STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful
Britain, the early 1980's. Joan (Sophie Turner) is a single mother to her beloved daughter, Kelly (Mia Millichamp Long), having escaped from her abusive, ex con boyfriend. At the end of her tether, and unable to make ends meet, Joan hands Kelly into the care of Social Services, hoping to get back on her feet and be reunited with her one day. She lands a job at a jewellers, where she discovers a skill for diamond theft, and after forming a partnership with flashy wide boy Boisie (Frank Millane), embarks on a wild, chaotic world of criminality and chances.
1980's based crime dramas, culminating with a clean break to the 'Costa Del Crime', have been a hallmark of British cinema over the years, but few (if any) have been told from a female perspective. Director Richard Laxton not only manages this, but charts a true life tale, that certainly deserves to be told. He crafts a believable, if not quite as exhilarating as it could have been, tale that maybe gets stretched out longer than it should have been.
In the lead role, Turner delivers a convincing portrayal of a lone woman caught in a desperate situation, hardened by the tough world she has been forced to inhabit, with no system in place to help women like her at the time, and with more resourcefulness than anyone would credit her for. As such, she gets to put on a convincing array of costumes and accents that elevates the proceedings somewhat. Milane delivers steady support as the mumbling bad boy Joan finds herself drawn to, embarking on a series of heists together, before a subplot involving the IRA makes its mark, changing the tone slightly.
It's not as effective as it could be, and may be one or two episodes too long, but it still holds your attention to the end, with a cool 80's soundtrack, with great attention to fashion and period to match. ***
