`ZONE' DRAGS ITS AUDIENCE INTO THIS ENGLISH-FAMILY WAR.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

Terribly unpleasant but undeniably involving, English actor Tim Roth's directing debut ``The War Zone'' at least takes the clammiest of recent cinematic cliches into unusual psychological territory. It's one of those icky father-daughter incest stories, but one which intriguingly calls into question the motives of the participants and the perceptions of the resentful, appalled audience stand-in.

Adapted by Alexander Stuart from his novel, the film peers beneath the deceptively still surface of a slightly oddball English family.

Dad (Ray Winstone, who with this and Gary Oldman's ``Nil By Mouth'' seems to be Britain's go-to guy when actor-directors need nightmare parents) is an affable working-class sort who does something with antiques, and who has recently moved his brood from London to an old, isolated farmhouse near the Devon coast. Mum (Tilda Swinton) gives birth to a new baby early on; there's a funny-turned-harrowing late-night road trip to the distant hospital.

None of these changes pleases 15-year-old Tom (Freddie Cunliffe), whose hormonal confusion is not helped by the fact that his well-developed, 17-year-old sister Jessie (Lara Belmont), apparently sees no need to dress in his presence.

Tom discovers increasing evidence of Dad's dallying with Jessie. She's the one he confronts, however, and she initially responds evasively. She also perceives, not entirely wrongly, that Tom is as jealous as he is outraged. As for us, it looks like Tom could be delusional for a while. Then, as things get worse on screen, Roth quite deftly implicates us in hoping that's all it is.

Cunliffe is a real find here (a first-timer, he was cast after accompanying a friend to the audition). With quiet, churning fury, he searingly expresses common adolescent anger while depicting the slow, shattering process of moral maturation under the most devastating conditions. For her part, Belmont, also an acting newcomer, is good at putting up a strong girl's facade, then cracking it apart.

Distractingly, though, Roth takes every opportunity to expose Belmont's physical attributes. It can be argued that this voyeuristic gaze is fully in keeping with the film's poisonous sexual dynamics. But it can more sensibly be said that the point could have been made less exploitationally and just as thoroughly.

Other than that, Roth makes pretty good filming choices, setting much of the action in an ever-shadowy house or perpetually gloomy landscapes. The atmosphere is thoroughly oppressive, as are the interpersonal dynamics roiling within it. To sum up, a grim but impressive first effort from all concerned.

The facts

The film: ``The War Zone'' (not rated; sex, nudity, violence, language, children in jeopardy).

The stars: Freddie Cunliffe, Lara Belmont, Ray Winstone, Tilda Swinton.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Tim Roth. Written by Alexander Stuart, based on his novel. Produced by Sarah Radclyffe and Dixie Linder. Released by Lot 47 Films.

Running time: One hour, 39 minutes.

Playing: Music Hall, Beverly Hills.

Our rating: Three stars.

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Photo

Photo: Lara Belmont, who plays Jessie, holds her new sister in Tim Roth's ``The War Zone.''