Alleycats

Poldark beauty Eleanor Tomlinson swaps late-18th-century Cornwall for contemporary London in a ripe and racy urban thriller about killing, political cover-up and illegal street cycle racing. And it's worlds as well as centuries away from Aidan Turner, frockcoats and rural rumpy-pumpy. Tomlinson, tattooed, dressed down and potty-mouthed, plays sister to a cycle courier and street-racer who, while delivering a package to prominent MP John Hannah, sees and films on headcam the killing of a girl intern. When he in turn is killed in a staged hit-and-run, and the film disappears, Tomlinson teams up with dead girl's dad John Lynch to get it back and bring Hannah down. Tomlinson turns in a star-quality performance, as do many of her young supporting actors. But, after a strong start, the film itself descends into increasingly implausible melodrama and fails to make consistent and full use of its street-cycling backdrop. It's well made, though, and its punky style and subject matter should find some favour with younger audiences. But, apart from Tomlinson, there's precious little here for Poldark fans.