Road Rage (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by George Baker, based on the novel by Ruth Rendell
Directed by Bruce McDonald
Starring George Baker, Christopher Ravenscroft, James Allen, Louie Ramsay, Amanda Boxer, Jack Klaff, Ian Bartholomew, Natalie Walter, and Isobel Middleton

Features:

• Actor biographies
  
• Author biography
  

Released by: Wellspring/Lance
Region: 1
Rating: NR
Anamorphic: N/A; presented in original 1.33:1 TV aspect

My Advice: Rent it.

Road Rage is a thrilling tale of eco-terrorism, kidnapping, dishonesty, and greed. The film was presented on TV in three parts, based upon the novel by celebrated mystery writer Ruth Rendell and starring her famous character, Inspector Wexford (Baker).

It begins with the kidnapping of a beautiful, young German tourist, and when her body is found, it could be either a robbery/rape/murder, or it could be part of a much greater conspiracy, involving a group of environmentalists protesting the building of an interchange through a protected woodland, a wealthy, powerful, and arrogant group of usinessmen, and some selfish townspeople bent on rape and death.

The characters in this mystery are fantastically diverse, representing all that is best and worst in humanity. There are several different environmental groups at work, showing the gamut of peaceful protestors, from groups willing to perform relatively minor acts of civil disobedience, all the way to those willing to kill and die for their beliefs. But as in any mystery, the real villains are never clear, and Rendell has provided a host of other “bad guys” here. There are greedy businessmen, some guilty of heinous crimes and others relatively innocent, as well as cops who aren’t quite sure what side they’re on. What I love about this arrangement is that the characters are people with complex motivations, mixed motivations, hidden truths, and unclear sides.

George Baker as Inspector Wexford is simply outstanding. The character demands a great deal from an actor, as he begins the film seemingly in control of his world, only to confront the kidnapping of his wife and the birth of a grandchild on the same day. Baker plays it all with panache and realism that will make viewers truly feel for him. Louie Ramsay as the kidnapped wife Dora is equally stunning, both in her depiction of the tormented, terrified, and tortured victim and as the solid wife of a respected police inspector; viewers are left wanting to know a great deal more about this strong, wonderful woman. Other characters are equally solidly played, from the unlikable Mrs. Cox to the overly slick Andrew Struther and the just awful barman. The Stockholm-syndrome teen Ryan is amazingly played by Timothy Evans.

The only thing I can say about this film that was not top notch is something I can only hint at, lest it give too much away. The business with the pearls and her father’s failure to identify them and her haversack is a bit cloudy. Watch at the end when the cops use them to confront a villain, and you’ll see what I mean.

Mystery fans who love such films as the Maigret series, TV shows like CSI, or other modern crime thrillers will love this film. Other people who would enjoy this film include anyone with environmental consciousness or other activists who will appreciate the depiction of environmentalists as non-terrorists, as well as the warning that there is a line between activists and terrorists. Anyone who likes a tightly plotted thriller with surprises and psychological depth will appreciate Road Rage.