A Mother's Son [DVD]

This was possibly the best drama I have seen on TV so far this year. The writing is beautiful; the red herrings are woven so deftly into the story that even the most astute of viewers is likely to be switching their choice of 'prime suspect' from one character to another more than once.

However, this is not a classic 'whodunnit', more an exploration of the mental and emotional impact on a family - and particularly a mother - when it becomes apparent that her son may be involved in the murder of a local schoolgirl. The plot builds slowly as the mother (Rosie, played brilliantly by Hermione Norris) struggles with her growing suspicions and what to do about them, and her tension and dread begin to undermine her fragile new family (her own two teenage children from a previous husband, her second husband, and his two teenagers). Martin Clunes revealed a depth of acting skill I had not previously seen in him as Rosie's husband Ben, and Paul McGann was excellent as her ex-husband; on the surface a hard nut but as tormented as Rosie by the prospect of what their son might have done. The contrast between the way the two men tried to deal with the situation (one wanting to go to the police, the other determined not to) was fascinating.

Alexander Arnold was outstanding as Jamie - sullen, angry and frightened by turn. If you are an admirer of Hermione Norris's work (if not, you probably wouldn't buy the DVD anyway) you will know how well she portrays repressed pain and grief. I have rarely seen her do it better than she does here. Understated, often wordless, but conveying more than a torrent of words could do.

The last few scenes are heartbreaking, and if you are a parent, a little frightening to watch. And whether you are or not, it would be difficult to watch A Mother's Son without thinking, as I did while the credits ran -'What would I have done?'

I found the film riveting and the acting all round was very sensitive and, for me, believable. If you are interested in the psychology of the human mind, as I am, you will find it not too long nor too short. It did make me wonder how I would react as a mother in her circumstances. Unforgettable!

This was a made for television two part drama for Independent Television and I must say they are getting rather good at making these again, which is fine by me. It stars Martin Clunes (Ben) and Hermione Norris (Rosie), they have just done a `Brady Bunch' and brought their two families together in a huge house in the small coastal town of East Lee. They both have a son and a daughter and they are all going to have to get along in that modern parent kind of way. Only these are teenagers and so have more hormones than I don't know what, a hormone holding facility - probably.

Then one of their school chums goes missing, she is a teenager and it is not long before her body is found, she has had sexual congress (that's a good word isn't it) and was an only child. This news hits the small community hard and the police are not long in coming up with a suspect. The problem is mum Rosie, starts to suspect that her son might be telling a few lies too many and so reluctantly starts to investigate what he might have done. She is obviously torn between the thought that her baby could have done something terrible and the belief that wrong doers must be punished. As she clutches for straws the sign posts of guilt become ever more apparent.

This is a really well made drama, the acting is all brilliant and the kids come across as convincing and very real, especially when the excuses start to fly and they are all full of typical teen age logic that only ever sound plausible coming from someone of that age.

It is a great testament to independent television that they will invest in original drama. It runs for two hours and my version has the end titles half way through, but that in no way detracts from the strength of this piece of film making, recommended.