Ashes

Director Mat Whitecross's contemporary film noir is not what you expect. The unsettling story centres on Frank (Ray Winstone), a man gripped by Alzheimer's disease, but the plot quickly develops into a tense thriller that keeps its secrets closely guarded right till the end. After months of searching for him, Frank's estranged son, James (Jim Sturgess), breaks him out of a nursing home and the pair go on the run - their journey driven by James's covert agenda and punctuated by painful moments of recall for Frank. A two-hander set largely on the road, the film lacks the pace and glamour of a Hollywood blockbuster. But it has an intelligent screenplay and fans of Winstone will be interested to see the unexpected delicacy he brings to the role. Although it wasn't afforded a theatrical release, this intriguing drama deserves to find a more receptive audience on the small screen.