Passer By (2004)

And so we begin our eight-month-minimum wait to see our new Doctor in action.  Let's see how far into the interim PC's filmography will take us.

Today’s entry is a made-for-TV film, a one-off drama about inaction and regret.  It’s kind of a frustrating movie, not because of its quality or anything, but because of the way it captures its protagonist’s feelings of impotence.

 

The respectable everyman at the center of Passer By is Joe, a doctor, husband, and father.  With a promotion on the horizon, a suburban home, and 2.5 children, everything is A-okay for Joe.  Until, that is, he sees a woman being harassed on the train home from work.  Despite the flashing “THIS IS A BAD SITUATION!” signals, he gets off at his stop without intervening.  Before he knows it, the police are asking for information about a sexual assault, and coming forward will mean acknowledging his earlier desertion of the woman.

 

With a character name like “Defence Barrister,” it’s not a shocker that PC doesn’t have a ton of screentime or characterization.  He’s only in one long scene, cross-examining Joe when he testifies as a witness.  Since no one saw the actual crime, the barrister puts forth that the sex was consensual, and in the midst of the he-said-she-said, Joe’s observations could rebut that.

 

Naturally, anyone defending a pair of rapists isn’t really a person to cheer for.  But it can’t be denied that the barrister knows exactly what he’s doing.  He zeroes in on Joe’s non-intervention, arguing that an upstanding citizen – a doctor, a healer – wouldn’t have stood by if there had been anything truly untoward happening.  The scene is uncomfortable in an unblinking, dramatic way, with the barrister essentially daring Joe to admit to his moral and civic failure.

 

This film also features Bryan Dick, who I previously saw as Adam in the Torchwood episode of the same name and Freddie in the BBC version of The Old Curiosity Shop a handful of years ago; evidently, “reprehensible” is the go-to move in his wheelhouse.  Plus, Joe’s wife is played by none other than Siobhan Finneran, O’Brien in Downton Abbey.

 

Accent Watch

 

RP.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – I might.  It starts to stray in the second half, but it’s an interesting, compelling subject – definitely a thinker.

 

PC-wise – Toss-up.  PC does excellent work here, but considering what his character is doing… If you’re interested in him and not the film itself, an enterprising Capaldian has uploaded his scene to youtube.

 

Warnings

 

Though the initial train scene doesn’t include any violence or sexual content, it’s still pretty uncomfortable to watch.  There’s also language and sexual discussion.