Tackles a fascinating, if gruesome, subject in quite an understated and down-to-earth way. Timothy Spall really carries this film over any rough patches in the pacing, especially the choppy third act. Normally typecast as a bumbling comedy sidekick, here Spall gives a remarkable performance. Worth seeing for this alone.

09 eylul 10, cnbce, cesme & iyi bi senaryo, berbat bi yonetmenlikle nasil rezil edilir dersi.

Spall is on top form, but there's really nothing to dislike about this: the script, the plot, and the characters all shine despite the bleakness of the whole business. A great piece of historical drama.

Good story that shows the depth of Pierrepoint's character. He believed, at the time, that Capital punishment was necessary as a form of penance for a person's crimes and he offered them as respectful and precise an execution as could be at the time. Timothy Spall is fantastic but the movie just feels terrible condensed so it's simply hard to find yourself captivated by it. Still, Spall's portrayal of Pierrepoint is enough reason to see this.

Timothy Spall does a remarkable job portraying Pierrepoint as an executioner who did his job with practical, but not ruthless, efficiency. It%u2019s a great performance... one that unfortunately falls apart in the third act, which includes a scene almost as embarassing and pandering as the "this watch!" scene in Schindler's List. Meanwhile the wife (Juliet Stevenson) plays the textbook example of "denial". It's pretty lame, and a disappointing denouement to an otherwise very compelling film.

Understated and quiet but powerful story of the British hangman who executed the Nuremburg war criminals.

I was a little disappointed as I had heard good things from friends. It's a personal thing but I simply failed to make any emotional connection with the lead character. Also, Pierrepoint's wife's denail/insensitivity/shock ultimately seemed inconsistent. Whilst I didn't dislike the experience of eatching this film it left little impression on me, which is surpising as this is a subject upon which I have very strong views.

The story is really interesting and Spall is great as the lead. The script suffers from too many broad strokes and heavy-handed treatment of particular events (notably during the film's climax), and the direction occasionally becomes needlessly artificial and distracting (odd tracking shots, etc). Definitely worth seeing, though, for the compelling story.