Run

Love how this series of separate episodes each connect with each other, whilst you witness the impact of ripple effect.

Quite dark, gritty and everything great about British drama! You will either love it for it's raw truth, or hate it for its tone.

This four-parter is set in and around an area of poverty in London; we have four stories that do not intertwine so much as bolt together at either end, with one character connecting to the next in a way. The four stories sees a mother struggling with two teenage boys and a history of male violence; a recovering junkie trying to get back with his estranged daughter; a Chinese illegal selling DVDs to pay off a debt, and forced to do much worse when she falls short; and a Polish cleaner who finds herself needing money and turning to arranged marriages to help. All of the stories are very gritty and downbeat in their tone; there is not a lot of cheer or joy in these films and as the free paper The Metro observed at the time, it was very odd scheduling to show the series in the height of the summer in 2013, which had great weather, sporting achievement in Wimbledon and the Ashes and generally a great positive air to the country – into which these tales of misery were dropped.

For me watching them in October 2014, they perhaps fit a bit better as the nights close in and the UK settles into a typically grey and wet Autumn. The series itself really doesn't need any distractions from the grim grittiness – because it really goes all out for that tone and needs the viewer to be in the mood for that. From the very first episode we have senseless violence, lots of swearing and very little sense of hope or positive vibes; this continues through the episodes as none of the stories hold back from where they are or where they are going – we are firmly in grim, gritty territory here, make no mistake. If anything I think it really does push it too far; at 45 minutes (without adverts) the plots are pretty contained and really have no space for small moments, so if violence or despair can be unleashed, it certainly will be – and soon. The excessiveness is not necessarily gratuitousness, but it does mean that it is very direct, very full- on and doesn't have many smaller touches or nuance to draw the viewer in – you're either with it or you're not.

Fortunately one of the areas where the film does very well is with the casting, and it is here where a lot of good work is done to offset the blunt grimness of the material. This is most evident in the first film where we have the nation's favorite Olivia Colman showing why she does despair better than most. Okay her character is blunt and has obvious 'look, we're gritty' dialogue full of swearing, but she brings out a great character, showing small things about violence in particular (she is a victim of male violence but also happen to use that fear on others when it suits her). The final scene in her episode in particular is excellent. Lennie James is almost as good, as indeed is Leung, who is a long way from Hogwarts here. Schüttler is okay but the least engaging of the episodes, while below this level the characters are a bit more generic and, while they are delivered well, they have less to work with and are more functional, in line with the material given them.

Run is worth a look if you are after a grim and gritty self- contained drama, because on this front it really does a decent job. However it is very one-note in its material and presentation, and it is only its good fortune to have some very good lead performances in there that rise it above the level it would otherwise have been at.

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.

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!