Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

dinning-43254 I first watched this show years ago when it came out, a quiet little nothing comedy. I remember watching and wondering why such a minimalist comedy would be led by actors as great as Dawn French and Alfred Molina, who play the leads Roger and Val. Here I am now, around 5 years later and having given the show a second run through I understand why such a show required the superior acting talents of the two - the show works brilliantly not because it is funny, but because it is real. And French and Molina help push this reality and are truly the reason the show works so well.I'm a strong believer that subtlety is an effective tool in storytelling and it is used brilliantly throughout the show. In fact, simply put, the best aspect of the show is how it holds back. Throughout the six episodes of season 1 we get the hints of drama in this "real-life comedy-drama", overlayed by excellent comedy that varies from clever wit to believable silliness. It never gives in. There are few heavy-handed expositional segments (although there is a few disappointing bits of dialogue where Roger in particular will state what has already been made clear, just in case some of the audience haven't caught on). It's a careful balance of feeding the audience small snippets of the deeper issues and keeping them laughing and it works brilliantly until the payoff at the end of episode 5 and 6 where after all their talking, Roger and Val actually get to the heart of their relationship issues. It's a beautiful, delicate and heartbreaking moment for characters we've only been sat with for a few hours.The biggest issue with the show that I've heard a lot is the pacing. At points it can be slow and there are huge pauses of silence, and although I'm not going to lie and say that every moment of the show is engaging, but these moments are necessary. As I've said, this show is very much a slice of real life and in real life there is heartbreak but there is laughter, there is silence and then there is nonsense and conversations about nothing in particular. Roger and Val show us their lives of quiet desperation, and in little stories about curtains and emails we get to sit down with two of the better written characters in recent BBC history.

Maddyclassicfilms Roger & Val Have Just Got In was created by Beth and Emma Kilcoyne and stars Alfred Molina and Dawn French.This series is about the lives of botanist Roger Stephenson(Alfred Molina)and his cookery teacher wife Val(Dawn French). Molina and French are the only actors in the series and this allows the series to focus completely on their relationship and characters. The episodes usually begin at the end of the day with the couple returning home from work, having dinner and talking about their day and doing things around the house.The amazing thing about these characters is that they seem real, the pair do and say things that we can all relate to, including complaining about work colleagues, sharing jokes, bickering and helping each other through the tough times. We also learn that they suffered a great tragedy when they were younger and from time to time this is something which casts a shadow over a happy occasion, causing them heartache all these years later.French has always been a gifted comic but this series allows her to prove herself a good dramatic actress too. Molina is excellent as usual and shows that he can move easily between comedy and sadness. Molina and French have amazing chemistry and make their characters believable and they are the main reason that you find yourself keep wanting to watch this couples everyday routine.This series isn't just a comedy but a good emotional drama too. If you're looking for laughs you'll find them but you'll also find a good drama with some moments that will have you reaching for the tissues. It's a shame that there doesn't appear to be another season being made because this is a series that could have gone on for much longer than it did.

edumacated now if you know anything about Molina, then you know he has a terrific acting range. if you don't know his work then i won't waste my time listing it--just do a search.dawn French has an excellent comedic resume--in Brit comedy.the point being--when you put a dramatic actor of such acclaimed status as Molina with a comedic pro in the likes of French, then you most probably have a recipe for disaster. but not this time.Molina proves that not only does he have technique, but also timing. and this is proved by his impeccable comedic timing--the toughest of all to master.and in being so proficient, and so lauded, he pulls French into a lofty zone i doubt any have seen her achieve before.this is a mature comedy, and i hate to say it but, if you don't get it--then you are probably too young. it's the opposite of "if it's too loud, then you are too old." these two are able to manage long takes with seemingly little effort.this quality is what the BBC is famed for. and though often tried, is seldom achieved. and i know what pulled Molina from the big screen into a risky, short term BBC project: and that was the writing. it is supremely subtle comedy.these two have pulled each other into comic reality. and when it comes to couples--there is nothing funnier than everyday truth. and this team proves it. when i watch the tenderness they show each other, I'm glad to be aging.

Simon D. This is a difficult review to write as I want to give this series glowing praise, and in some ways I can, but something is holding me back. I have a feeling that one day I may see repeats and my appreciation will grow, but for this review I can only say what I feel now. The acting is superb, the dialogue is top notch, and the atmosphere is somehow homely and moody all at the same time. Even the plot content is above average. So what's wrong? It's not the lack of the belly laugh factor, because it's not intended to be that kind of comedy...it's far more of a dry comedy drama. It doesn't even work as cringe TV, because it never reaches the depths of cringe that shows like 'The Office' or 'Extras' reaches, which conversely makes them immensely funny. It's a really weird angle, that somehow works without you realising why. There is most definitely a subtlety that means there is a good chance that a lot of people, especially those with more mainstream tastes in entertainment, will not get. If this were a movie, then I'd expect this to play in the 'Art House' venues more than the local multiplex, but, with the possibility of it gaining word of mouth and becoming a sleeper hit, because audiences just started getting it!When looking at the characters, I saw much that went on between them, going on in my own relationships. This was both cringing and heart warming. I saw the characters self indulge themselves with a self importance contained within the cocoon of their seemingly solitary existence outside of work, preventing them from getting a balanced prospective on their viewpoints and activities...but then, isn't that the same for all of us, if we're honest? This is what I meant by the cringe factor, as subtle as it is, because I saw things in their relationship, that I've seen in my own...and that makes that cringing feeling, even more uncomfortable. Maybe that's what holds me back from making this extremely well produced work, from being a classic...it's just too real to stomach? One thing for sure...at a time when good, well written sitcom's are almost a thing of the past, it is good to see that the flag of intelligent writing is still being flown, but I hope that while this was an extremely interesting watch, that the effort put into the writing in this series, could be transferred into something more mainstream, entertaining, and, dare I say it, more palatable. I would dearly like to see the Beeb return to the days of 'One Foot In The Grave', 'Men Behaving Badly', 'Waiting For God', 'Vicar Of Dibley' 'Keeping Up Appearances', and even some of the older classics like 'The Good Life' and 'Butterflies'. This series proves that the quality of the writing is out there, but that is needs to be more universally accessible. When will the current powers that be at BBC1 remember that it is the 'situation' in sitcom, and not ironically unfunny one liners that so many of todays's new comedies resort to. When will they realise that a situation is funny because of a combination of good dialogue, good plot, and good acting. There is usually one or more of those things missing in nearly every new comedy that comes along.As a conclusion I would like to say that I enjoyed 'Roger And Val...' and looked out for it in the following weeks schedules, but probably will not miss it if a follow up series doesn't happen. I do however, have great respect for what they achieved. As a footnote, I am extremely glad to see Dawn French in something that is a huge improvement on the awful 'Psychoville', which to date, is the only box set I have given up on after just 2 or 3 episodes.