Man in an Orange Shirt

After I had seen the 1st part about the heartbreaking love story of the two lovers Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Michael Berryman and James McArdie as Thomas March, I was looking forward to see how their love story would be going on. Unfortunately it has actually stopped at the end of episode 1. Episode 2 is actually another gay love story about the grandson of Michael. You can say it is a drama crossing generations.

That is exactly the problem, two hours for two love stories is simply too short to achieve a better outcome. Especially the love story between Michael Berryman and Thomas March is simply too short and that I guess and believe most of the viewers would like to watch a longer story for that part. The casting of the two actors Oliver Jackson-Cohen and James McArdie for the two roles are really perfect. They have the chemistry as that pretty pair. Their acting is perfect, watching them in this film just feel like that they are a pair of real lovers.

On a contrary the casting of the love couple of episode 2 (Julian Morris and David Gyasi) is not good. They are good actors but there is no chemistry between the two at all. If one has seen the chemistry which Oliver Jackson-Cohen and James McArdie have delivered in episode 1, one will feel the difference like fruit juice and plain water.

Also the story plot of episode 2 is also weaker too. It does not bring out much passion and spirits. However with crossing generations story lines and add with warm family love and tie between grandma and grand son, it is in a way still a nice episode to watch. The grandma's acting is nice too.

In my opinion, if the complete series is in three hours or at least two and a half hour long (like most 80's mini-series) with a longer well crafted story for the first part and eventually also for the second part, plus a better match casting for the leading roles of the second part, it will surely be much better. I therefore give it 7 stars only.

It is far to be perfect. and that does to critic it very easy. but it gives the right story, using the right actors. and that saves a lot it. because it is a film about secrets, love and relationship. at first sigh, two films. different. with a common point. in fact, it is a film about family. from different perspectives. with wise manner to explore sensitivities, decisions, solitudes. sure, a BBC film is , always, decent to remarkable. but, in this case, the manner to define the honesty, the link between men from same family, in different periods, defining their "sin" in different ways, is more than admirable. and the end, the end has the status of changement about many things from the film. not as revelation. but as the detail giving precise form to sihouettes. so, I admitt : I love it !.

The emotions, the love, the fear, the self-hatred, the harsh realities. I really loved it; however it felt incomplete, like we got part 1 and part 3 but they forgot to film part 2. Too many unanswered questions for a drama with this much emotional heft.

I never miss "Masterpiece" because it is probably my favorite current, ongoing series, and it never manages to disappoint. "Man in an Orange Shirt" is probably the most frank and explicit of all of its offerings to date, it will not be for everyone, but it packs a powerful punch and shows the whole picture of what it meant to be gay when it was illegal in Britain, and presents an equally involving story set in the present. It would take very strong, charismatic actors to make this work on all levels, and they are first-rate: Oliver Jackson-Cohen (from "Lark Rise to Candleford," "Mr. Selfridge") and James McArdle in the post-war story, and Julian Morris and David Gyasi in the modern day. I was extremely impressed by the performances by Vanessa Redgrave as the older Flora and Australian-born Joanna Vanderham ("The Paradise," "Dancing on the Edge") as the younger Flora. Redgrave is still a force to be reckoned with--she is, first and foremost, a Redgrave--and the explosive scene with her grandson Adam is painfully delivered and deeply felt. Vanderham is poignant and unforgettable in driving home the point that her life has been ruined by the marriage "of convenience." There are excellent supporting roles by Frances De La Tour ("The Collection") as Mrs. March, portraying a woman trying to be strong under near-impossible circumstances; Laura Carmichael (Edith in "Downton Abbey") always enjoyable as Flora's sister Daphne; and Julian Sands ("A Room With a View") as the arrogant partner of Steve. I appreciated the fact that "Masterpiece" chose to air the entire film in one night. I am hoping that all viewers who saw this ground-breaking production learned something, if not tolerance, then understanding and perhaps even sympathy for a human experience that is no longer stuck in the closet and called "the love that dare not speak its name." I see Emmy nominations on the horizon.

There was missing information and plot development in both stories so both should have been 90 to two hours long each.

In first one, there should have been some explanation as to the circumstance of how the grandson came to live with the grandmother and also what happened to his parents. Did the parents die in a car or airplane crash? Of a disease? It just left the viewer hanging.

There is a shot of the son in his school uniform and in a military uniform, but nothing else. I'd also like to know why the grandfather, Michael, died at 60.

For the second story, you can see some connection between Adam and Steve but there needed to be more plot as to that connection. Also, more background as to why Adam was hesitant in getting involved with Steve because all he says is "I can't" but he doesn't explain why. The jarring scene with the grandmother's harsh homophobia seems to come out of nowhere in terms of her reaction. She already had her suspicions of her grandson but then to react the way she did, didn't really make a lot of sense other than pent up anger from decades ago.

Then, at the end the second story the grandmother shows up at the cottage but there is no explanation given as to her remorse and what made her come about/change her mind about her homophobia.

Anyway, I liked both stories and watched them twice as I thought I missed some key information as stated above, but I did not because the information wasn't there.