Others have reviewed the storyline and cast, I'd like to mention that I found this pilot for the eventual series on YouTube, of all places. I expected classic Patricia Routledge comedy but I think this pilot should have a warning label on it "NOT WHAT YOU THINK".
Many elements combine to make this film. Setting is strong, such as the seaside town of Brighton, a National Express bus across England, a garden allotment, an off-track betting shop, and many more. The film moves between scenes quickly and never looks back, but there is magic here.
It is set in (I think) 1980s England, which was a far cry from the upscale, prosperous England of today. It nicely portrays the humble day to day like to Edith, a housewife who sows her husband's betting proceeds into the stuffing for couch pillows.
Edith is the central character here. She looks at her wedding picture and says she was upstaged as a bride. Her lack of self-esteem and dedication to her husband are at the center of this film.
Parts of the film are hilariously funny, many parts are heartbreaking. The ending is a tour de force interchange between two brilliant British actresses. It is very moving.
I think that "Missing Persons" is an apt title. Indeed, Edith herself was missing from her own life. I will say that the black and white flashback scenes are confusing. Only at the end did I come to understand that they portrayed Edith, not her husband's first wife. I think they need more explanation--the characters are unrecognizable and it's hard to know what is gong on.
I would watch this pilot again, gladly, but I would not include it in a discussion with the later BBC series. They should be kept separate, but the pilot "Missing Persons" should not be ignored or undervalued. Just don't expect a constant stream of Rutledge humor. She's a superb actress and this pilot gives her a script where she can do both physical comedy and pure drama.
Highly recommended. Highly memorable. Here's to all the Ediths of the world, emerging from their shells at just the right time.
Thank you to whoever wrote and produced and directed and lit the scenes in the cramped apartment. Well done.
(Eight stars, not ten, because of the confusion over the flashbacks. I thought they were distracting. Perhaps one would have been enough, with the characters identified.)
Many elements combine to make this film. Setting is strong, such as the seaside town of Brighton, a National Express bus across England, a garden allotment, an off-track betting shop, and many more. The film moves between scenes quickly and never looks back, but there is magic here.
It is set in (I think) 1980s England, which was a far cry from the upscale, prosperous England of today. It nicely portrays the humble day to day like to Edith, a housewife who sows her husband's betting proceeds into the stuffing for couch pillows.
Edith is the central character here. She looks at her wedding picture and says she was upstaged as a bride. Her lack of self-esteem and dedication to her husband are at the center of this film.
Parts of the film are hilariously funny, many parts are heartbreaking. The ending is a tour de force interchange between two brilliant British actresses. It is very moving.
I think that "Missing Persons" is an apt title. Indeed, Edith herself was missing from her own life. I will say that the black and white flashback scenes are confusing. Only at the end did I come to understand that they portrayed Edith, not her husband's first wife. I think they need more explanation--the characters are unrecognizable and it's hard to know what is gong on.
I would watch this pilot again, gladly, but I would not include it in a discussion with the later BBC series. They should be kept separate, but the pilot "Missing Persons" should not be ignored or undervalued. Just don't expect a constant stream of Rutledge humor. She's a superb actress and this pilot gives her a script where she can do both physical comedy and pure drama.
Highly recommended. Highly memorable. Here's to all the Ediths of the world, emerging from their shells at just the right time.
Thank you to whoever wrote and produced and directed and lit the scenes in the cramped apartment. Well done.
(Eight stars, not ten, because of the confusion over the flashbacks. I thought they were distracting. Perhaps one would have been enough, with the characters identified.)