Our Girl

Molly Dawes lives with her father, mother and multitude of siblings in a working class area of London. She's just turned 18 but instead of a feeling of euphoria all she sees is problems. Her boyfriend is unfaithful, she doesn't like her job and her father is a deadbeat. So she decides to join the Army.

A movie-length first episode of the series, so don't expect any nice neat resolutions or Hollywood endings. It's reasonably good without being great. We see Molly's background, which is a bit of a drag. This part seems quite predictable and seems to just delay the inevitable.

Once she's in the Army the film gets much more interesting as we see her having to make decisions regarding her future and having to adapt to Army life. There's a few overly neat and convenient plot developments but it's pretty good, good enough for me to stick with the series.

Considering her annoying family, a cheating boyfriend and worthless friends, being in danger of getting blown up every day probably doesn't seem like such a bad move for Ms Dawes. And indeed, this whole enterprise might as well be bankrolled by the army... the camaraderie and discipline she has in the force is in stark contrast to her pitiful existence back home, where no-one likes her and every day is a drudging chore. In fact, it looks like so much fun, can I enlist? (What do you mean, spare tyre?!)

Joking aside though, by far the best parts of this BBC film are those when she's at training camp blossoming from a smart-mouthed little girl with issues... to a smart mouthed-little girl with issues, and a great big gun. Her friendships with her commanding officer and a fellow recruit who has self esteem issues are touching on a few levels, and Lacey Turner's performance as the feisty 18 year old is out of this world.

Les convincing though, is her time spent back in Newham, as her father is an irredeemable caricature of every child's worst nightmare, and her boyfriend is such a lying, manipulative sack of... manure, you wonder how such a smart girl like Molly ever hooked up with such a piece of... dirt. AND her lifelong mates turn on her at the drop of a hat. It's not very logical, and drives down the realism in the rest of the film. Still, it does pack a punch... and the poignant ending will leave you with a lump in your throat. Or maybe, I should try swallowing harder? 6/10

To tell you the truth, I've never been much of a fan of Lacey Turner, from her East Enders days playing Stacey, although her character Molly is similar in ways to the character Stacey, Lacey's acting for me has improved and my mind's Been changed now I've watched this. She plays the lead role in this and quite rightly too, If you get the chance to watch Our Girl please do so, it was funny in parts but overall it was a gritty drama. Compelling viewing from start to finish. Great acting from the whole cast. I've read that there might be a full series of Our Girl, I hope this is true, there is enough scope for this to be made, I'm already looking forward to it.

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

Mollie Dawes (Lacey Turner) is a typically (or so East Enders would have you believe) upfront, balsy South London girl, whose life is a bit of a shambles, what with an abusive father, cheating immigrant lover and false friends. One night, after throwing up at the entrance to an Army Recruitment Centre, she believes she's found the key that can turn her life around. Despite no encouragement from all those around her, she plods on with it, in time her cocky front broken down and built back up again to build her in to a better character.

There are those ex East Enders who simply fade in to obscurity and are lucky to be seen performing panto again, and those who seem determined to make their post Walford career in to something a bit more lively. Lacey Turner would seem to be one such example, appearing in this ambitious one off BBC drama, that feels pretty workmanlike and unsurprising for the most part, but still has the odd flashes of class to raise itself up.

It opens in a depressingly familiar environment from where a lot of these gritty kitchen sink dramas tend to start in, and feels so unsurprising because most of the characters behave in exactly the way you expect them to, not all that convincingly played by all the performers. As the main character, the vast bulk of it rests on Turner's shoulders, and she is the one we're kept with till the end, on the way incurring a rather shocking, gratuitous sex scene that comes out of nowhere, on to the end which ends on a more touching and poignant note than you might expect. It's an interesting and well written role, and had it had a bigger budget and maybe some better actors and director, it could have been even more than it is. But as it is, you still can't see Turner's, quite possibly one of 'the squaire's' better performers, post EE career going belly up if she keeps going with meaty stuff like this. ***

Within minutes this had me gripped. So well written and such emotion portrayed from Lacey Turner. Incredibly well put together and along with series one of Our Girl - a brilliant watch.