Stonemouth

Pretty people acting badly... pretty much sums this up. The director seems to be working from Directing for Dummies as we get the various "art" shots so he he can add them to his resume, followed by directing 101shots so we can watch the bad actors trying to act. Then we get voice-overs .. and MORE voice-overs ... and .. well you get my point. Because how else can you explain the plot and characters? ... oh wait that's right .. by acting and directing properly!

This is a "Top-notch" show! I really enjoyed this series and how it unfolded. I wish it was longer than 2 episodes. I will have to read Iain Banks novel and perhaps his other novel "The Crow Road".

The actors Christian Cooke (Stewart Gilmour), Charlotte Spencer (Ellie Murston), Kevin Mains (Fraser Murston), Jack Greenlees (Norrie Murston), Chris Fulton (Ferg), Naomi Battrick (Grier Murston), Brian Gleeson (Powell Imrie), and, Samuel Robertson (Callum Murston) were portrayed excellently and so believably.

Not to mention how handsome the lead actor (Christian Cooke) with his piercing blue eyes are, and lets not forget to mention the supporting male cast as well (Chris Fulton, Samuel Robertson).

Now the relationship that you see between Ellie and Stewart through the flashbacks is nice to see(it lets you know how they got to where they are in the present). Also, Stewart's relationship with his friend's Ferg and *Cal(whom Stewart came back to Stonemouth his childhood home to be at *his funeral).

I feel that it's a story based on secrets and lies that are behind the death of Stewart's best friend Callum, which prompts him to come home two years later after being chased away.

You can sense a little tension in the air between the Murtson's and the MacAvett's; plus the way the father & brother's of Ellie (Don Murston, Norrie Murston, and Fraser Murston) feel towards Stewart returning home after two years.

Will Stewart be able to find out what happened to his best friend before it's too late?

As a self-contained miniseries of just two episodes, there had to be a lot of explaining and exposition. This was done by the main character Stewart Gilmour doing a voiceover at many points in the story to explain what had come before or why certain relationships had soured. It's hard to transfer a novel to screen with so little time and this was the formula the screenwriters chose. It wasn't that satisfactory.

The story was complicated with twists and turns. I haven't read the novel but I surmise it handled them better than the show.

The younger male actors were beauteous hunks with a modern proclivity for polysexuality. Chris Fulton playing Ferg was a prime example although Christian Cooke's so blue eyes fascinated too.

We knew the purported crime would be sorted out but it was just so truncated doing it in two episodes.

As for personal relationships, I just can't understand why Stewart never told Ellie to hold on a minute; he'd seen her snogging another guy at the party. Like one of the other reviewers I'd have preferred to see him end up with Ferg.

I watched over two nights. Yes, I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it's the best.

Brian Gleason was great, as well as all the older, veteran actors (save the mum). Storyline wasn't fleshed out nor was it compelling, and a better love story would have been Ferg and Stewart. Wouldn't rewatch, but I think I'm glad I did.

Putting a crime fiction novel onto the screen can be difficult and this one was done mindfully. It didn't drag. The locations were great. The sex and violence and soapiness and rude vocab weren't overdone. The narration was used really well. We liked it.