Francesca Joseph's made-for-TV movie is a small masterpiece of observation, at once very funny and very moving. A small opera company arrives at a maximum security prison with the intention of staging Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" with a chorus of lifers. In the course of the auditions both the company and the prisoners learn, not only to live with each other, but also to trust and respect and finally like each other.
Coming from the same school as "The Full Monty" this is an altogether more perceptive look at the school of hard knocks we know as life, and is better written, directed and acted. The entire cast perform beautifully, moving seamlessly from broad farce to near tragedy sometimes within the same scene and while it is invidious to single anyone out I feel I must mention Jessica Stephenson (snooty, pretentious director who finally melts), Samantha Spiro (an over-sexed Mrs Lovett), Shaun Digwall (outwardly hard-as-nails, inwardly heart-of-gold jailer) and the great Karl Johnson (hard-bitten old timer).
Made by BBC films, this cries out for a cinema release where it's small but undeniably considerable virtues would surely have put it in the running for an Oscar. For now, let us be grateful it has finally been screened and here's hoping for an early release on DVD. Absolutely unmissible.
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