Patrick Gale wrote this bipartite Masterpiece Theater series and Michael Samuels directed this sensitive examination of gay love from two separate historic times - WW II in England and contemporary time in England. There are many similarities between the two episodes that time can't erase (the character from Part 2 is a descendant from the character in Part 1) but the barriers to gay relationships differ. In Part 1 it is the law and the politics that keep two soldiers from embracing their love because of the criminal charges against gay life together with the ingrained belief that to be a real man one must marry and sire children. In Part 2 - 60 years later - it is the cruel but very present dependency on social media app dating the prevents men from the idea of tossing the cell phone in favor of one-on-one meaningful lasting relationships.
During and after WW II Michael Berryman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) befriends fellow soldier Thomas March (James McArdle), they fall in love, but Michael is engaged and after the war carries through with that rather loveless engagement and marries Flora (Joanna Vanderham) and they have a baby - a fact that distances Thomas, leaving him with the life of an illegal gay person to be committed to prison for a year. The little cottage where Michael and Thomas meet when possible is a preserved by a memory in a painting Thomas makes (together with a painting of Michael in an orange shirt). We the fast forward to contemporary times and find Adam (Michael's grandson) gay and living with the elderly Flora (Vanessa Redgrave), depending on social media apps for dates with men. He meets Steve (David Gyasi) who is in a living arrangement with an older man Caspar (Julian Sands). The two eventually fall in love but Adam's dependency on social app dates is rejected by Steve who has left Caspar and is rebuilding the cottage Adam has inherited from Flora. Coming out in present times is equally as difficult - for different reasons - than in wartime England.
A strong cast and a fine script make this a rich film. The main problem with the two part series is the lack of character development and social milieu that seems to be rushed and not examined thoroughly enough. Pairing the two 1 hour episodes has merit: it seems the film would have been more satisfying had each segment been allowed an additional hour to fully explore the subject of gay relationships from the two perspectives. Still recommended.
During and after WW II Michael Berryman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) befriends fellow soldier Thomas March (James McArdle), they fall in love, but Michael is engaged and after the war carries through with that rather loveless engagement and marries Flora (Joanna Vanderham) and they have a baby - a fact that distances Thomas, leaving him with the life of an illegal gay person to be committed to prison for a year. The little cottage where Michael and Thomas meet when possible is a preserved by a memory in a painting Thomas makes (together with a painting of Michael in an orange shirt). We the fast forward to contemporary times and find Adam (Michael's grandson) gay and living with the elderly Flora (Vanessa Redgrave), depending on social media apps for dates with men. He meets Steve (David Gyasi) who is in a living arrangement with an older man Caspar (Julian Sands). The two eventually fall in love but Adam's dependency on social app dates is rejected by Steve who has left Caspar and is rebuilding the cottage Adam has inherited from Flora. Coming out in present times is equally as difficult - for different reasons - than in wartime England.
A strong cast and a fine script make this a rich film. The main problem with the two part series is the lack of character development and social milieu that seems to be rushed and not examined thoroughly enough. Pairing the two 1 hour episodes has merit: it seems the film would have been more satisfying had each segment been allowed an additional hour to fully explore the subject of gay relationships from the two perspectives. Still recommended.