High-Rise Rescue (2017) Catherine Bell, Adrian Holmes, Greg Bryk, Sam Ashe Arnold, Martin Roach, Coco Assad, Steve Boyle, Joseph Di Mambro, Nneka Elliott, Jennifer Gibson, Judah Katz Movie Review

High-Rise Rescue (2017)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Catherine Bell in High-Rise Rescue (2017)

Fire Bell

Beth Davis' (Catherine Bell - Home for Christmas Day) career as an architect has been on a steady incline, But it has come with a cost as with each project it has dragged her away from both her husband, Jack (Greg Bryk - Mistletoe Over Manhattan), and their young son, Charlie (Sam Ashe Arnold), even if they do get to live in one of the apartments she designed in a new tower block which has been built from an old postal building. When she has to leave for another project she doesn't even have time to tell either her husband or son that she loves them. But it is at the airport that she hears on the news that the tower block has gone up in flames. Rushing back she finds herself working with Ray (Adrian Holmes - The Carpenter's Miracle), an injured fire-fighter, who has experience when dealing with situations such as these where her family are trapped on the 55th floor.

Well "High-Rise Rescue" may not be the star studded epic of "The Towering Inferno" but this drama about a rescue in a burning tower block is surprisingly entertaining and strangely fascinating. But before I get to those parts I have to tell you there is a side to this movie, the dialogue, which seems a bit too full of bravado especially as we have the almost cynical sounding Ray guiding Beth through the smoke filled corridors of the tower, telling her things straight when it comes to how it is and the dangers which both she and her family face. The bravado side also comes across when it comes to both Ray and Beth discussing their own families with it feeling too intent on pulling at your heart strings.

Adrian Holmes in High-Rise Rescue (2017)

But whilst "High-Rise Rescue" certainly has some issues it is also a movie which is filled with tension. That tension comes from this wonderful mix of adventure as we have Beth navigating the flames and smoke, despair as we have Jack and Charlie trapped in their bathroom on the 55th floor but also the danger as we have Ray giving us that matter of fact look at the situation. As such we learn things from aluminium storing up energy to how poking a hole above a door gives some where for the fire to go if you open the door. I don't know how much of this is fact or fiction but it adds to the drama and danger and is a big part of what keeps you involved in what is going on.

What also draws you in is the likeable nature of both Catherine Bell and Adrian Holmes who do a nice job of making their characters the sort of people you want to know. Having said that the writing of both characters is flawed and these issues are over emphasised when the storyline gets itself in to one of its little emotional scenes as people talk about how much their loved ones mean or meant to them.

What this all boils down to is that "High-Rise Rescue" certainly has issues, some of which are undeniably annoying. But at the same time this drama does draw you in with a mix of drama, danger and a whole lot of atmosphere.


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