Such Brave Girls

Sometimes it is worthwhile to remember that British comedy tends to set the bar, and then other countries belatedly copy the best of the best for their own audiences. This is an example of razor-sharp comedy that both explores brand new territory and yet, at the same time, will be extremely hard to copy or imitate. Because the writing is not only based on the real life experiences of its creator, but in fact the stars (Sadler and Davidson) are real life sisters. WOW. No matter how much you think you know about comedy writing and snappy dialog, this show will teach you a lot of new tricks. The 25 minute episodes move so quickly you will invariably be left wanting more. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

I binge watched this in two days. It's the type of comedy that us Brits do really well. There is nothing 'polished' about it. It's down and dirty and very real. The relationship between the two sisters is brilliant. A combination of disdain, toxicity, combined-delusion and affection. And then I found out that they're sisters in real life! I think it's the raw honesty that makes this so funny. The acting from the whole cast is spot-on. From Louise Brealey as mum, Deb, who plays favourites in the most narcissistically manipulative way, to Freddie Meredith as Seb, the wet-dishcloth 'boyfriend' of Josie. As for Lizzie Davidson who plays one of the sisters, Billie, and Kate Sadler as Josie. Just wow! No doubt the honesty and chemistry between Billie and Josie came from the actresses being sisters in real life. Yet, even so, the acting is top notch. In some ways, I imagine it could be more difficult to play out what was, undoubtedly, certain real scenarios or feelings from their own personal lives. But they put it all on the line in the most endearing, gross, watchable and compelling way. This makes you feel so many emotions. It's laugh-out -loud funny and it definitely makes you cringe at times. These characters should be unlikable, but they're not. And that's because such a good job is done of exposing their vulnerabilities amid the humour and self-serving actions of the sisters and their mum. Each character is multi-dimensional - even Dev (mum's boyfriend). As a viewer, it's hard to get a grasp on his motivation. He's a combination of wet, weird, sympathetic and odd. And it's impossible to know who's playing who as Deb desperately tries to work her way into moving her and their girls into Dev's huge house, yet seems to end up always paying for everything (including his petrol). This is up there as one of the best comedies in recent years. And I think that's because it doesn't 'try' to be funny - it just is. It takes brilliant writing, as well as acting, to pull that off; so I was in awe when I found out Kate Sadler, who plays Josie, also wrote this. And she's still in her 20s! I literally can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This script is incredibly sharp, with very few wasted words or predictable lines. The dialogue seems to go from one ridiculous and funny line to the next. And there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in every episode, usually when somebody says something in an unusual way. I particularly enjoyed the absence of any moralising. There is a whole spectrum of opinions on things like mental health, and this comedy lampoons them all. It is more interested in the absurdity of human nature, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

All the genuinely funny sitcoms seem to be created by women these days (Sharon Horgan, Alma, Miranda, Roisin Conaty etc). I don't know if it's because the BBC and Channel 4 have stopped commissioning any men with original ideas, or if the men just prefer to do the inane banter on panel shows. Such Brave Girls was written by Kat Sadler, who also plays the central part of Josie. Her acting is equally as subtle as her writing. The mum is played by the excellent Louise Brealey, who also played the funniest character in "Back". Lizzie Davidson plays the part of Billie, a feisty sister who is the opposite of Josie in every way imaginable. The scenes largely involve the three "girls" plotting to either attract or reject three totally unsuitable men. I really hope there is a second series, as these girls haven't yet resolved any of their issues (and, of course, they never will).

Such Brave Girls is definitely one of the best British comedies in recent years. The writing is strong and the performances hit the mark without fail. In some ways I felt I developed a morbid fascination with watching a slow motion car crash of a family dynamic, if that makes sense. It's pretty dark and deals with some fairly serious issues in a totally unsensational way, driven throughout by the sister's dysfunctional relationship with each other and with their mother. The only minor gripe I had was that sometimes the (almost) constant abuse Josie receives verges on the gratuitously cruel and that is walking a fine line. However, the series overall is a gem and the best thing I've watched in quite some time.

There's plenty of dark humour in 'Such Brave Girls', the story of mother and her two daughters trying to make sense of their lives and loves; and I smiled fairly often while watchig it. But great sitcom (as opposed to a quick sketch) doesn't just need a set of self-sabotaging characters: it also needs something they can sabotage. And if they're deluded, it helps if this delusion is in essence believable. In 'Fawlty Towers', Basil is always so close to, but also so far from, running his idea of a quality hotel. Black comedy is best when you recognise that something like it could happen to you. But in 'Such Brave Girls', the failings of our trio (and also those of their menfolk) are so front and centre that disaster feels inevitable; the most telling moments are foreshadowed by the essence of the setup, while spritely music connecting individual scences invites us not to take the story too seriously. The script does have merits; but the feeling of pervasive cheapness lets it down.