manschelde-1 Reviews

The Woman in the Wall (2023–2024)

satisfying though imperfect drama

[8/10 · 26 September 2023]

A satisfying though imperfect drama that gets the "big picture" right concerning the Magdalen Laundries/Mother And Baby Homes.

Despte flaws in the scriptwriting, overall it hits the spot for the psychodrama genre.

It depicts how Irish society in those decades was equally complicit with the church , and is just as much to blame for what happened.

It shows that even today there are people in Irish society and positions of power or influence that seek to underplay/deny/cover-up/silence what happened and protect the guilty ones.

Ruth Wilson (executive producer) is excellent as usual, and deserves plaudits. Daryl McCormack did a brilliant job, and Simon Delaney / Hilda Fay gave excellent support roles.

Despite being filmed mostly in Northern Ireland (i.e not in the Republic where the drama is set), the locations and accents are all acceptable, despite occasional goofs.

Some reviewers moan about non-Irish telling of this story, which I dismiss.

RTE sat on its arse for decades and came up with nothing to sell internationally by mining this rich seam of raw material for drama.

So congrats to the BBC/Showtime for somehow making it happen , although funding details are unclear.

Somehow via "Movive Pictures" (who made it) and "Fifth Season" (who funds "Motive Pictures"). "Fifth Season" is owned by "CJ ENM" ( a South Korean company).

The score was perfect. Particularly moving snippet from the late Sinead O'Connor at the ending "I'm everything a woman's not supposed to be/ That's why they took my children off of me..." .

Direction seemed occasionally a bit flabby, when a tighter style might have worked better, but only a minor complaint.

Problems with the script seem to be in these areas: -purpose of the character Michael seems unclear.

• unknown circumstances of Lorna's pregnancy, family, father of Agnes.

• unknown outcome of Aoife's Cassidy's daughter (redundant character?), and Aoife's husband.

• unknown why Lorna thinks Lorna killed Aoife

• unknown why Colman did not find Colman's birth mother.

• unknown outcome of Coyle's fate.

• unknown what Coyle had on Leslie, or how exactly Father Percy died.

The Sixth Commandment (2023)

great, despite omissions

[8/10 · 3 August 2023]

A well done 4 parter, despite many omissions.

But I read that many things had to be omitted , just to fit into the allocated time. But surely even 1 line of dialogue would have sufficied instead of omission.

No mention of how the murderer got hold of psychotics, or why medics would not test for psychotics on first reports of symptoms.

The weakest part for me was the portrayal of the start of the fake relationship between the murder and first victim, quite not credible , although later parts of the script partly explain.

Unclear exactly how the murderer had some hold or influence over Martyn Smith.

One puzzling thing. What is the significance of the many shots of the clock tower, and tolling bell, in the last two episodes. Wasted moments maybe could have been used for wider dialogue about the omissions.

Strong performance by all the leads, and Éanna Hardwicke is positively creepy in this role, even down to the manufactured accent, which only slips in one few-seconds scene.

Marvellous to see Anne Reid, Timothy Spall, Sheila Hancock giving their all.

Benediction (2021)

indulgent languid catty

[24 May 2022]

Benediction.

This long film is possibly better suited for TV viewing, so for UK viewers I expect to see it on BBC TV because BBC-Films was one of the funding sources. Despite that, I'm pleased to have seen it at the almost empty cinema if only for the better focus there with no distractions of home.

I liked this more than I was expecting, which possibly says more about me than the film.

It's a surprise to me that this film got made, especially in these pandemic times, as it is quite indulgent, languid and would appeal to a possibly limited segment of cinema goers.

It is not a biography of Sassoon, as there's no mention of his father, his father's early death, the bequest from his aunt, or Heytesbury, or his death etc.

Instead it is an absorbing slightly mesmeric collage of catty dialogue, music, poetry and grainy WW1 footage and still photography artfully assembled into a tale of searching for redemption and the angst for help to deal with the past, which presumably explains the title.

The initial early transition between actors (young Siegfried and old Siegfried) could have been better handled as at least one later transition of another character was clearly done. Peter Capaldi is fabulously haunted in the role of old Siegfried, though with a clipped accent to mask the rich Scottish tones underneath. The always watchable Geraldine James appears briefly as mother.

Jeremy Irvine is devilish as Ivor Novello. Calam Lynch is acidic as young Stephen Tennant. Jack Lowden is reasonable as young Siegfried.

The first of the song choices seemed anachronistic, as the backing for grainy WW-1 footage. But this is a minor detail.

Overall: best for TV maybe, 7/10.

Holding (I) (2022)

Overlong messy melodrama

[6/10 · 15 March 2022]

The source material was thin in the debut novel by Graham Norton, but the rewrite for television rather over egged this particular pudding.

It has too many extra characters that were difficult to care about, and who seemed to be there for woke reasons.

Maybe could have been tighter as a two hour or even 90 minute story, pared down fewer characters.

The emotional heart of the story is contained in two scenes, the monologue of Mrs Meaney (Brenda Fricker) and that of Abigail Ross (Helen Mehan) both of which were strong and memorable.

But some of the rest was drivel but still watchable.

Pacing was slow in parts but otherwise direction was ok for me so I hope Kathy Burke does more directing work for TV.

The Tourist (2022–2024)

Tarantino Dundee on acid

[6/10 · 4 January 2022]

This series might be called "Tarantino Dundee on acid".

This Series-1 is a slow moving and sprawling contrived bonkers overlong yarn, but once you accept the slow pace it is enjoyable enough. It has black humour quips and stereotypes oozing out of each cliched set piece.

Potty mouthed character "the man" steals most scenes. Kudos to Jamie Dornan who in interviews says he was told it was a cross between "Killing Eve" and "Memento". But while many people judge it to derivative of other works, you must discard all that whining for the 6 hour duration. And live with the disappointment that the ending may not be what it seems.

Unsympathetic portrayals of outback folks maybe, with some grotesques like the Ethan character hamming it up, the grim ill detective with the catheder, and some obese looking supporting characters.

Ludicrous over the top portrayal of American "Billy Nixon" character, with the nine lives, by bearlike actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson whose gravel-voiced platitudes, delivered in a Lee Marvin style, are nonetheless memorable.

Despite negative remarks from others, the portrayal of probabation officer "Helen Chambers" by "Danielle McDonald" seems good. She endeared herself to me, despite all the abuse she gets.

Just mildly disappointed that one or more Barry Humphries characters didn't pop up offering lamingtons to all and sundry, it might somehow have worked, maybe in the tripping on LSD scenes, or cafe scenes.

By episodes 5 and 6 the plot has become such a mess that one might accept it as surreal comedy, unfolding in a tripped out mismash. There are some tedious scenes in the final episode, until the ghastly reveal.

Shades of the spaghetti western genre in some music choices.

It's a Sin (2021)

satisfying emotional drama

[9/10 · 23 January 2021]

Satisfying emotional drama that covers around 10 years in an imagined London between 1981 and 1991 , via five rushed episodes.

It was filmed in Manchester, so it just does not look like London. It was slightly odd that it showed "Gay News" and "London Gay" (? never heard of that one) newspapers instead of the "Capital Gay" which was the London weekly rag of those years in the bars and clubs of London. The music was a tad naff, being many great chart hits and rather fewer of the non-charting hyper Hi-NRG that was all the rage at the time for London clubs. But those are minor quibbles.

For men who lived through that period, and held dying partners and friends as the virus ravaged them, it is a a brief and nostalgic view back , with hard hitting lines from the female roles especially at the end. It could easily have been a 12 part or 24 parts in 2 series.

As a survivor of those times, I was worried that I would be disappointed, but I'm delighted to say kudos to Mr Davies, because this piece just works on several levels. Recommended.

We Are Who We Are (2020)

mediocre but somehow works

[6/10 · 12 January 2021]

Mediocre drama, filmed in a slow indulgent disconnected dreamlike style, concerning non-binary teenager angst during coming of age.

The first series of 8 episodes has a poor ending, despite the apparent resolution.

Disciplined people or people who respect other people's property might loathe this stuff, because the protagonists appear to be feral, damaged and without respect for anyone or anything other than themselves and their whims.

Many of the adult characters are unsympathetic.

But behind this front are sensitive flakes trying to understand themselves and how they fit and how they relate to others, obsessing over intense relationships with their co-passengers. As an exploration of non binary folks it may help with understand these people.

If you have teenage children, you might recoil at many scenes, but in other scenes you may sympathize with the uncertainties, the ambiguities, the messiness and the insecurities that many people must navigate.

Made for HBO/Sky, it is an unusual choice for the BBC to make available in the UK during the Covid-19 lockdowns, possibly due to the lack of new content during the pandemic.

Normal People (2020)

style over substance? But genuine and moving.

[8/10 · 4 May 2020]

Seems to cause divisive reactions.

Slow moving sex filled exploration of the internal lives of two emotionally troubled damaged teenagers reaching adulthood while being unable to communicate properly.

The style is languid, easily dismissed by impatient types or short-attention-span people. But nonetheless, it is impossible not to be moved.

The script references domestic violence, depression , sexual discovery and experimentation, loneliness and longing.

The series-1 fizzles out and there is a risk that viewers may pine for them the change the record.

I had not read the book before seeing this series.

It held my attention once I adjusted to the style and accepted how the mental health stuff was being explored even without much detail of past events.

The lead actors were terrific, especially Paul Mescal. Despite the mismatch between character-age and actor-age, I found it credible.

Michelangelo: A Self Portrait (1989)

Absorbing even in 2020

[10/10 · 3 March 2020]

Although this was made in 1989, and the format is 4X3 low resolution, the content was absorbing for me. It deserves a remake with current technology. It looks poor on 2K or 4K screens.

Despite all that, it is the words that carry the power, rather than the visuals.

The film comprises mainly an English language voiceover reading Michelangelo's own words from his letters or other writings, alongside film of his creations, with background music mainly from Monteverdi.

It would have been better if there was additional text on screen showing the approximate date (or even the year, along with his age approximately at the time ) when the words were written, as sometimes there are long gaps not explained properly by the words.

Michelangelo experts may not be satisfied by this production, but for the casual viewer with an interest in Renaissance maestros this is profoundly good stuff.

Ekaterina (2014–2023)

Powerful historic drama from 2014, compared with different 2015 series.

[10/10 · 24 June 2019]

Ekaterina (2014) Series-1 of Ekaterina has the sub-title "The rise of Catherine the great" I watched the Ekaterina Series-1 via Amazon-Prime-Video with English subtitles as I do not speak Russian or German.

The historical saga of Catherine The Great of Russia has been depicted on screen several times over the decades. Two recent Russian produced television series dating from 2014 (Ekaterina) and 2015 (Catherine the great) compete for viewers in the international content-streaming market. Additionally the American HBO and UK based Sky channels have a series (in English) telling this saga. But I only wanted to see the Russian productions because it is really a Russian story for Russians to tell. So I watched both series and both excelled in different ways. If you have the time then I recommend to try both series.

What follows below is a comparison between the 2014 (Ekaterina) and the 2015 (Catherine The Great). Both series come from different television channels in Russia and are in the Russian language. I cannot comment on the historical accuracy of either of the Russian produced TV series.

In short the 2014 series Ekaterina has a better script but less style than the 2015 series, it covers much more territory/history/characters in fewer episodes. The 2015 series is more lavish, has better locations, has a better score, slower pace, less geopolitical content and with stronger characterisations, despite relying on artifical devices such as Catherine's mother appearing in mirrors.

Ekaterina has more political substance but less style than the 2015 series. The series differ on which supporting characters get focus, they differ on implied paternity of the Catherine's first child and many other details. But the Ekaterina series is significantly more geopolitical in its content and scope, and portrays Pyotr III in a more sympathetic light than the 2015 series. Some sentiments echo to this very day. Ekaterina has some explanatory commentary (spoken delivery in English in my region). Ekaterina also devotes some time to Ivan VI in several scenes, which the 2015 series does not.

Ekaterina shows much more of empress Elizabeta backstory (compared to the 2015 series), details of her health struggles, her attempts to conceive and secret marriage, her penance for the victims of her own coup, her relations with the clergy and church, the awareness among her subjects of her imprisionment of the boy-emperor she usurped and imprisioned and her fearless autocratic rule.

Ekaterina makes it easier to identify characters because most of the time they are not wearning wigs (unlike in the 2015 series when characters are constantly begwigged or unwigged sometimes making recognition difficult and confusing when reading subtitles is necessary).

The score for Ekaterina is less powerful, less emotive, less stirring than the 2015 series, and both the title sequence and closing credits are very short indeed.

Ekaterina also has English subtitles with some disused English words for which a dictionary is sometimes necessary. Clearly the subtitles are not done by a native speaker of English, so that is an annoying distraction shared by both series. Ekaterina has interstitials between some scenes/locations with Cyrillic-only text and dates (no English translation on such scene transitions ) so English speaking viewers may not know the location name, or month name, even when it is important. Additionally there are a few scenes where characters are seen to write legible Cyrillic text on which the camera dwells - with no English translation of the depicted text.

For Ekaterina , the locations, interiors are less splendid, less lavish than the 2015 series, and some of the frozen snowbound or icebound St. Petersburg outdoor scenes or Peterhof background look rather faked on a big screen in 1080p resolution.

The episodes for Series-1 of Ekaterina number 10 each of varying duration (40mins - 65mins), while the 2015 series has 12 episodes each of approximately 48 minutes in duration.

Catherine the Great (2015–2024)

marvellous historical drama

[9/10 · 21 June 2019]

This Russian production dates from 2015, original title Velikaya (2015), also known as "Catherine The Great (2015)" for English-speaking regions.

The first series tells only the early part of Catherine's life in quite some detail and has 12 48-minute episodes, from childhood to the point where she takes power.

I watched Series-1 with English subtitles as I do not speak Russian or German. This was available in my region on Amazon Prime Video. I can see that some episodes are also on youtube without subtitles.

It's my first TV-series to watch that's been made in Russia with a cast and crew from that part of the world.

This historical story has been told several times on screen before, but I wanted to see the Russian version, in 1080p resolution. I did not see the 2014 series "Ekaterina", also Russian, so don't confuse these two. There is also another HBO/Sky version of the story, but perhaps it's wise to view the Russian produced versions. I don't know if this series is available in 4K resolution or higher, that would be astounding for the palatial scenes.

It may be helpful for viewers to brush up on Russian/Prussian/Habsburg/French/British power plays in the mid/late 18th century or to know the leaders of those powers during the period (because this series assumes you have some familiarity with the geopolitical situation of the period).

It has dazzling lavish settings and costumes, great locations, strong character actors, and it is a feast for television-viewers.

It seems a culturally important export from Russia, in the competitive world of content production for historical dramas for the online world.

It has a stirring theme and beautiful title-sequence and a delightful score.

It has a rather turgid start, for my taste. But the gorgeous locations and curiosity for history kept me watching.

Acting seems good and the dramatisation held my interest for the most part, although some scenes dragged.

The details of constant intrigues and plotting form much of the story.

But soon the pace quickens, although it took me an age to recognize the characters and their job-roles because of needing to follow subtitles instead of staring at faces.

I recommend this for viewers who enjoy historical dramas and who can accept viewing with subtitles.

I also look forward to viewing the second series which continues the story.

There only downside for me concerns the subtitles. The subtitles for English are poor, confusing, contain grammar errors, odd English usage, sparse, have spelling mistakes, and this seems the weakest part of an otherwise marvellous production for English speaking audiences. Better subtitles may make it more appealing to an international audience. I'm quite happy to view subtitles, but they need to be done well and by native English speakers.

Tales of the City (2019)

schmaltzy magical soap for millennials and nostalgic oldies

[7/10 · 11 June 2019]

I had alread red the Tales Of the City books at least the first 5 or so, and lived in the Bay Area in the early 80s when the books were being published to my then delight. So these remarks are from an oldie.

The Netflix 2019-extensions of the Tales Of the city saga is ten hours of uneven yet satisfying setup for perhaps another future generation of tales.

It's presented in the form of a whodunnit (whoisdoingit) plot with a some wrapping up of previous loose ends with new characters to carry it forward. Seems each episode has a different writer so the intensity varies between episodes. Superficially it's just the same old nonsense as the previous series, but this time with a slower pace and with current obsessions and topics. Mr Maupin makes a cameo as usual.

Nice that the Gene Compton's cafeteria event gets attention, no doubt will bring that to international attention.

My initial reaction was distaste at episodes-1 and 2. I wanted to dislike this effort out of imaginary respect for the old characters. I did not immediately like the new younger characters until later in the series.

Despite the dodgy timeline (Michael Tolliver is portrayed as 54 when 64 might be more consistent with the books ) and the initial difficulty of accepting the new younger characters, it won me over. Some scenes dragged however. Episode-3 dinner scene was intense, as was a young character rifling though an older character's 80s address book with most names crossed out, a familiar agony for my generation.

Nice musical background too.

In short schmatltzy magical soap for millennials and nostalgic oldies.

Beat (2018)

uneven but absorbing series-1

[7/10 · 1 June 2019]

#Series-1 seem uneven for me, 7 episodes each up to 70 minutes in length which is perhaps too long.

Despite that unevenness I found it was absorbing enough. I watched it with English-subtitles as my Deutsch is poor.

Sometimes there were double-subtitles if characters spoke Russian (Deutsch subtitles), which obscured the English subtitles, annoying.

Chaotic early scenes lead to more straightforward later episodes. Difficult to care for the cokeheads from these early episodes.

Somewhat difficult to see the relationships as anything other than superficial for most of the episodes, although the plot requires a blood-brothers type of connection to accept later plot twists.

Some twists are obvious long before they happen. At least once scene is incomprehensible. An earlier main character suicides in Episode-5, so it's somewhat a mess but somehow works overall.

It allows a few of the main characters to engage in philosophy at times, which is engaging for that genre.

One might think differently at Berghain, if sober, after seeing this :-)

Mum (2016–2019)

tickle me while you skewer me

[9/10 · 19 May 2019]

Finely observed emotional generational dramedy in an English suburban setting.

Three generations of misfits plodding along in an English and Scottish miasma of restrained emotions, mostly unspoken feelings and self-obsessed selfish insouciance.

This is a satisfying production, all three series hit the spot, anthough not necessarily binge worthy. By which I mean: Some things are better savoured over time. It is a slow burner with a strong emotional impact, English style.

The writing and acting is focussed and sharp lines trigger laughter at times. From the start, it managed to make me care about the characters, and that is is an ever more rare skill in these times of endless entertainment. The characters also seem relatable at different levels.

This is why Brits pay the TV licence fee, because it delivers a mirror for a certain strand of British society, that skewers so much with such economy. Wonderful usage of silence, along with the sensitive acting by Leslie Manville and all the supporting cast.

I want more from this writer Stefan Golaszewski, and his previous work "Him and Her" was also delightful. So I hope his muse(s) continue to trigger such output.

Don't Forget the Driver (2019)

Bassets Assets Rule!

[9/10 · 5 May 2019]

Bassets Assets rule!

A well crafted story set in the bleak tacky absurdity of a south coast English town, with characters that are crippled either physically or emotionally or economically, losing with life, in a claustrophic darkly comical setup.

The silences speak volumes, the camera lingers on decay and mundane things. The ever present 80s/90s music radio adds to the faded feel of everything and everyone. Meanwhile dementia, disability, homelessness, illegal immigrants, human trafficking and economic malaise form the storyline.

I liked it a lot. Toby Jones and the many actors are suberb, totally credible, and give satisfying performances.

This series is not for those who want instant gratification, it is not for those with short attention spans. But for those who persist it's rewarding. I hope they will make another series.

Back to Life (2019–2021)

quiet gem

[9/10 · 28 April 2019]

BACK TO LIFE bbc 3 uk.

Six part series-1 is a fine piece of work, emotionally pleasing and the best of 2019 English storytelling. The whole air of the series is faded , edge of nation , small town claustrophobia, with amusing lines and situations and characters. Evocative coastline views and the quiet mundane details of English small town life.

Perfect length, 6 half hour episodes to tell the simple story. Some annoyances like the hapless useless investigator. The flaw is that truth at the centre of the story is unlikely to have remained hidden for 18 years, but one must overlook that. Great performances by Daisy Haggard, Geraldine James, Richard Durden, Jo Martin.

The Happy Prince (2018)

indulgent and sumptuous decay

[10/10 · 16 April 2019]

A sumptuously indulgent piece of slow work. If you appreciate Wilde, it is a very satisfying and deserves repeated viewing. Atmospheric and moving, it may not be historically accurate on all details, but the essence of the story is credible. I have no doubt that this is Rupert Everett's best work. He inhabits the role, dripping with decay and putrefaction at the end, glistening in flashbacks. Whatever the truth, the mixing of the words from the Little Prince into the narrative ties it together well. Compelling performances from the male actors, Edwin Thomas, Colin Firth, Colin Morgan. One can whine about some technical aspects, but doing so won't detract from the experience.

Sex Education (2019–2023)

faux americana neverland

[4/10 · 3 March 2019]

Contrived, faux americana in an everpresent summertime of Penarth, South wales. Has amusing parts but utimately it's just video-cocaine for the lost middle classes pining for a placetime that never existed and never will. Cynical and lacking in soul, despite the observations of maturing. An impossible confection of fake multi-kulti semi-rural neverland.

Dogs of Berlin (2018– )

grim , bleak, downbeat, violent

[7/10 · 15 January 2019]

Bleak, grim, gritty underworld organized-crime/drama set in the Turkish community of Berlin.

The setup seems contrived, with compromised police officers introduced from the outset, and political correctness drives part of the plot for forcing two main characters to work together.

There are hardly any sympathetic characters at least initially, all are damaged or flawed, and the whole thing gives an image of a decaying amoral broken society that will shock many.

It's hard to care about the characters. It's less enjoyable than the "4 Blocks" series , even though there are some obvious overlaps in ghetto settings, cokeheads, crime families and rap culture.

It's relentlessly dark and gloomy. The colour palette seems muted, the dialogue sometimes cartoonish. It might not encourage tourism to Berlin. Though it might increase votes for AfD.

When She Showed Up (2017)

average stuff

[6/10 · 13 May 2018]

Mediocre tale , with a laid back low energy vibe. The two leads are an unconvincing match as two fragile people, but somehow it works. Maxwell Schneider plays it real, though I've never encountered a chilled parking enforcement officer who would tolerate being spat on. Lots of quirky dialogue and introspection and insecurity, sometimes coming over as unscripted or natural dialogue. The long wait for parents to arrive does not work.

Lee and Dean (2017–2019)

sharp bittersweet mockumentary

[8/10 · 29 April 2018]

This one is a grower. All delicious Brit nonsense with no laughter track so listen carefully because the lines can get missed easily. This one is full of heart 'n soul even if its quite gloriously messed up. Benidorm on Stevenage maybe. Hope there is another series as the first series was so short but these characters can go for miles on the clock by my reckoning. Especially the character Dean's moping gormless mug that conveys more than words.

God's Own Country (2017)

simple tale, some flaws

[7/10 · 20 September 2017]

Rather simple story, sparse dialogue. Some powerful scenes. The first coupling of the two main characters was not believable.

Strong scenes mostly non-verbal. For example: Gheorghe forcing the arms/hands of the reluctant almost feral John to explore simple sensuality - in contrast to John's previous brutal, brief, anonymous couplings.

John's encounter with a girl from his schooldays who acknowledged his sexuality suggested that John had once opened up and been honest, but this was not developed and seemed inconsistent with his current destructive behaviour.

When the dialog is so sparse in key scenes, it's so important that each word is clearly enunciated (or other dialogue exists to compensate) and this sometimes did not happen which caused ambiguity and uncertainty of interpretation for me. The father's speech was impaired so I could not understand whether the father understood that John had fallen for Gheorghe as John said he wanted to run the farm his way.

I also found it hard to believe that plain speaking Yorkshire country folk (the father, the gran) would be silent about the relationship. Supporting actors Gemma Jones and Ian Hart very good also.

So a satisfying nice film but I wanted it to be better.

Come as You Are (2011)

a gem

[8/10 · 10 December 2015]

This film (English title "Come as you are") is a low key gem, a Flemish mini-treasure, that will linger in your memory for quite some time.

The BBC-2 TV channel in the UK screened it in early December 2015 , with subtitles in English (much of the dialogue is in Flemish and French), and some of my neighbors mentioned it to me, saying that word-of-mouth was positive about the film.

It's a charming, engaging, bittersweet road-trip. Hard to find fault with it in any serious way. I suspect this film will last the test of time.

So I hope the investors got a handsome return from this worthy effort.

Mapp & Lucia (2014)

good stuff, but

[8/10 · 1 January 2015]

Good script, fast paced. Altogether entertaining. Colour palette seems rather dark and sombre compared to the insouciant sweet lightness of the C4 original. Anna Chancellor: a bit too butch for the part, too threatening, a bit sour, missed a fragility and joyfulness that McEwan got. Actress portraying Irene (Gemma Whelan) was much better and more credible than the original actress. Miranda Richardson very good, copied some mannerisms of Prunella Scales interpretation I thought. Pemberton also very good, copied Hawthorne's mannerisms in places. Chemistry between Pemberton and Chancellor was not right or credible somehow. Frances Barber - hammy over the top but delightful. All other actors and actresses worked really well. The final shot of Pilsen and Irene apparently bonded surprised me.

We Were Here (I) (2011)

essential viewing

[8/10 · 7 February 2012]

This is a really fine piece of work.

The BBC screened it on BBC4 in Febrary 2012 and made it available via i-Player also.

Anyone who lived in the Bay Area during the eighties will be moved, informed and educated by this documentary. As a young gay geek in San Francisco in those years, I was overwhelmed by the deaths and suffering I saw and often could not make sense of it. This documentary really helps.

The tales of the attacks on civil liberties by the bigots, and the personal tales were emotive and powerful.

Now I salute those survivors and hope their stories will stimulate others in future onslaughts.