Such a frustrating disappointment

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Boring, long, and too preachy.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I've been working my way through some of the movies reviewed in the amazing book, HIDDEN HORROR, and this was one of those movies spotlighted, so I was looking forward to uncovering what might have been a lost gem. The movie features Sting (the Police man, not the wrestler) as a drifter, of sorts, who insinuates himself into the home of a small British family who have just been through a tragedy, as their daughter has been in an accident and is left helpless and immobile. The main focus of the movie is on the character played by Sting and his performance. He plays the character almost as twin faces of a mirror, at times exceedingly angelic, yet letting us glimpse the demon within. What "happens" in the movie is almost irrelevant, as most viewers will see the setup coming, because it's mostly about the characters and the themes presented.I'm all for intelligent films and I think I have a more open mind than most viewers, but the movie still has to be entertaining and make you care what's going to happen next. My biggest issue with the movie is the setting. It's origins as a stageplay are also its' limitations. Much like movies a half century before it, like Dracula, that were also based on plays the movie just comes across as claustrophobic and boxed in. Yes, that plays to the themes somewhat, but it's also boring. The whole production feels like an episode of MASTERPIECE THEATER.The ending result of this lack of setting and story is that all of the weight is put on the performance of Sting. I thought, personally, that his mannerisms and tones reminded me too much of Malcolm McDowell's Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Combine that with the comparisons between the two characters invading a suburban home and the viewer starts seeing the influences leak out a little too much.While I admired parts of Sting's performance and the themes that the director wanted to explore, I just found the movie, as a whole, to be tedious, at times, and ultimately forgettable.

This is a movie from 1982. Just bought it and thoroughly like it. It is a psychological thriller, which at some level is disturbing, but I found it interesting. The character Martin (Sting) approaches Tom Bates (D. Elliot)and tries to suggest they knew each other in an attempt to get closer to him and extract something, perhaps money. Mr. Bates abandons Martin in town, but later that evening Martin shows up as he has lifted the wallet of Mr. Bates, with his home address, money, credit cards. The money ends up "missing" and Martin portrays himself as the good samaritan to return the wallet. Mr. Bates doesn't trust Martin, but his wife, Norma, takes to the kindly young man who professes to know their sickly daughter, from Art School a few years earlier. Martin, the drifter, or perhaps an escapee from a mental institution, is seen as a devil but ultimately saves the family from its hidden secrets and releases all of them. Sting was great in the role of Martin, in my opinion, sometimes angel and sometimes demented. I looked up the meaning of Treacle in the dictionary - it is a remedy. So Martin ends up saving the family, he is the remedy to their nightmares. Interesting.

If you look up the definition of the two terms in the title, it will give you some insight into where the film is headed (I didn't know what brimstone was either--crazy Brits). I've always liked Sting's work, and I was intrigued to see Showtime was playing one of his movies that I'd never heard of. Since it got three stars in the TV guide, I figured it was better than Dune, and it was.The movie is a very odd Indie film that really keeps your attention. Sting is really funny and spooky--especially considering how whitebread he has become since his alternative days. A summary of the movie--con artist takes advantage of a family's tragedy--sounds very depressing, but the movie is strangely uplifting. Maybe I'm just a freak.

33. BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE (thriller-drama, 1982) Martin (Sting) befriends middle-aged bookkeeper Tom (Denholm Elliott). Martin cons his way into his house by passing himself as friend to his daughter. Daughter Patricia has been left a mute and bedridden for 3 years after a mysterious car accident. Though Tom is suspicious of Martin's exact motives, his wife is beguiled by Martin's charm. But what they don't know is that Martin is sexually abusing their defenseless and disabled daughter.Critique: Part fairy tale, part religious parable, this creepy, atmospheric film is highlighted by a wickedly perverse turn by Sting (lead singer of rock group 'The Police'). What makes his character such a bizarre figure is that his motives are unknown, his appetites unresolved. I think Martin is just a thief, passing himself as anyone's friend just to have a place to stay. A sort of pickpocket. He's also a sexual deviant who doesn't mind how he gets it, either from an invalid or an old woman. The film portrays him as an avenging angel-type, brought into this deeply secular home as a purger of sins. Interesting direction by Richard Loncraine (is this his film debut?) who works from a play adapted by Dennis Potter, whose own sexually dubious works are to be questioned. 'The Police', along with 'The Go-Gos' provided the 'hip' soundtrack.