Don't Worry About Me

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME begins rather inauspiciously as David (James Borough) has a one-night stand with Karen (Kate Henry) and travels from London to Liverpool in pursuit of her. There he finds that she already has a lover (Jason Mulhearn), so his journey has been wasted. Drifting round the streets of Liverpool with nothing to do, he enters a betting-shop and wins £200 with the help of clerk Tina (Helen Elizabeth). He persuades her to spend the afternoon with him, and they go for a walk around the city, ending up at Southport sands.

David Morrissey's film has a strong sense of place; the washed-out grays and whites give the sense of a city and its environs at its worst on a dank day. This is an indifferent World, where David gets robbed of his wallet as he sleeps in the Street, and some Liverpudlians throw coppers at him in the belief that he is a beggar. Tina has a humdrum existence trying to look after her grandma and her brother Danny (Robbie Gott, who suffers from Down's Syndrome. Morrissey explores some of the prejudices held by Londoners like David against people in the North of England, as well as against Danny; once he comes face to face with the boy, however, his attitudes instantly change.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME also reveals the basic loneliness of modern post-industrial life; people gather in pubs without talking to one another; or exchange words without really thinking about others. David and Tina spend the afternoon together and discover a kind of kinship with each other. They don't have a relationship as such, but they do manage to talk to each other - even if it's only just for one afternoon. David will have to return to London to look after his sick mother, and Tina will continue looking after her family; but just for one brief moment they can set aside their responsibilities and simply have fun.

The two central actors give excellent performance, and Morrissey's direction is unobtrusive yet keeps our attention focused on the actors' gestures as well their words. DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME is a low-budget flick, but an immensely rewarding experience to watch.

• in the Play For Today vein.

Balanced, well paced - not that gentle.

All acting good and straightforward. I ended up in Edinburgh like that once and the reality is that you are more angst ridden i.e. you do have to get home somehow - but so what - this was an evening of TV and the characters were well observed.

Other reviews go on about Helen Elizabeth (who was good) but James Borough was really well cast also.

There was no theatrical conclusion to the plot but there didn't need to be - it was a well observed moment in time and the conclusion was just that - a moment in time and a meeting which could lead to whatever.

This is a little gem of a movie. It's simple and unassuming but very effective for that very fact. the central performances do not miss a note and the viewer really becomes involved in their relationship. It is a triumph of the "less is more" school of film-making. David Morrissey has every right to be proud of what he has done with this production. It has as its background the city of Liverpool, for which the director shows great affection. The central actors also had a hand in writing and screenplay and I believe that is why it feels so real and believable. If you catch it as I did (i saw it today, having recorded it from TV a few days ago) not expecting to become so absorbed by it -you will just love it . Not only that the soundtrack is great and includes a song by one of my favourite bands-Fairport Convention-the classic lineup. A pity about the unresolved ending but one can add one's own.

Scouser David Morrrisey has done what everyone from the city eventually does - makes a movie there. And why not, it has lots of character and is very photogenic. I especially liked the sequence on my local beach (New Brighton). A gently, quirky little effort, well worth a squint. Hope to see more of Morrisey in a director's role in the future.

Wonderful little gem of a film, shame it was show on BBC2 at 1:15 am on Saturday morning it deserves to be on at prime time viewing I managed to catch it on BBC iplayer. Nicely paced British film, makes a refreshing change from all those "gung ho" all super fast action American films. I hope David Morrissey gets the funding to do more films of this quality. Very well written and acted by James Borough and the beautiful Helen Elizebeth. Helen Elzabeth should be watched as I think she has the talent to go far. I can not recommend this film to highly, watch it if you get the chance I don't think you will be disappointed. Apart from that I can't really add any more to this than has already been said.