jenny taylor

Not inclined to give an in depth analysis of why this drama left me cold, because I don't care enough about it to bother! Sufficient to say that, despite having its moments where some good observations were made, I found that I didn't end up caring about any of the characters - which has to be the measure of any production. I feel like we didn't get to know any of the characters well enough, but I can't put my finger on what was missing. Perhaps an insufficient sense of their vulnerabilities? Good soundtrack, and it was lovely to see Alex Murphy a.k.a. 'Jock' from Young Offenders turn up in it playing a different type of role. All in all it felt a touch hollow, unoriginal, and relied on style over content - much like its predecessor, Normal People.

For me, the Old Grey Whistle Test of any film is how much you care about the characters by the end. I felt that despite this piece's potential; a strong cast and emotive topics, the characters' behaviours were never really explained. We were simply presented with the end product, scene after scene, without being given any clues as to what drove their dysfunctions. If the story was going to draw us in and move us, whilst retaining it's fly on the wall style, it needed to allow us to be privy to more information. Its effect was to make the viewer feel excluded, rather than curious, I found. It also felt, at times, self-indulgent, over-arty and directionless. I found Tilda Swinton's performance the most engaging.