Exile did look very interesting, and of course I'd watch anything with Jim Broadbent in it. But in all honesty, I was not expecting it to be this good. Exile was both an intense and moving drama and actually one of my personal favourites of this year so far. It is beautifully and stylishly filmed, the story really gripped and moved me and the writing is superb, while it is always reflective and involving with the more intense parts genuinely so it also makes some good relevant points without feeling too unsubtle. The direction is also very good, it helps move the drama along nicely-Exile I found very well-paced from the start- and some of the camera shots are among the best I've seen in any drama so far this year. The characters are also very rich and well-written and realised, especially with Nancy and you do feel a lot of sympathy for Sam too. The acting is outstanding, here John Simm breaks away from his typecast persona and delivers a more gritty, hard-nosed and intense performance which he does splendidly. Olivia Colman has a ball playing her rich character and Shaun Dooley and Timothy West are great to watch. But special mention has to go to Jim Broadbent, based on personal experience Broadbent's portrayal of an Alzheimers-sufferer is just heart-wrenching. All in all, brilliant drama with outstanding acting and strong emotional impact, not to mention a harrowing ending which profoundly affected me even long after the drama was over. 10/10 Bethany Cox
