Film of the Week – Gumshoe

Whilst Lincoln Film Society is on hiatus for the foreseeable future and The Venue and other cinemas around the country are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we thought we should keep community film appreciation alive through these testing times by curating a ‘film of the week’ series for members. These will be films readily available on Freeview TV or free catch-up services, so those without paid options won’t be excluded.

Keep an eye out on our blog here, our Facebook and Twitter feeds, and in our weekly newsletters for the selected titles. Our committee members will be picking the films and sharing their thoughts. You can join in the discussion in our new Facebook group, via Twitter or in the comments section of the website.

Our latest pick is Gumshoe, which screened on Talking Pictures TV (Freeview channel 81, Freest 306, SKY 328 and Virgin 445) last week. Hopefully you all got the email and recorded it. If not, you can rent it from various digital providers such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes and Google Play. Or if you’ve got the cash, there’s an excellent Blu-ray release from Indicator which is packed with ‘extra features’.

It was chosen by LFS committee member John Rossington. Here are his thoughts the film:

UK 1971
Dir: Stephen Frears
Starring: Albert Finney, Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay
Cert 12
86 mins

I like this film for a number of reasons. It was the first feature film from Stephen Frears. It mixes classic Film Noir elements with a touch of “Kitchen Sink” drama. It’s got some nice performances from Albert Finney, Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay and Fulton Mackay, the latter particularly memorable. It’s a tight little thriller with witty dialogue, unusual locations (Liverpool), and great cinematography. It also has a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber! All-round it’s a very entertaining film and one I’ve watched numerous times.