Avatar, the world's most expensive film continues to break records. But Gemma Arterton's latest feature is proof that you do not need hundreds of millions of pounds to impress the movie buffs.

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed was made on a shoestring budget by J Blakeson.

"When you've got less money, you've got to be really focused about what you want. The actors know that they've only got two or three takes rather than 50 takes, so it sort of focuses the mind a bit," said first time writer and director Blakeson.

Featuring a meagre cast of just a few key players and set across a handful of locations, the film follows Alice, played by Gemma, who is kidnapped by a couple of ex-cons. It meant a rough ride for the former Bond girl who appears in most of the movie in the same outfit.

"The character starts off as glamourous and then is put through this ordeal. Sometimes you see these films where people are put through an ordeal and they've got perfect make-up and perfect hair and expensive designer clothes and you just don't believe it for a second. Whereas this is the reality of what would happen in the situation, which is a pretty scuzzy tracksuit and hair all over the place," said Blakeson.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed received positive reviews at the The Toronto International Film Festival and is now gaining praise from UK critics, who have described it as ingenious, nail biting and packed full of twists.