Typecast they might have been but familiar because they were the best of their type. I didn't then know the name of Penny Morell but certainly recognised a top performance as the very obliging but drunken secretary. Budget production it might have been but one gets the impression of an esprit de corps of director, cast and crew of professionals working for beer-money but rightly proud nevertheless.

A modest, but quietly effective story of an insurance assessor (the ever reliable Peter Vaughn) investigating a possibly suspicious claim following the plunging of a car over a Brighton clifftop. Vaughn is first class as the dogged, brolly-carrying Roper, on screen virtually throughout, as he questions everything and trusts no-one. It has the feel of a police procedural, and there is some wry humour derived from his reluctance to spend money, and to fiddle his expenses at every opportunity, for the best of reasons, we discover. A stalwart supporting cast keep things real, and there are nice location shots. Worth an hour of anyone's time.

A blazing car crashes over a cliff. No body is found. It belonged to a co-owner of a business. Both owners had recently taken out large insurance policies. The insurance company is naturally suspicious and send an agent (Peter Vaughn) to investigate. The time frame of the accident adds to his suspicions. To complicate matters it turns out that there was an offer to buy the business that the missing man rejected but which his partner wanted to accept. To further complicate matters the local insurer (John Carson) who sold the policies loves the missing man's wife (the beautiful Yvonne Romain).

The film has a bit more depth than normal B-movie fare. Throughout there is a running theme about Vaughan's expenses. This seems to be for low comedic effect but later we learn why he is so tight with money. Similarly with the denouement we learn why the film's title is appropriate.

This is a pleasant, undemanding little B-movie for all the family. I give it a 7 because it's a well-made, well-written, well-acted low budget film lacking star names. Had it had an A-list budget I'd have given it a 6.