Sandy
Duffy’s A Patch of Fog is like the Mockingbird or Catcher of Northern Ireland. The Belfast writer might have other
scribblings to his name, but that is the only thing people want to talk to him
about. Unlike Salinger and Harper Lee, Duffy has capitalized on his literary
fame for all its worth. Unfortunately, that makes him attractive to a lonely
blackmailer-stalker in Michael Lennox’s A
Patch of Fog (trailer
here) which releases today on VOD.
Duffy
has some plum gigs appearing on a Crossfire-style
cultural TV show and teaching creative writing at the university. Therefore, he
has a lot to lose shoplifting items he could easily afford. Yet, he is
compelled to do so anyway. Usually, it ends with a warm buzz, but this time he
gets nicked by Robert, a socially inept, disturbingly efficient security guard.
After letting the famous author twist in the wind for a while, Robert agrees to
let him off the hook, in exchange for joining him for a drink.
Of
course, Robert quickly starts holding the security camera video over Duffy’s
head in exchange for more BFF time. Duffy alternately pretends to play along
and then lashes out, inevitably making the situation worse. He is especially
keen to keep the arrangement secret from the attractive host of his chat show,
with whom he is involved in an increasingly serious relationship. Naturally she
also stirs feelings of jealousy in the delusional stalker.
Patch features an absolutely
first-rate cast better known for television work, bringing credible heft and
dimension to this noirish tabloid tale of celebrity and obsession. Conleth Hill
(Game of Thrones, Arthur & George)
is terrific as Duffy, giving him a Mailer-esque swagger and a dark edge. Sometimes
creepy and sometimes uncomfortably pathetic, Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire, Taboo) is always unsettling
as the stalker. Although her character is loosely sketched out, Lara Pulver (MI-5, Da Vinci’s Demons, Irene Adler in Sherlock) makes Lucy the TV moderator an
intelligent and attractive presence. Plus, Ian McElhinney (also of Game of Thrones) adds some gray-bearded
flair as Duffy’s publisher.