Colour Blind

Niamh Cusack takes centre stage in this adaptation of Catherine Cooksons Colour Blind. When Bridget Mcqueen (Niamh Cusack )returns home to her native Newcastle with her new husband(Tony Armatrading)her family are delighted until they discover hes black!.

The McQueen family go out of the way to pick fault with the marriage but when Bridget reveals she is pregnant the McQueens have no choice but to accept the marriage. The family are ostracised and Bridget avoids her racist family. But seaman James has to work away and when he is gone Matt (Bob Cryer) the family bully visits Bridget to "arrange" a miscarriage. During her pregnancy James keeps a close eye on Bridget but before the baby can be born he is called away again leaving Matt free to barge round to a heavily pregnant Bridget's house once more. but during the Bridgets labour her mother Kathie McQueen (Derbollah Malloy) has summoned Nellie Milligan to operate on Bridget and arrange for the baby to stillborn if it is black. But before the deed can be done, Bridget gives birth to a baby girl who she and James calls Rose Angela. The year's pass and Bridget and James live quietly rarely seeing friends accept for Tonythe orphan th McQueens took in who is secretly in love with Bridget but one night things come to a head Matt McQueen, still despising the young Rose-Angela and her father as much as ever, picks a fight with James, a fight which sees James almost kill Matt. Fearing for himself James runs away to sea leaving Bridget and snatching Rose-Angela until Tony persuades him to let her go. The Racial abuse continues in the second part of the story as a grown up Rose-Angela (Carmen Edjoba) works in service as a house maid but after tiring of being thought of as a mere whore she leaves and secures a job working as a housekeeper for an eccentric painter Micheal Stanhope (James Larkin) and the two fall in love but when things are shaken up with the return of James whose friend Hassan(Art Mallik)later confesses to Rose-Angela that he too is in love with her. Torn by her need to care for her dying father and her love for Micheal, Rose Angela must find a way to be with the man she loves despite the wagging tongues.

This was a wonderful surprise. I didn't have any expectation. We found this gem on Tubi. This coming from a free streaming service was an exceptionally unforgettable movie.

As soon as it started I had a good feeling about it.

Every scene, every character, every scenario and every shot made this movie nothing less than a perfect movie.

My husband and I don't always agree on our ratings on things we watch but this one we both were excited to be rating it 10/10.

I recommend everyone to take a look. It's a short enough series that is easily seen in one sitting.

We need to see more movie of this type.

I read the book many years ago and although a fan of Catherine Cookson, the screen adaptations are usually a bit twee (except for The Round Tower and this one).

The actress playing Rose Angela is beautiful as well as a great actress - although I'm unsure why her character is wearing a pale pink/lavender lipstick as a poor and lowly char!

Great acting and great story. A credit to the great story teller, Catherine Cookson.