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 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 started the other thread but haven't got round to this myself yet.
The ending was surreal
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.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.
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 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'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.
thx Cass, my wife works in residential care so this is something we lived through.
100% I could not have put it better myself.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.
Get where you're coming from, but if you switch off Jodie Comer's end monologue which is a fantastic piece of performance.100% I could not have put it better myself.
Anyone thinking of watching this just turn off after the night where she is alone.