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Casimir Harlow

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Some care home workers have described the final act as a common fantasy. Maybe so, but it felt jarring and ultimately counterproductive.

If the aim was to pull into focus the terrible reality of what happened in our care homes during the first wave, while critiquing the sector's position as a Cinderella service, and condemning our government's response, the realist approach taken through the first hour was more than sufficient.

Not that the filmmakers shifted aesthetic for the final 30 minutes, but the film became narratively implausible, undermining the power and authenticity of everything that went before. If the aim here was to persuade (and it really should have been), the closing act (or statement) harmed the filmmakers' case.

While I can get past that, many will use the final act to discredit the film more generally.
 
Agreed @Nick74, the final act felt like to came from a completely different film. Saying that though, what came before it is some of the most devastating and anger inducing TV ins quite some time. The performances were an absolute masterclass from Comer and Graham and the eternally underrated Ian Hart was equally good as the care home manager who wasn't quick enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

The cinematography was great, especially during that fateful night in the care home but the close focus length did remind me of Army of the Dead at point.
 
Agreed @Nick74, the final act felt like to came from a completely different film. Saying that though, what came before it is some of the most devastating and anger inducing TV ins quite some time. The performances were an absolute masterclass from Comer and Graham and the eternally underrated Ian Hart was equally good as the care home manager who wasn't quick enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

The cinematography was great, especially during that fateful night in the care home but the close focus length did remind me of Army of the Dead at point.

I'd say it was a fully realist aesthetic, which was appropriate given the subject matter. In that sense, as great as Comer is, I wonder whether her star presence detracted from this objective.

I'm nit picking here, because Comer will have helped attract an audience. In the end, what could (should) have been landmark television - a Cathy Come Home for our age - remains powerful and arresting, albeit with a mark struck against it. Maybe I'll reevaluate, but Comer's closing monologue, while seemingly accurate in its assessment, probably didn't help the cause, either.
 
I think they could have ditched the entire final act.

Have her hide his meds, then give him the code to get out, tying it back to his propensity to memorise the code and escape at the beginning, and adding the satisfying irony that nobody will be available to track him down this time round. They can't pin it on her, but they do tell her 'no more shifts available' as some kind of punishment.

Skip the dreamy/nightmarish final bit, and definitely skip the monologue, however critically on-point it was, it had nowhere near as much impact as that single double-shift in the care home.
 
I think they could have ditched the entire final act.

Have her hide his meds, then give him the code to get out, tying it back to his propensity to memorise the code and escape at the beginning, and adding the satisfying irony that nobody will be available to track him down this time round. They can't pin it on her, but they do tell her 'no more shifts available' as some kind of punishment.

Skip the dreamy/nightmarish final bit, and definitely skip the monologue, however critically on-point it was, it had nowhere near as much impact as that single double-shift in the care home.

I can think of several endings that could have worked (or at least worked better).

It would have been something of a predictable outcome, but ending with Stephen Graham's character falling ill would have highlighted unthinkable professional dilemmas care home staff faced in the absence of external help.

Alternatively, Comer's character might have had to juggle more than one terminal patient, exposing the terrible staffing crisis in our care homes, especially under Covid-19 restrictions, not to mention the lack of adequate medical training in the sector, and failure to regulate through certification and accreditation, all of which contributed to the crisis experienced.

They could have stretched the time devoted to the nightmare double shift and simply concluded with the panned shot of sealed doors and empty nameplates used earlier in the film.
 
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Cheers Cas, and interesting thoughts here after. I started the other thread but haven't got round to this myself yet.

A situation that's been close to my heart though during the pandemic.
 
I started the other thread but haven't got round to this myself yet.

I've added a spoiler tag to my post above. Not that I explicitly reveal the ending, but others might piece things together based on what I've written.

I'm aware of your relationship with the subject matter. I'll be interested to read what you think once you've found the time to watch.
 
This was incredible and horrific to watch. The ending was surreal and I think this was the point. But it just felt out of place... when her manager said her hours will be reduced as punishment - I swore so loud in anger! All performances were stunning with generally great writing for the characters. Overall - essential viewing but one that is all too real and that will stoke the fires in some affected families.
 
The ending was surreal

If you mean in an explicitly surrealist sense (it was all a fantasy, or dream) that's an entirely valid reading. Had the filmmakers shifted from a realist aesthetic I'd possibly reach the same conclusion.

Even if that was the case, I'm not sure it was a useful decision. We're debating the ending, when we should be focusing on the more harrowing (not to mention grounded) depiction that preceded it.

For what it's worth I love surrealist film and art (from Bunuel, to Dali, to Lynch). I'm just not sure the care home crisis is best examined through a surrealist lens.
 
If you mean in an explicitly surrealist sense (it was all a fantasy, or dream) that's an entirely valid reading. Had the filmmakers shifted from a realist aesthetic I'd possibly reach the same conclusion.

Even if that was the case, I'm not sure it was a useful decision. We're debating the ending, when we should be focusing on the more harrowing (not to mention grounded) depiction that preceded it.

For what it's worth I love surrealist film and art (from Bunuel, to Dali, to Lynch). I'm just not sure the care home crisis is best examined through a surrealist lens.
Yes - this is definitely my intention although not articulated properly. It’s like they tried to end on a positive note and they made room for sentiment - which came across a little whimsical - especially the bit where she spoke directly to the viewer in the back of the police car. A little forced, on the nose messaging.

It should of ended after the night shift - that would of impacted me more. Still - this was an immense effort from all all involved and I am definitely nitpicking here…
 
It was fine until the ending. Was showing spread and impact of Covid-19 at the care level but then went off into a weird love thing and honestly, a bit unbelievable.

Would have been an 8 for me and excellent acting but story dropped it to a 6 for me.
 
I think they could have ditched the entire final act.

Have her hide his meds, then give him the code to get out, tying it back to his propensity to memorise the code and escape at the beginning, and adding the satisfying irony that nobody will be available to track him down this time round. They can't pin it on her, but they do tell her 'no more shifts available' as some kind of punishment.

Skip the dreamy/nightmarish final bit, and definitely skip the monologue, however critically on-point it was, it had nowhere near as much impact as that single double-shift in the care home.
It was the last 30 minutes that stopped it being a 10/10. A genuine shame that. Graham's and Comer's relationship could have been as well served with a slightly more low key direction. Having said that, it still had some terrific stuff in there.
 
I'd imagine the carers who visit clients own homes will be feeling left out here and wishing more people knew their stories and that the £8.50 care home worker average pay, can often be less for them. Namely, they only get paid for the actual time at a client's home and travel time in between visits only scores them a set per mile petrol money. Carers were buying PPE online etc. out of their own paltry wages.
As noted above, the final act spoilt the overall impact. Why they didn't turn the latter into, say, an actual dream sequence for Sarah and then fire in some harsh reality, had me scratching my head.
 
I've added a spoiler tag to my post above. Not that I explicitly reveal the ending, but others might piece things together based on what I've written.

I'm aware of your relationship with the subject matter. I'll be interested to read what you think once you've found the time to watch.

Might not be until next week now, but I will post my thoughts for sure.
 
I enjoyed it, but the filming very poor. I understand the close up shots created the dramatic realism, but the extreme depth of field shots were not need. A person's nose could be out of focus the eyes in focus yet ears out of focus, but that's just an example.
It reminded me of watching Nigela Lawson's cooking program, constant in / out extreme focus shots.
 
Yes, powerful stuff. 8/10. Another example of British drama and realism at it's gritty best. Those two performances, wow. Stephen Graham is a national treasure and Jodie is a formidable talent. This proves their recognition in Hollywood at the moment is more than earned. That 'one shot' was effective at conveying the desperation and horror of the situation. And Comer's moment in the back of the police car is a defining moment that I re-watched a couple of times.

I understand why some aren't keen on the last act, but it didn't bother me too much. It is fiction after all and I guess they needed something to do in order to show just how far the characters had been pushed. My biggest issue was the cinematography. Sorry, but all that blur just made it unpleasant to look at, and a distraction in all the wrong ways. The situation itself is discomfort enough.

My experience of rest homes and care homes is that they are a lot busier than we see here even at the height of the pandemic. But otherwise pretty spot on.
 
Thanks Cas and agree with your scoring. Excellent performances by Comer and Graham as usual.

This drama touched on a number of the issues encountered in care homes. I know someone who actively investigates criminal offences in care homes and the problem is a lot worse than portrayed in this drama.

I know of one care home where 33 residents died of Covid-19 last year! The government, care home owners ( businesses ), CQC, PHE and local authorities need to be held to account. There will be a huge outcry should there ever be a national public inquiry.
 
It was fine until the ending. Was showing spread and impact of Covid-19 at the care level but then went off into a weird love thing and honestly, a bit unbelievable.

Would have been an 8 for me and excellent acting but story dropped it to a 6 for me.
100% I could not have put it better myself.
Anyone thinking of watching this just turn off after the night where she is alone.
 
100% I could not have put it better myself.
Anyone thinking of watching this just turn off after the night where she is alone.
Get where you're coming from, but if you switch off Jodie Comer's end monologue which is a fantastic piece of performance.
 
Thought this was great and the two leads were fantastic in it, with great support.

I did feel that the final third undermined the message a bit and going down a different road may have made for a more compelling overall storyline.

I wpuld highly recommend though.
 

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