Unforgivable

In bleak, stark, Brit drama "Unforgivable" Bobby Schofield gets outta jail a few years after molesting nephew Austin Haynes - with his release stressing the wider family inc his sister (& Haynes' mum) Anna Friel and their dad David Threlfall. Its blue-collar Merseyside style typifies renowned writer Jimmy McGovern, who again tackles a difficult & uncomfortable subject, and does so here with skill, balance, & sensitivity - peeling an onion layer on a distinctly taboo subject. Props too go to debut director Julia Ford who elicits some fine performances, especially from Schofield who's excellent, and Haynes. It's a hard, downbeat watch - but an admirably well-made film.

Great acting and a story about a very delicate subject. Sad story about a family torn apart by child sexual abuse. Covers the effects on each family member and the emotional toll it takes on the victim and the abuser. Made me cry at the end 😢. I thought this movie touched on the many aspects of child sexual abuse and the abuser, also the family .

Joe Mitchell is released from a two-year prison sentence for sexually abusing his nephew. The family struggles to come to grips with his freedom; everyone is still trying to pick up the pieces.

The BBC still has the ability to deliver hard-hitting, powerful, and relevant drama. Unforgivable is unapologetic in dealing with such a serious topic - at times it's upsetting, and the dialogue and impact on Tom are quite harrowing.

It's a story that challenges the notion of things being simply black or white. You think you have all the answers, judge and jury, until you strip it back and learn a bit more.

I appreciated that Joe is complex. At the start, I felt only repulsion for him; by the end, I felt a loathing of a different volume.

If I were to be slightly critical, some elements feel underdeveloped. Anna Maxwell Martin's nun, for example, makes a significant admission, but her story doesn't go anywhere; some scenes are a little rushed. Brian's turnaround also left me unsure.

Bobby Schofield gave a terrific, layered performance, with Joe's character developing as the film went on. David Threlfall and Anna Friel were excellent in support.

While I'm often critical of one-off 90-minute dramas, this story arguably needed a longer run time to breathe and develop. Nevertheless, Jimmy McGovern has delivered a very good, powerful drama.

7.5/10.

Great writing, great casting, and the acting was outstanding..a special mention to Bobby Schofield who portrayed his character superbly in what was no doubt a difficult acting task.

IMO this puts him right up there in the acting world, well done Bobby, well done to all involved.. Also a mention to Jimmy Mc and Colin Mc another cracking watch 👍

I was expecting so much more from this. It skirted around the story with little to no character development except for the lead actor, and seemed as if the script was written by a committee with no cohesion. It all seemed a bit rushed and incomplete in the end. It just goes to show that even with a couple of outstanding performances a poorly written script is always visible.