The Trench (1999)

Dir: William Boyd

I rented THE TRENCH as it stars Daniel Craig and I expected a fair amount of action mixed in with the drama. THE TRENCH is not that film.

Daniel Craig

It is the eve of the Battle of the Somme, 1916. A battle that was to be one of the bloodiest of the war. The film depicts the few dreary trench bound days of a platoon led by Lt. Ellis Harte (Julian Rhind-Tutt) before it is their time to go over the top and give their lives for God, King and Country. Days that are filled with boredom, smoking, the constant artillery bombardment and the knowledge that any one of them can be killed at any time. Sgt. Telford Winter (Daniel Craig) is the battle hardened soldier that holds the unit together. Danny Dyer (DEVILS' PLAYGROUND) is the braggart who entertains himself with tall tales and antagonizing the others in the squad. Paul Nicholls (LAKE PLACID: THE FINAL CHAPTER) and Tam Williams play brothers looking out for one another. Look for James D'Arcy (AGENT CARTER), Cillian Murphy (28 DAYS LATER) and Ben Whishaw (Q in the last few Bond films) all playing privates.

Danny Dyer

This is a stage bound, or should I say trench bound again?, film. With the exception of a shot early in the film and the last few minutes, the viewer (and the platoon) see nothing but the earthen trench the men reluctantly call home. There's little in the way of action, the film is about the emotions of the soldiers and how they do or do not get by to see another day. We've met the characters before in other films, television series and books. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the actors' fine performances. Yes, I had a good idea of how each character's story was going to arc but the lead actors brought their characters to life and drew me in.

Paul Nicholls

See first time director, and acclaimed novelist, William Boyd's THE TRENCH because of the gripping drama and not for action scenes and it will not disappoint.

*** out of ****