Sunday 18 March 2012

This Is England '86

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Transmitted:September 2010
Country of origin:UK
Genre:Drama / neglect / abuse / friendship
Starring:Vicky McClure, Joe Gilgun, Andrew Shim, Thomas Turgoose, Rosamund Hanson, Chanel Cresswell, Johnny Harris
Rating:5/5
No. of seasons:1

Set three years after the events of the simply magnificent movie, This Is England, the characters' lives have certainly changed, though not necessarily for the better.

Shaun: Sitting his exams shortly before looking for work. Is disturbed when he discovers that his mom is having a relationship with an Asian man, informing her that his dad would be ashamed.
Woody: Working as a factory foreman, manipulated by his manager into working more hours than he should, he also intends to marry Lol, but backs out at the very last minute.
Lol: Moves in with Woody, and is traumatised by the reappearance of her absent father, a man she has accused of molestation.
Milky: Secretly in love with Lol, eventually an affair begins.

With all emotional bases covered, this is a real rollercoaster.
Starting out lightweight and almost trivial, gradually a downward spiral of horror and emotional trauma begins that will see some of the most shattering moments ever put on screen played out.
Writer / director Shane Meadows really knows what he’s doing, manipulating the viewer with a heady blend of nostalgia, irony and wit before bludgeoning you with lashings of pathos and genuine sorrow.
Wonderfully scripted / improvised, really well acted, this is peerless stuff that is so powerful, if you are not in tears at least twice during the three hour run time, seek help, for you are an inhuman monster.
An astonishing TV series, and a worthy successor to a wonderful movie.

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