Flying Blind, 2012.
Directed by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz.
Starring Helen McCrory, Najib Oudghiri, Kenneth Cranham and Tristan Gemmill.
SYNOPSIS:
When Frankie (a middle aged aerospace engineer working for the military) is seduced by Kahil, a young French-Algerian man, her employers start to get nervous. As the relationship heats up, Frankie must decide whether Kahil has ulterior motives or if her colleagues are suffering from post 9/11 paranoia.
If the slick BBC visuals of Katarzyna Klimkiewicz’s first feature reminds you more of a highly produced TV show than your average blockbuster, then you’d be forgiven. Made for under half a million pounds, Flying Blind is the third film to be created through the iFeatures initiative – a company set up to “support micro/low budget filmmakers and forge a stronger, more confident on-screen identity for cities in the English regions.” In this case the region is Bristol, and while the city doesn’t play a significant role the backdrop makes a nice change from stale London landmarks.
Helen McCrory plays Frankie – a successful aerospace technician designing surveillance drones for the military. On the side she lectures at a university and dismisses students’ worries about the moral dilemma of working for armed forces, “none of us are outside the military industrial complex, unless you don’t use the internet.” She’s beautiful and successful, but working her way to the top of a boys’ club has its price – Frankie is by and large a loner. No husband, no kids; the only person she chooses to spend her free time with is her dad. So when Kahil, an attractive, French-Algerian man half her age starts to pursue her, she doesn’t need a lot of convincing.
What begins as a passionate affair quickly devolves into suspicions and doubts when Frankie’s employers voice their concerns. With a sensitive military job, a toyboy who speaks Arabic casts both Kahil and Frankie under question, and Frankie quickly finds herself questioning whether Kahil’s secretive behaviour is cause for concern or a paranoid mind succumbing to racial profiling.
This sexual thriller thrives on fantastic performances from McCrory and Najib Oudghiri. Their febrile chemistry plays perfectly against naturally guarded characters – ardent stares and lingering moments making up for lacklustre dialogue. It’s a fantastic opportunity for McCrory to finally get her teeth into a leading role after impressive supporting work in Skyfall and Harry Potter.
While Flying Blind raises a lot of interesting questions about trust and cross-cultural relationships – particularly the isolation a language barrier can cause – the story starts to lose traction in the final act. Frankie’s reactions become increasingly dubious and unlikely coincidences mount up until you can practically hear the screenwriters yelling, “Is he? Isn’t he?”
It’s a slow paced character study that works better as a sociological thriller than a political one. An imperfect but solidly made film considering its shoe string budget.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Sushan Mansley
Originally published July 15, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
