Graham Cummings

Overall, this film is a well acted and scripted insight into Richard Burton’s early years. Toby Jones is especially good as the eponymous Mr Burton. The film is simply done but keeps moving and maintains interest in the characters. On the downside - some of the CGI and other efforts to convince the viewer that this is the 1940’s fall flat. The hairstyles, some dialogue and the very uniform smoking chimneys of Port Talbot just don’t ring true. Otherwise, a rewarding watch.

If you love Alan Bennett, you’ll love this film and it’s touching story - but you mat not be so enamoured of its production and direction. It’s 1916 and a choral society are facing numerous challenges to meet their objective of putting on a show in Yorkshire during WW1. The characters , for the most part, are well drawn and empathetic. The story is funny and sad in the best tradition. But - for it to work on screen, we need to believe that this is 1916. Sadly, the casting intentionally uses black and asian actors where there simply would not have been a credible presence at the time. (The non-white population of the UK in 1916 was 0.03% - and concentrated in big cities). Whilst the various prejudices of the characters are given voice - catholics, jews, Germans, gays - somehow we are asked to believe that a black soloist in an otherwise exclusively white choral society in 1916 Yorkshire would be accepted without remark or explanation. The hairstyles and some phrases in the dialogue too owe more to 2016 than 1916. This simply underestimates and insults the audience and provides a source of incredulity throughout. That said, it’s a good story well acted by all the cast - just not authentic and misguidedly spoilt. I think Mr Bennett is better than this.

Good cast but very muddled plot. It’s a slow watch with poor characterisation. In the end, I couldn’t care less who did it. They were all uninteresting and boring characters.

Predictable characters, occasionally ‘preachy’ and often unrealistic, this drama wastes what would otherwise have been quite a good plot with decent twists. The plot line was good enough for us to get through all 6 episodes - but with increasing sighs of disappointment. The storyline was also littered with unnecessary and hard to believe diversions. The ‘campaigning grandson’ character was particularly annoying in this respect. Seems like it’s setup for another series but I certainly won’t be watching that.

This is a decent series - if overlong. The main point is that you have to like the music to like this show. And … to be fair , some is very good. The plot - well, I’m surprised Fleetwood Mac haven’t sued as it’s their story in condensed form , so few storyline surprises. It’s also very much a view of the seventies as seen through the eyes of someone who wasn’t there. For example, it must be the seventies because everyone’s a chain smoker! Ok - I enjoyed it but you could’ve cut a couple of hours and made it better.

With a true crime dramatisation, you can’t really review the plot - it’s happened. So, we’re looking at the retelling and production. This starts well. The ‘Life on Mars-esque’ time travel nods work. Good soundtrack too. Most of the main characters are well played and it all rings true. Overall, this drama hit most of its targets. My only criticism would be that the final episode dragged a little. The result was already in and some dramatisation here felt a bit like ‘filler’ - whereas the first episodes were much more absorbing. Pretty good. Worth a watch.

Sadly, the ‘mystery’ element to this show moves at a snail’s pace. My interest died with the plot I’m afraid. It was also blighted by some cliche’d supporting roles - especially the male roles (with the one exception being George Costigan’s part.) Self indulgent, formulaic and dull - fills an evening if you’ve got nothing else to watch.