THE SIEGE OF PINCHGUT is unlike any other Ealing movie I've seen: it's an often taut suspense thriller about a quartet of criminals who have helped one of their own number escape from prison. They hold up on an island off Sydney and the scene is set for a protracted siege with the local authorities. This unusual film makes very good use of its premise and has some surprisingly tough scenes of police snipers taking down the bad guys and the like. Aldo Ray is the American import anti-hero, given strong support from the likes of Victor Maddern, Neil McCallum and Heather Sears. A number of very familiar faces take smaller roles too. The film's direction is never less than compelling and, although the pace is slow, this always keeps you interested in what's going on.
Review of Four Desperate Men
