Contains a spoiler.
Simplicity of narrative, complexity of character, that’s my mantra.
Jimmy McGovern
When I heard McGovern say that in an interview some years ago I wrote it down. I’ve long admired his writing, and when I saw the trailer for Time on BBC 1 I knew it was a must-see.
The performances were stunning: subtle, real, relatable. And through it all a subtle thread that culminated in what was, for me, the killer line of the whole thing:
I told him that I loved him.
Brendan Murphy (Jonathan Harden)
Fed to us in single lines and a couple of scenes, the tragedy of a 13-year old lad who professes love to his best mate, then kills him in the pain and fear of rejection. A simple story, a complex character, brilliantly played.
Martin Sketchley 