Screen Two

In searching for information on the movie Persuasion it is nearly impossible to find as it's listed under a different title. What's happened?

I am reviewing The Summer House starring Joan Plowright, Juliette Lewis and Jeanne Moreau. Wonderful ensemble film featuring fine actresses and a clever little story. Lewis plays a young woman not quite happy about her engagement and three aging girlfriends respond differently to the situation. Plowright and Moreau join forces to put things right. A delight from beginning to end with an utterly unpredictable ending.

While most being very well written and hugely orthotic dramas, it the football hooligan one, The Firm. Featuring a hugely talented Gary Oldman in the main role, so unbelievably overactive, yet contrastingly deadly serious is his performance as Clive 'Bexi' Bissell, that you wander whether or not the film is encouraging the audience to either view him as the protagonist or the antagonist. Or maybe all the characters are meant to be tarred the with same brush leaving none of them laudable. With the exception of the characte of his wife, Sue Bissell, portrayed by the brilliantly skilled Lesley Manville. Other cast members include Phil Davis, Charles Lawson and Steve McFadden (yes before he was Phil Mitchell) Definitely a movie for football fans and film buffs to enjoy together.

A series of daring films from The BBC, which were their response the hugely successful productions from Channel 4.

I'm not sure as to the accuracy of there being 165 films in the series, it's very difficult to find any information about them at all, whereas Screen one seemed like a direct replacement to Play for Today, these felt a little different.

In this series you will find historicals, science fiction, mysteries, and of course straight up, relevant dramas.

The highlights for me, had to be The Lorelei, Skallagrig and Will you love me tomorrow. The oneI don't remember quite so fondly, is A very open Prison, I saw it not too long ago.

I really do miss this format, one of feature length dramas, all we seem to have now are six part series, you don't always want to commit for six weeks.

Expect a great cast in most episodes, look out for the likes of Bernard Hill, Alan Cumming, Pauline Collins and Alfred Molina.

What a shame that so few were commercially released, and virtually none of them have ever been shown for a very long time.

9/10.