I really enjoyed this unusual mildly black comedy/drama of the kind only the British seem to be able to do well. It is understated and unpredictable with very solid performances all around. I even liked Helena Bonham Carter, who fit her role to a tee, since she was as annoying as usual, which was exactly what was called for. Although I expect that many people may find this film a bit slow and maybe even too cerebral compared with more modern fare (which doesn't really say much for our society, I think), I personally loved it and consider it another hidden gem.

Henry Bell is at the end of his rope having lost his job to the loathsome Bruce Tick and he heads to a bridge to kill himself. There he finds Karen Knightly trying to do the same but stuck on the ledge – he helps her of course and the two go for coffee. They discuss each others problems – basically both have been driven to despair by a different person each, in Karen's case, the wife of her lover Anthony Staxton-Billing. Karen hits on the plan that they swap revenges and each kill the source of the other's pain. Before he knows what is happening, Henry is put up as a guest at the Staxton-Billing's home and Karen heads to the city to work as Tick's secretary. However, as she manages to start to pick at her victim's life, Henry finds himself falling for his.Taking its starting point as the Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train, this comedy goes down a fairly predictable route without doing a great deal to make it stick in my mind. The script splits the film down the middle – on one hand we have the scheming Karen destroying Tick, while on the other we have Henry battling with Anthony for the love of his wife. The former is amusing if simple, while the latter is rather plodding mainly because it has to carry a narrative thread that will give the film something to end on. While it just about does enough to keep moving forward and be watchable, it never does anything that well. At no point did I laugh more than one chuckle perhaps, neither was I engaged by the plot beyond watching it unfold along the lines I knew it would. Failure to excel in any area whatsoever means that the end result is rather bland if not actually "bad".The cast match this tone and none of them have much that they can do a great deal with. Neill is therefore a bit wooden because he has the lesser role; Carter on the other hand enjoys herself and hams it up, providing at least a bit of colour to the role. Scott Thomas is rather bland and doesn't add a great deal, although Clunes is his enjoyable annoying self. Coogan is amusing but not annoying enough to make us wish for his fate – instead I felt rather sorry for him. Graves is "wacky" but Smith is funny, Wood is OK, Dobson plays the same screaming old tart that she always does although Coleman is cute.Overall, a fairly bland film that doesn't do anything that well. The plot is predictable but of some value in at least moving the film forward, but it moves it without providing any drama or laughs to engage the audience. It may provide enough to distract you if you are really undemanding but it is probably not worth the effort.

Anyone who thinks this is a good example of British humour has obviously had a humour bypass. A good example of why the British film industry is going down the pan!Do not encourage bad films like this...they'll only make more!

Since I saw this film when it was first aired in 1999 I was desperate to own it. I enjoyed it so much. Having also read the play I thought it was one of the best films I had ever seen. I finally managed to buy it after two years of searching, but it really is worth waiting two years for. The cast are amazing, especially Steve Coogan, who does an amazing job of playing the oily Bruce Tick. His acting is excellent, as is the rest of the celebrity cast. This is definitely one of the best British films I have ever seen, and is definitely worth watching, especially if you're a fan of British movies!