This Is England '88: DVD Review

This Is England '88: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

Christmas - a time of hope, forgiveness and starting again.

And in This Is England 88's world, a time of misery and abuse dealing with what happened a couple of years ago.

Brilliant.

Shane Meadows' spin off series from This Is England continues with this four part drama and sees Woody and Lol (all from working class England) growing apart from each other and Woody (Joseph Gilgun from Misfits) leaving the gang.

Themes of separation, family, depression and general misery pervade this release - and it's a little unrelenting to be honest with the malaise of unhappiness from the past few series continuing to drip through. It's only thanks to an extremely talented cast that you really stick with it - because the continual unhappiness, is to be honest, a little draining after a few series. I know working class Britain is a bit rough, but it would be good to bring in a little light occasionally.

That said, the series won BAFTA nominations and it does beat the pants off a lot of other mini series - so stick with it and you will be rewarded with some of the best acting on the box. But don't expect, sunshine and rainbows all the way through.

Extras: Commentary on ep3 with Joe Gilgun and Vicky McClure, interviews and deleted scenes

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