True Love

Somewhere in the BBC they made the decision to take a realistic look at relationships, but they only succeeded halfway. While the acting is top-notch, the screenwriting attempts are quite lacking. The improvised dialogue doesn't bother me at all, but often the narrative as a whole lacks a punch, and I ended up sitting awkwardly at the end credits with the feeling that I've only seen half of what the premise promised me. What good is the believable David Morrissey when he has only a little over twenty minutes in a story about long-distance relationships and stalking? Likewise, Jane Horrocks as Sandra plays a sympathetic study of a deteriorating marriage, but the entire episode seems like the last two pages of the script were snatched away. That is why the middle episode Holly shines like a revelation. Billie Piper and Kaya Scodelario perfectly play out a scene against the tones of Eva Cassidy’s "Time After Time" that reaches an amazing conclusion in a touching atmosphere, and it works by far the best of all the stories. In summary: the episodes Nick and Sandra are above average, Adrian is an unfinished attempt, Paul is a meaningless flop, and Holly is a shining gem. (2012.10.15)