Tonight we watched The Outcast (2015) on DVD and I think it's the best performance I've seen George McKay give cast as Lewis Aldrich who's mother tragically drowns in an accident witnessed by young Lewis played beautifully by Finn Elliot.
Set in an English Village The Outcast a novel written by Sadie Jones in 2008 is gritty and powerful exploring and exposing taboo subjects in 1957 such as Parental abuse of children ,teenage self mutilation as the result of the emotional starvation of affection from a parent and physical violence and abuse and the wives and children who lived in denial and shame.
If you liked Atonement by Ian McEwan, you'll love this television adaptation from the bestselling novel from the author of The Snakes, The Outcast is a powerful portrait of unexpected love and treacherous charades against the backdrop of a sleepy post-war English village August 1957. ...
I cant understand why The Outcast and George McKay hasn't won any major awards ? My description of the basic plot may sound to gruelling to watch ,it's not though because Director Iain Softley has managed to make this 2 part Tele film beautiful to watch its set in a Midsomer village setting and the characters hold your interest Greg Wise as Gilbert Aldrich Lewis's emotionally frigid father is excellent as is Nathaniel Parker as a Dicky Carmichael a detestable excuse for a human being posing as the wealthy Village industrialist who's wife and 2 daughters guard the family's violent secret.
Everyone is excellent in this film especially actresses Jessica Barden cast as Kit Carmichael who is one of the few people in the village to show understanding and kindness to the very damaged Lewis and Jessica Brown Findlay who you may remember played Lady Sybil Crawley in Downtown Abbey in The Outcast she plays Alice ,Kits stepmother who try's to help him but is unable to reach out till it's almost too late mainly due to her husbands neglect and inability to be a father.
But the whole story really revolves around Lewis (George McKay) who truly is the outcast through no fault of his own who's self esteem and self worth has been eroded away by neglect and ignorance of his mental state caused by the traumatic events he experienced watching his mother die.
It's little wonder that George McKay's film and television career has made him one of the most sort after actors in the business today I predict he will be as great as Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Raymond and Ben Whishaw if he keeps turning out performances in projects like The Outcast.
