A Patch of Fog

Sandy Duncan's the author of a best-selling book. He's also a bit of a kleptomaniac, stealing random little things from various stores ever so often for the thrill of it. Then he gets caught by a store security officer, Robert. Robert will let the whole thing go, if Sandy will be his pal. And if not, well, Robert has Sandy on disc stealing multiple things from the store over a period of months, always the same way. Wouldn't be good for his reputation if that got out.

And so it goes, for a period of, weeks, months, I'm not sure. The movie takes place in Ireland, and it seems to always be overcast, chilly, usually drizzly. Sandy keeps trying to find ways to wiggle free, but can't quite manage it. Robert's no mastermind, just an awkward guy that knows a few things about how people think, but he's more pathetic than anything. Even when he's doing the creepy stalker thing, watching Sandy make dinner for his girlfriend from somewhere outside, I never had the impression he was a threat. The tension Sandy is feeling doesn't really carry to the audience. At most, Robert's going to ruin Sandy's reputation. By revealing Sandy's been shoplifting for a while. Which is true. So, that's really on Sandy isn't it?

There's a reveal at the end of the book, I don't know if it's a surprise exactly. There are hints of it in things throughout the movie, and it probably fits with how much more serious things get. It plays in with Sandy's behavior, with what he told Robert about his tendency to steal, the thrill. He likes the threat of getting caught, but doesn't appear to acknowledge what will happen if he actually does get caught. He's a bit like Robert in that he gets in his own way, but I don't think he really sees that.