The film begins with an establishing shot of a row of terraced houses. We cut to a closer shot of one of the houses, looking in the front window through a gap in the closed curtains, where we see a man (Patrick Maloney) waiting for his wife to get home. We hear a clock ticking, and then there is a sound bridge as we cut to the inside of the living room. There is a wide shot of the full living room where we see Patrick Maloney standing by the ironing board, ironing one of his wife's shirts. He hums to himself as he irons. There is a cut to black, and we hear the sound of vegetables being chopped which sound bridges into the scene. There is a close up of the clock- the ticking continues.
Suddenly, we hear the door open and shut abruptly. A woman (Mary Maloney) walks into the room, and Patrick rushes from the kitchen to take her coat from her. She is stiff at this point. A tracking shot follows Mary to her seat as Patrick walks out of the scene into the kitchen to get them each a drink. He asks her if she is tired from the other room. Mary answers dryly- "Exhausted"- as Patrick hands her her drink. Immediately, Mary downs her drink in one gulp and rises to get another, much to the surprise of her husband, who also jumps up. He tells her he'll get her another drink, but before he can take her glass she tells him to sit. Patrick slowly sits down, confused.
Mary leaves the room and we see a wide shot of Patrick sitting. Mary returns with her drink and sits opposite her husband, not looking at him. Patrick tells his wife that he is making lamb- her favourite dinner. When she doesn't answer him, he suggests making something else, or ordering in. Mary snaps at him, telling him to forget about the idea. In response, Patrick stands up. His wife tells him to sit as he asks her what's wrong.
The scene cuts to outside the window looking in (the same as the beginning) where there is a time lapse of the conversation playing out. Cut back to inside where Mary is attempting to explain the situation to her husband. Cut back outside where the audience sees more of the conversation play out (muffled). Cut back to inside, where Patrick, looking distracted, gets up and walks into the kitchen, mumbling about making tea. Mary looks exasperated.
Cut to the kitchen where we see Patrick with his back to the camera opening the freezer and retrieving a frozen leg of lamb. We hear Mary shout from the living room that she doesn't want anything to eat. As Mary is putting her coat on, Patrick walks up behind her and hits her with the frozen meat. She stumbles, and falls.
Cut to black for a few seconds, then cut to a close up of Patrick Maloney's hand as he picks up a potato- he is at the market. Cut to Patrick exiting the market with a bag.
Cut back to the kitchen, to a close up on Patrick's hands as he drops the bag of potatoes in shock at the sight of his dead wife. He runs to the phone where we hear him exclaim that his wife is dead.
The scene changes and we now see two detectives in the back of a car. They have a short conversation about how oddly matched Patrick and Mary Maloney are as a couple. Following this there is a sound bridge of the detectives knocking at Patrick's front door.
There is a cut to black in which we hear a knock at the door. There is a sound bridge into the scene where Patrick is opening the front door to the detectives, to whom he explains that his wife is dead. From here there is a time lapse of the detectives coming in and out of the house, placing tape around Mary's body, and talking to Patrick.
The scene cuts from the time lapse back to normal time, where each detective is theorising about how Mary died. While they discuss this, Patrick asks them to stay for dinner. At first, they are reluctant, but then Patrick explains that Mary would want them to eat. They agree to stay.
We hear the detectives continue to discuss the situation as Patrick walks into the kitchen. Cut to Patrick who is in the kitchen preparing the food for the detectives. He brings them a plate stacked with lamb, potatoes and gravy each. They eat messily, still discussing the murder weapon. A tracking shot follows Patrick as he walks back to the kitchen. The film ends with a close up shot of Patrick, faintly smirking.
Suddenly, we hear the door open and shut abruptly. A woman (Mary Maloney) walks into the room, and Patrick rushes from the kitchen to take her coat from her. She is stiff at this point. A tracking shot follows Mary to her seat as Patrick walks out of the scene into the kitchen to get them each a drink. He asks her if she is tired from the other room. Mary answers dryly- "Exhausted"- as Patrick hands her her drink. Immediately, Mary downs her drink in one gulp and rises to get another, much to the surprise of her husband, who also jumps up. He tells her he'll get her another drink, but before he can take her glass she tells him to sit. Patrick slowly sits down, confused.
Mary leaves the room and we see a wide shot of Patrick sitting. Mary returns with her drink and sits opposite her husband, not looking at him. Patrick tells his wife that he is making lamb- her favourite dinner. When she doesn't answer him, he suggests making something else, or ordering in. Mary snaps at him, telling him to forget about the idea. In response, Patrick stands up. His wife tells him to sit as he asks her what's wrong.
The scene cuts to outside the window looking in (the same as the beginning) where there is a time lapse of the conversation playing out. Cut back to inside where Mary is attempting to explain the situation to her husband. Cut back outside where the audience sees more of the conversation play out (muffled). Cut back to inside, where Patrick, looking distracted, gets up and walks into the kitchen, mumbling about making tea. Mary looks exasperated.
Cut to the kitchen where we see Patrick with his back to the camera opening the freezer and retrieving a frozen leg of lamb. We hear Mary shout from the living room that she doesn't want anything to eat. As Mary is putting her coat on, Patrick walks up behind her and hits her with the frozen meat. She stumbles, and falls.
Cut to black for a few seconds, then cut to a close up of Patrick Maloney's hand as he picks up a potato- he is at the market. Cut to Patrick exiting the market with a bag.
Cut back to the kitchen, to a close up on Patrick's hands as he drops the bag of potatoes in shock at the sight of his dead wife. He runs to the phone where we hear him exclaim that his wife is dead.
The scene changes and we now see two detectives in the back of a car. They have a short conversation about how oddly matched Patrick and Mary Maloney are as a couple. Following this there is a sound bridge of the detectives knocking at Patrick's front door.
There is a cut to black in which we hear a knock at the door. There is a sound bridge into the scene where Patrick is opening the front door to the detectives, to whom he explains that his wife is dead. From here there is a time lapse of the detectives coming in and out of the house, placing tape around Mary's body, and talking to Patrick.
The scene cuts from the time lapse back to normal time, where each detective is theorising about how Mary died. While they discuss this, Patrick asks them to stay for dinner. At first, they are reluctant, but then Patrick explains that Mary would want them to eat. They agree to stay.
We hear the detectives continue to discuss the situation as Patrick walks into the kitchen. Cut to Patrick who is in the kitchen preparing the food for the detectives. He brings them a plate stacked with lamb, potatoes and gravy each. They eat messily, still discussing the murder weapon. A tracking shot follows Patrick as he walks back to the kitchen. The film ends with a close up shot of Patrick, faintly smirking.
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