The Return

This TV play was billed as a vehicle for Julie Walters, playing an alcoholic, convicted murderess whose discoveries, after her release, cause her to doubt that she really murdered her husband. And, to be fair, Julie Walters is very good, struggling with her alcoholism and trying to rebuild her life with friends and family. But the plot is feeble, packed with red herrings, and the supporting actors are no more than caricatures, struggling to convince as the story limps from crisis to crisis, to fill the allotted two hours. A very disappointing play and a waste of Julie Walters' considerable talents.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Lizzie Hunt (Julie Walters) is a woman who has just been released from prison on parole after serving a long stretch inside for murdering her husband in an alcoholic fit of rage.The conditions for her parole are that she keeps away from the booze and her now teenage son.However,as events progress,these conditions become harder and harder to abide by,and doubts begin to creep in to her mind as to whether she is in fact a murderer after all.

This is certainly a strong premise to build a drama/thriller on,and the film is well carried by a strong,commanding central performance from Walters,who wonderfully conveys the varying emotions of a reformed killer and recovering alcoholic respectively.The supporting cast manage to keep the boat flowing fairly well too.However,it's capsized by a monotonous,stationary script,which has a number of potentially interesting sub-plots to build on,but instead chooses to linger too heavily in first gear,causing the film to become slightly repetitive and boring.

And it's ultimately the script that,despite some sparkling dialogue,causes The Return to fall short of it's full potential.***

Gave up after 30 minutes. (It's on Acorn now). One of the nastiest scripts I have ever seen, with unlikable, spiteful characters. No, I dont know who murdered Lizzie's eminent physician/husband, but I don't care. Maybe she really did-someone should lock her up anyway & do humanity a favour.

1. Lizzie, the day after her parole from prison (served 10 years-murder 2), is at an AA meet. Most are smoking!! When this series was produced, smoking was banned already in meeting places. What's the point: you are addicted to tobacco or alcohol? What is there to talk about?

2. Her estranged son has a restraining order (lives with uncle & aunt) to keep mom away. Doubtful. He shows up, tells her to stay away & departs. Why? Meanwhile, Lizzie blabs that she slept with her brother-in-law, ruining her relationship with her kind sister. Ouch.

3. Neil Dudgeon, an old adulterous boyfriend (now divorced) gets a cordial welcome for a visit. Then, she coldly tosses him out. What brought that about?

So, we have an unattractive middle-aged ex-con who drank & slept with anybody at any costs, and was spaced out enough to beat her husband to death, or zone out while someone else did-why should I care what happens to her? Forget about it. Dont care. Terrible script. Give us reason to pull for this woman-I was pulling to have her parole revoked.

Julie Walters gets out of jail for killing her husband and immediately moves back to where it all happened. What could go wrong.The script has a choice to explore the deeper issues of parole, guilt, community reaction, and family repercussions. Instead it devolves quickly into a series of "revelations" that shunt it into Whodunnit land. It's not helped by an alcoholic remission that is thrown in to ramp up the drama, and then just as quickly shut down. Her character is never likeable, and when we find out what she was like pre prison we wonder what the point of the drama is? Whether she did or didn't do it fades away as a relevant issue. Even the best actors cant escape a bad script. It would have fared much better as a series with issues revealed slowly so the interest could build.

Lizzie Hunt is released from prison, having served time for the murder of her husband.

I absolutely loved this one off special, it's a cracking story, which shows off the sheer magical talents of Julie Walters. Walters is without any shadow of a doubt one of the best actors on the planet, and she is superb throughout, you feel the pain, anguish, heartache and longing of her character, drama is supposed to make you feel, Walters does that.

Great cast, wonderful acting throughout, I particularly liked Neil Dudgeon here too.

The ending comes as a big surprise, it certainly wasn't the outcome I had expected. In my mind's eye I had worked out various outcomes, not this one though.

I loved the way in which Lizzie has to readjust with life after prison, she sees the changes in technology and society, it's very well realised.

A great watch, 10/10.