Mr Loverman

Mr Loverman is a thought-provoking, deeply moving drama that explores historic and changing attitudes to gay relationships within the Afro Caribbean community in Britain. But it is much more than that - it is about love in all its guises and about the importance of identity and being true to yourself no matter what culture or community you are brought up in. Lennie James and Sharon D Clarke deserve to win every award going for their stunning performances. In fact, every character in this brilliant drama is beautifully portrayed and I cannot recommend it highly enough. More like this please BBC!

This series is based on a book. However, the screenplay itself uses a very childishly write script to bring it to the screen. The story could easily have been told in two episodes but instead has been dragged out by using eight episodes. The dialog is stilted and often irrelevant. It's really difficult to imagine any West Indian person using some of the words and dialogue that one hears. At times, it all gets a bit too silly and the FF button gets heavy use to move things along. The acting really isn't that great, and at times comes across as very amateurish.

My Review- Mr Loverman Streaming on Foxtel My Rating 9/10

Each episode of this unusual and thought provoking 8 part series begins with a famous literary quote.

The first episode quotes James Baldwin "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." The final episode opens with "People pay more for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.".

The journey from the first to the final episode is emotional, funny and l think authentic in the way it portrays the consequences of choices that we all make in life .

The Mr Loverman or central character Barrington or Barry Walker referred to in the title is so skillfully played by Lennie James who deservedly won this years BAFTA award for Best TV actor.

Barry is a dapper narcissistic 74 year old British Caribbean man going through a turning point crisis in his 50 year marriage to Carmel also played superbly by Sharon D. Clarke.

Sharon and Barry obviously are miserable together after raising their 2 daughters Maxine and Donna basically living separate lives always emotionally at odds with each other.

Carmel accuses Barry when he returns home drunk of sleeping around with prostitutes however in reality her husband has had a male lover known to the family for years as Uncle Morris.

Ariyon Bakare who plays Barry'S lover Morris Del La Roux also deserved his BAFTA as supporting actor.

Only the Brits could portray this story of a middle class black family and their community that instead of focusing on race relations focuses on the secrets and deception of a modern marriage that any family of any colour could go through.

Decades after homosexuality was legalised in Britain Morris and his closeted lover Barry are also at a crossroads in their relationship that begun in their youth in Antigua, a Caribbean island.

Morris is now out of the closet but Barry's internalised homophobia and his alcohol abuse keeps him in denial about his true sexuality.

Every character in this series I found interesting especially the women in Barry's life including his daughters Maxine and Donna played by Tamara Lawrance and Sharlene Whyte .

Both daughters are very different in their tolerance and affection for their father. Maxine is the younger more worldly daughter while Donna is a chip off her mother's block a stubborn perfectionist.

Special mention of Tahj Miles who plays Daniel Barry's grandson and Donna Walkers only son .

Daniel is a young man preparing to go to university and is grappling with his own anxieties alongside his exciting future.

It's an unusual experience these days for me to be so impressed with a series and congratulations to Cambodian Director Hong Khaou and screenwriter Nathaniel Price who has adapted Bernardine Evaristo'z novel and produced such a contemporary and thoughtful series.

This is a riveting drama and superb acting from all the cast, extremely well written with characters you really get to know and appreciate for who they are or pretend to be. It does not shy away from controversy either and handles the prejudices of the characters with both touching realism tinged with humour and sadness. Lennie James simply surpasses himself in his portrayal of a closeted gay man who is caught between his family and secret lover and understandable split loyalties. Set in the London Borough of Hackney and on the Island of Antigua, I cannot recommend this drama highly enough. Enjoy!

I wonder just how good the rest of the cast were because WOW! WOW! WOW! A tour de force with knobs on performance from Lennie James which has awards stamped all over it.

The story unfolds visiting the different characters so you must watch all episodes to follow and understand the story.

I can't throw enough superlatives at this. Just watch it.please.

I am forced to write more about this by imdb but really, more words do this no justice. I hate telling you what the story is about which must, by its very nature, contain spoilers which would be out of context with the series.

A coming og age perhaps.