The Last Hangman

The Last Hangman tells the true story of Albert Pierpoint (Timothy Spall), a British executioner who gained a reputation for being one of the most efficient and thoroughly professional men to do the job – to the extent that he was eventually commissioned by the war effort to help terminate convicted Nazis. The Last Hangman has the style and pace of a made-for-television production, with the sole difference between this and small-screen fare being Spall’s magnificent performance. Though this isn’t quite his best work (Secrets & Lies remains the actor’s crowning achievement), Spall does an amazing job of stepping into the shoes of this exceedingly complex figure. Director Adrian Shergold imbues the movie with a distinctive air of austerity, while screenwriter Jeff Pope keeps the focus almost entirely on Pierpoint (Juliet Stevenson and Eddie Marsan, as Pierpoint’s wife and best friend, deliver effective supporting performances). But the bottom line is that The Last Hangman just isn’t terribly cinematic; there’s little doubt that the film will work just as well on the small screen as it does in theaters.

**1/2 out of ****