Sundown  ★★★★

TIM Roth again shows us what a great actor he can be with the right role in Sundown.

This slow-burn drama set in Mexico is full of sudden surprises in the narrative and provides Roth with a part that seems to suit him perfectly, both emotionally and physically.

Neil Bennett is holidaying with his sister Alice, played by the always terrific Charlotte Gainsbourg, and her two grown-up children.

They are staying in the kind of high-end resort that requires significant cash and seem very comfortable and content with each other.

The tranquility is disturbed when Alice gets a phone call advising that their mother has been rushed to hospital back in England.

They immediately cut the holiday short and start heading for the airport, on the way receiving worse news.

Alice breaks down but Neill appears strangely calm. The airline gets them onto the first plane it can which is leaving shortly.

But Neill discovers that he has left his passport behind and will have to join them on a later flight.

The children comfort the distraught Alice through Customs while Neill heads back to the hotel.

The rest of this engrossing film reveals its secrets like an onion slowly and deliberately being peeled back by somebody who isn’t exactly sure what the centre will contain.

Neil’s subsequent actions and attitude to the family’s situation can be seen as a fascinating presentation of one person’s reactions to life, death and relationships.

Events could have played out in almost typical thriller fashion, but Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco takes a different, highly interesting approach.

Apparently Franco wrote the screenplay while going through a personal crisis just before he turned 40.

It’s a fascinating and intriguing film that will speak to many.