Ashes
2012
Action / Drama / Mystery / Thriller

Ashes
2012
Action / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
One-time hard man Frank Barron is barely recognisable now he’s been afflicted with Alzheimer's, but when his estranged son Jamie visits him in hospital he realises the extra stress Frank is put under and decides to break him out in the hope of returning him to his family. As the two travel across the country, beginning to bond along the way, it soon transpires that both Frank and Jamie are at odds with their past.
Director
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Awful
Ray Winstone holds it together
Most people will be more familiar with Ray Winstone as 'tough-guy' characters, so perhaps that's one reason he's decided to take a break from 'busting heads' and started to show the viewers that he's got more of a 'sensitive' side.
In Ashes, he plays an Alzheimer sufferer who gets 'kidnapped' by his son from the hospital he's been committed to and then taken on a roadtrip across England. Why? Well, that's something you have to find out.
The first thing you need to is that this certainly isn't a 'feel-good' film. It's dark, nasty and certainly not light-hearted in any way. Its major plus-point is Ray Winstone. He plays the part perfectly, switching from scared bouts of violence, to just plain scared. He's the reason this film is worth watching, as the 'story' is somewhat lacking. I was left wondering why exactly these two were driving across country, as it isn't really explained until about the hour mark. Although, that is the time when the film generally starts to pick up.
The first hour - excluding Ray's performance - is pretty hard to sit through. It doesn't really go anywhere and drags by. However, if you can excuse that, it does get better and the last act ties everything up.
If you're a fan of Ray then you'll enjoy this. Otherwise, you'll have to be in the mood for a very dark drama to get something out of this.