Sitting in Limbo

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

The true life story of Anthony Bryan (Patrick Robinson), a man who spent his whole life living and working in the UK, after moving here with his mother at the age of eight, only to find himself caught up in the crossfire of the government's 'Hostile Environment' policy, where he was suddenly challenged to produce documentation that he was legally living in the UK. What followed was an unthinkable nightmare, as he found himself plunged into an unduly punitive cycle, where he was forced to report to a government agency each week, before being rounded up and held in a detention centre in Dover, hundreds of miles from his home.

It's easy to think horror stories are things that just get stored in the deepest reaches of the human mind, purely fictional things that exist purely in the back of our souls. It's unimaginable that any of us could truly find ourselves plunged into a 'living nightmare', which we have no control over or power to stop, and yet only a few years ago, that is exactly what happened to Anthony Bryan, and numourous other members of the 'Windrush' generation, as news and politics was filled with rhetoric about 'getting tough on immigration.'

Although director Stella Corradi and writer Stephen S. Thompson do not shy away from dramatizing the effect on Anthony's nearest and dearest, including wife Janet (Nadine Marshall), daughter Eileen (Pippa Bennett-Warner) and son Gary (C.J. Beckford), it's still ultimately his personal, living ordeal, and so it's lucky that lead star Robinson manages to deliver a performance of such quiet understatement, an honest, hard working, law abiding man suddenly hounded with such Gestapo like force, before losing his liberty and getting caged up like a criminal, and the subsequent impact on his mental health and sanity.

Shamefully, the whole Windrush scandal largely went over my head, but this is the first time I've seen the full horror of what actually went on, and it really gets under your skin. An uncomfortable, but well made, well acted and very effective piece indeed. ****

Year 1948. Post-WWII era.. British government invited around 500+ workers from Jamaica to settle in UK to help rebuild their country. The first batch of those settlers embarked HMT Empire Windrush. Their offsprings are known as the Windrush generation in UK. In 2010, the Home office destroyed the landing cards of thousands of Windrush immigrants and in 2012, David Cameron's administration formed a committee called hostile environment working group that echoed a broader rancour towards migrants in the UK. As the local officers and managers kept hunting for 'low hanging fruit' (easy target), some 850 people were wrongly detained between 2012-17. And one of them was Anthony Bryan. This is his dramatic memoir of his ordeal. Patrick Robinson delivers a mature immaculate performance. An eye opening and thought provoking drama as often we turn a blind eye to the struggles and challenges that 'not legal' migrants face. As Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary who later resigned, apologized that this policy was a mistake and she said that she saw this only as an individual issue not as a systemic problem.. A must watch ..

This powerful BBC film encapsulates the traumas endured by the Windrush generation. It makes for uncomfortable but topical viewing. I'm proud to be British, but, for the first time in my lifetime, feel truly ashamed of my country's behaviour. Films like this are vital - they help educate and ensure recklessness like this is not ever permitted to happen again.

The drama never felt overdone. A more subtle approach was taken and it pays off. Life is full of lighthearted, enjoyable moments, especially when family are involved. Such moments are beautifully captured here, juxtaposing the deeper, darker themes of anguish, hopelessness and betrayal. Fabulous lead performances too.

This is such a stain on recent U.K. history. Its not a matter of colour - it's a matter of honour and morals.

Someone arrived Legitimately in U.K. aged 8. Builds a whole life here and is told "he is illegally living here"

Not just that - the way "the system" dealt with these British Citizens is appalling. The Politicians of all shades should hang their heads in shame.

Especially one or to in particular. (Mentioning no names)

This is a shocking true story of Anthony Bryan who was a victim of the Windrush scandal. A honest hard working man who had spent 50 years living and working in the UK. Married with children who were UK citizens who's life was ruined over a three year period.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary the British government seemed determined to deport Mr Bryant to Jamaica based on what amounted to a lost passport.

Sadly not all victims of the Windrush scandal were as fortunate as Mr Bryant many were wrongfully deported and many are still awaiting compensation.

The performances from the whole cast are terrific in particular Patrick Robinson in the lead roll. 8/10