Keeping Rosy

We’ve all had those really rotten days. You wake up on the wrong side of bed, get passed over for an important promotion, accidentally murder your Polish cleaner with a champagne bottle… Maxine Peake does a fine job of playing a seriously unlikeable character in this frosty, low-budget British drama. Businesswoman Charlotte may be a heartless monster, but thanks to Peake she stays just the right side of unbearable as she struggles to conceal the evidence of her crime. Christine Bottomley and Blake Harrison provide strong backup; the latter is particularly convincing as a wormy security guard who stumbles on Charlotte’s secret and tries to take advantage. First-time director Steve Reeves (not the ’50s sword ‘n’ sandal star, torso fans) marshals proceedings efficiently, making good use of the clean, sharp lines within Charlotte’s minimalist execu-flat. The result would probably feel more at home on Sunday night TV than the big screen, but it sustains the intrigue long enough to hold the attention.