When it comes to leading men, it’s fair to say that Toby Jones doesn’t really fit in with the norm. The British actor doesn’t have the dashing good looks or muscular physique you’d normally expect. Then again, unlike most he’s a damn fine actor. Roles in Tinker Taylor, Soldier Spy, Berberian Sound Studio and Detectorists show the range of his abilities. He starred for his brother, Rupert, in Kaleidoscope.
Carl Wood (Toby Jones) lives in a drab and dingy flat on a rundown housing estate in London. The ex-con dreams of starting a gardening business and getting his life back on track. However, all is not quite what it seems. His attempt to get back into the dating game, with the coquettish Abby (Sinead Matthews), hasn’t been entirely successful and a face from the past (Anne Reid) haunts his every step.
Kaleidoscope is a slippery psychological thriller which leans heavily on Hitchcockian elements. We’re never quite sure exactly what’s going on and this sense of disorientation adds to a feeling of wrongness. Toby Jones is magnificent as the lead. His face is an array of emotions and expressions. Matthews is also great as the desperate Abby. Kaleidoscope is a strange yet satisfying descent into the mind of an unreliable narrator.
Kaleidoscope is released on DVD by Sparky Pictures on 23 September.
