Longford

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

A TV drama exploring the relationship between notorious 'Moors Murderer' Myra Hindley (Samantha Morton) and Lord Longford (Jim Broadbent) who campaigned for her early release, only to put her on the backburner for a few years in which he went on a crusade against pornography and for her to cruelly throw his efforts back in his face after admitting to two other murders in 1987.

Being the 40th anniversary of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady's conviction for the 'Moors Murders', fresh interest has arisen in the case and TV producers want to re-create the events to fit in with the anniversary. We've already had ITV's See No Evil, which explored Myra Hindley's relationship with Ian Brady and how they ended up being brought to trial, and this is actually something of a follow-up to that film because it sort of continues the story where Hindley's been in jail for a few years and she begins using Longford to help win her early parole, right up to her and Brady's confession to the two other murders in the late 80s.

It's never easy viewing, but it's always interesting and compelling and keeps you riveted right up to the end. And the impressive performances do it no harm. Samantha Morton creates a cold but strangely vulnerable and mildly sympathetic Hindley. She might come out as a bit outspoken in real life but she's played her role well here. Broadbent is well into his role too, as the gullible but well intentioned man with the courage of his convictions. I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I actually thought Andy Serkis as Ian Brady was the one off note with the film. He makes him come off like a corny Hollywood kind of villain and compared with Johnathan Harris's quietly haunting portrayal of him in See No Evil, he just seems rather hammy. The film isn't about him anyway, and luckily he's only really a supporting role.

Not an easy view then, but a well made one, with strong performances and compelling characters. ****

I thought this was one of the most powerful pieces of television drama I have seen for a long time. It rates up there both in content, production and fantastic casting and acting with the wonderful Conspiracy (Ken Branagh and others a few years back). I wonder if Longford may come to be seen as Jim Broadbent's finest portrayal. It bears many more than one viewings and I think (as I did of an earlier drama programme this year about the Moors Murders) that it is brave and correct for skilled directors/writers etc to tackle this incredibly difficult subject. Well done to all involved and I look forward to the next project coming from this talented team.

HBO has done it again and produced a film of superior quality. The films generally produced by HBO fall into the category of excellent independent movies except with much larger budgets that give them notable stars and superior production values. The DVD's that come from this cable channel are gifts to anyone who enjoys quality motion pictures.

Longford spans about forty years in the life of Frank Pakenham who was the 7th Earl of Longford. Pakenham was a very colorful character. He was basically conservative although one of his causes was examination of the treatment and sentences of criminals. He became notorious in England during the 1960's and 70's by calling for the release of Myra Hindley who - with her sadistic boyfriend - tortured and murdered five children during the years 1963-65.

Pakenham became convinced that Hindley was a basically innocent girl who came under the evil influence of her boyfriend Ian Brady. Pakenham visited Hindley numerous times in prison and convinced her to return to her religion. She totally convinced him that she was regretful of her part in the murders, and he vigorously campaigned for her parole.

All the while, Hindley was communicating with Brady and it soon came to light that she was basically pulling the wool over the eyes of a gullible man - Pakenham.

Disillusioned, Pakenham began to direct his efforts to the Nationwide Festival of Light which was a program of protest against commercial exploitation of sex and violence in Britain. Even though disillusioned, Pakenham stayed in contact with Hindley until his death in 2001.

Giving full credit to the superior production values, it is the acting in Longford that makes it an extreme pleasure.

Jim Broadbent is Lord Longford. I use "is" rather than "plays" because it appears that - from what I can determine - Broadbent so captured the personality and appearance of Longford that he even astounded those connected with the production who knew the real man. Broadbent shows us a man who is definitely a "kook" but one to be admired. He is a man who is so compassionate of his convictions that you cannot not like him even if his opinions are totally counter to your own.

Samantha Morton (nominated for an Emmy for this part) is outstanding as Myra Hindley, a woman who shows a surface of innocence above layers and layers of neurosis and evil. Viewing her interpretation of Hindley is fascinating.

Andy Serkis chills you to the bone as Ian Brady. It appears that Brady has been pretty much of a bad seed his entire life, and Serkis shows us that seed in full bloom. His is a performance not easily forgotten.

Longford is an enthralling character study of an equally enthralling real-life character. It is grand entertainment.

Plans to finally sit down and watch the Rules of the Game by Jean Renoir went by the wayside when I fell into the HBO movie Longford. This is the story of Lord Longford working to try to get Myra Hindley out of prison for child murder. I was vaguely aware of the story prior to seeing the film, but I wasn't really prepared for the twists and turns. Clearly its not about what it seems to be about at first, namely getting an abused woman out of prison. It is ultimately about something else entirely, namely a story about dealing with the mistakes one makes, the ability to change and the ability to forgive. The cast is first rate with Jim Broadbent outstanding as Longford the odd Lord who champions Hindley's case when everyone tells him otherwise. Andy Serkis as Ian Brady, Hindley's lover and co-conspirator is particularly slimy and evil. I really liked this movie a great deal. Forgive me this is one of those movies thats better if you just see it since its just so damn interesting I don't want to spoil it.

'Longford' is the coming of age masterpiece of television and film director Tom Hooper. In it a transformed Jim Broadbent becomes walking-self-caricature Lord Longford, the famous, perhaps infamous, campaigner for civil rights and early release for prisoners - most notably Myra Hindley, the female murderer of five schoolchildren in Yorkshire, England in the 1960s.

Samantha Morton is Hindley, tightrope walking above potential seduction and deception of Longford as well as possibly very real repentance. Longford himself is viewed as a man perhaps blinded by Hindley's charms who may be equally as guilty of manipulating her plight in a hobbyist fashion.

Andy Serkis encapsulates the mythical monster and the man that is Ian Brady, yet still the film as a whole carries with it the seed of forgiveness as the way forward in the judiciary and paints the heart of mob rule as blackly as perhaps the hearts of the Moors murderers in fact were.

A compelling film, with no easy answers, and the showcase of some of the most magnetic acting performances ever lensed.