Run

This 4 part drama is not for the jolly hearted but instead more for serious lovers of honest drama. It pulls no punches and is as gritty as it gets. Gut wrenching from all members of the cast. Sadly this excellent seems to have passed by now forgotten.

The quality of the first three stories was about as good as I have seen for a miniseries.

I found them realistic and dark but in those three stories there was always the unifying theme that some sliver of human decency was struggling to prevail, even in the most inhospitable of environments. It didn't always win, but that struggle was what made the first three stories relatable and linked them together.

The fourth story is completely different. There is no moral struggle. The protagonist acts completely entitled and is even more unlikable than the two yobs at the beginning of the story. Worse, she is just reading the script - there is nothing real for us to see and no soul for us to care about.

Too bad - the first three story lines were very compelling but the ending was so weak and jolting that it ruins the entire effect.

Run is not the stereotypical television program that many might be used to, and rather than being something that viewers may enjoy, or necessarily be entertained by, it captures the attention of all with its raw, taunt, inescapable poignancy, alongside the authentic characters and environments.

Over the course of each forty three minute episode, the creators and actors alike are able to brilliantly capture the characters to an extent, that by the end, we, the audience, feel as though we have known them all our lives. Each episode tells the story of one particular individual, each story eventually leading into the following episode. Rather than viewing the lives of traditional characters, we encounter individuals stricken by financial woe, poverty and social intolerance. A homeless heroine addict, an illegal Chinese immigrant, a Polish woman forced into a hopeless situation, and a single mother, are the four individuals we are introduced to over the course of the story.

Actors, like the always amazing Lennie James (Line of Duty, The Next Three Days, Columbiana)in his portrayal of the addict Richard as he fights to remain clean is as fantastic as it is heart-breaking, while the outstandingly beautiful Katie Leung (Harry Potter) and her interpretation of Chinese immigrant Ying, is not only powerfully mature, but meaningfully heart-felt. BAFTA award winning actress Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur, Peep Show) as Carol and Katharina Schuttler (The Promise) as Kasia are equally magnificent in their roles, each of the actors commanding the screen with unflinching effectiveness.

Although on occasion I accurately guessed how an episode would conclude, I was never disappointed by the outcome, with every story remaining true to form. Even though characters are forced to occasionally commit unlawful acts, I never once stopped hoping for them. On more than one occasion I was positively bouncing as a miracle occurred in someone's life, while other times I found myself an inch from the screen, biting at my nails as I was swept up in the intensity of the situation.

With a musical score that fantastically conveys the brutality of the crushing moments the characters are forced to endure, Run reminds us that the concept of hope, is one of the most important, sought after emotions of all.

You don't need to agree with my observations, but I will say this; you, dear reader, will be doing yourself a great disservice if you do not watch this show. The writers of this program have developed something that is as rare as it is powerful; someone, please, buy these gentleman a beer; they certainly deserve it.

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

Just what I need...another grim, depressing British drama, spread over four parts just to pile it on that little bit more each night. Set in the sprawling, wanton metropolis of East London, this four part TV drama takes an unflinching, uncompromising nosedive in to the world of those it portrays, taking in a council estate mum (Olivia Colman) and her trouble with her murderous, thuggish sons, a recovering drug addict (Lennie James) trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and an illegal immigrant Chinese girl (Katie Leung) who gets by trying to flog dodgy DVDs, only to find her family has missed payments to the crime gang that smuggled her in back home, as well as a lap dancer (Jaime Winstone) who comes to know a polish woman who has something of a connection with the man murdered on the estate.

With next to nothing in the way of humour and light, it's the more fundamental stuff that's going to life this above the periphery, in terms of the writing, dialogue and performances, and once again we have another spell binding performance from Olivia Colman, who manages an East London accent very well over her more pronounced real life vocabulary. As probably the most recognizable other stars, James and Winstone also handle the material well, familiar faces in this type of production. Trying to inter connect all these seemingly unrelated stories together, the writers seem to be aiming for a Pulp Fiction style approach. It works nowhere near as well, but all the same, for what it is, Run will impress it's target audience. You just pray they have a sense of humour. ***

I see reviews that aren't complimentary about this series and I get why, to appreciate the level of acting in this, from people such as Olivia Colman and Lenny James, you have to take it to the stripped back level of society, amongst criminal activity, survival and the depths where only the super talented can go. This makes the grit real, it creates empathy on a level that would usually be registered and the sliding door effect, creates the ripple. Great series for those who like actors at their best!