Puritan Starring: Nick Moran, Georgina Rylance, David Soul, Ralph Brown Director: Hadi Hajaig The film: Fledgling independent British filmmaker Hadi Hajaig wears his heart on his sleeve for this second effort. Puritan pays ample homage to the works of film noir - a genre that has mostly faded from our screens after its heyday in the 1950s and 60s. And noir's staple characters are there for all to see. There's the troubled hero, the femme fatale and even the mystery man who seems to control the fates of everyone else involved. What Hajaig does to update things somewhat is throw in a healthy dose of the dark arts, with the occult's shadowy presence haunting the whole production. His script attempts to lead you this way and that, and he gets most things right. Nick Moran - an acting presence oddly infrequent on the film scene since his standout performance in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - plays a one-time writer who's hit the booze and makes his living by fooling people into thinking he's a psychic - or maybe he's really fooling himself. A disfigured man appears one night from nowhere and lets him in on a few secrets, which in turn lead him to a beautiful woman - and a whole world of trouble. In the noir tradition, Hajaig wants us to question who and what to believe. The trick is to keep us guessing until the very last moment. And if the film falls down, it's on this last point. For all its cinematic style, its creeping cameras and sombre mood, the film's drawn out denouement takes some of the sting out of its tale. Too eager, perhaps, help us understand exactly what went on, the director spends a good 10 minutes making sure all loose ends are well and truly tied. The great noir yarns always came frayed - they wanted you to walk away still thinking, still questioning. And having it all laid out takes any lingering mystery away. Still, the film has a lot going for it - an excellent effort from Moran, a plot that holds your interest, and a rare visual style that helps establish an impressively edgy atmosphere. The extras: The director explains how he got the film made on a minuscule budget. The behind-the-scenes featurette shows where he cut corners - remarkable when you consider the end result. Be warned, there's also an odd outtake that will take away some of the magic if you are tempted to watch it before seeing the main event. The verdict: A brave undertaking that lives up to the rich noir tradition.