Its pretty easy to review most films. Transformers 4 for example. Liked it, didnt like it etc etc, films too long, and so on.
However sometimes youll watch a film (or in this case a TV drama) that is not easy to review because there are words you cant use in your comments about it.
Murdered By My Boyfriend, the BBC3 drama that aired last week and is still available on BBC I Player.
Written by screenwriter Regina Moriarty but based upon a very much true story and directed by Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton, Cherry Tree Lane) and starring Georgina Campbell as teenager Ashley and Royce Pierreson in the co starring role of Reece.
The two meet at a party and by remember the title of the programme you are watching. You know the outcome and its not nice.
As the viewer you can easily see warning bells when Reece casually read the text messages on Ashleys phone and things progress from there down a very dark and grim path as the drama follows through three years of their journey together.
The drama is very difficult viewing as you see Reece tear down Ashley’s dreams of motherhood, marriage and friendship.
This is not a project you enjoy watching and nor should you. But it is a drama that should be watched so that you remind yourself that these events happen, far too frequently in this world.
Director Paul Andrew Williams
Paul Andrew Williams handles the direction of Ashleys world perfectly as he did with London to Brighton and Cherry Tree Lane. He is most certainly a name that can be trusted 100% with subject matter that is real and brutal.
He is a director that doesnt create any over dramatization, Paul doesnt need to, the power is in the words of the script, the performance of the characters and the fact this story is true as well as the way Paul wields his camera. Having seen most of Paul Andrew Williams work, He shows on screen what he needs to but knows there is so much more power in what we dont see, but what we can imagine.
The identity of the real ‘Ashley’ has been hidden and of course ‘Ashley’ isnt her real name but screenwriter Regina Moore revealed her shock when she was the research on the young woman.
“In most of the pictures, ‘Ashley’ was with her girlfriends: at a hen party, busting some moves at a nightclub, pulling daft poses outside the boutique she worked in. She didn’t look like the perceived idea of a ‘typical’ victim of domestic violence. She was only young. She was confident, bubbly, beautiful and popular.”
For those who read this. The programme is available on BBCIplayer for a few days more. Hopefully the drama will make its way to DVD so that the sheer power and realism of this can hit a few extra minds.
Earlier today as I tweeted about having just watched it. Someone replied.
“I dont get why the put things like this on television”
I will let you fill in your own answer to that comment.
Just before the final credit rolls takes us out of the programme, The screen shows us this text message
“It took four years for Ashley to die. In that time, at least 229 other women in Britain were murdered as a result of domestic violence.”
If you or anyone you know are being affected by domestic violence, you can get details of practical support and information by calling the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000247.
The feedback for the show has been understandably powerful and supportive.
Here are some of the comments from around the country after the shows broadcast.
One viewer posted: “Just finished watching Murdered By My Boyfriend. What an outstanding, powerful and moving drama. Congrats to all involved.”
Chloe from MTV’s Ex on the Beach posted on Twitter : “Just watched that murdered by my boyfriend … Most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen .. Can’t sleep now.”
Actress Rosie Day told her Twitter followers: “Murdered by my Boyfriend should be shown in every school/sixth form/college. So important, not just for young girls but for everyone.”
Tom from The Wanted tweeted that “no one should ever suffer domestic violence.”
I saw this comment on a website and it does sum up rather well my own feelings.
“I’ve seen sixty-two episodes of Breaking Bad and ten of Game of Thrones, but neither have the emotional punch of BBC3’s Murdered by My Boyfriend,” says Bart Harris
What are your thoughts on Murdered By My Boyfriend.
Tell us in the comments below.
frompage2screen.com 
I watched this programme about the absolutely horrifying murder of Casey Brittle earlier this week and I’ve found myself thinking about it quite a few times. The acting was so believable and the way that the story was put together was just absolutely fantastic. Abuse thrives in silence – if this makes people talk about it, it can only do good. One of the best things Ive watched in a long long time.
LikeLike
Watching people talk about this programme (and the case) as I do what I do and devour the entire internet. Its very rare that a film or a tv drama can fire up so much emotion. This is drama not at its best (as in, enjoyable), but at its most powerful and educational. Most definitely a programme that everyone should watch
LikeLike
The film was to close to my own personal experience. On a good note it opens peoples eyes when you hear the words
“I wouldn’t put up with it” or “Why didn’t she leave” the two most frustrating sentences people could say. Hopefully
that will change now and people will understand it’s not as easy as that. You have a lot of things to consider and you
consider everyone around you first. The fact that you kept the whole thing a secret because your to ashamed to tell anyone
that behind closed doors this is what goes on.
The sad part when I watched the little girl, that reminded me of my little girl who is now grown up and is going through so
many flash backs. All because it had to be hidden, from school and she had to pretend to be happy when all she wanted
to do was cry. My mother inlaw would take her to her place and pretend it didn’t happen and used to tell my daughter
that Daddy was just being silly, Daddy just had a bad day at work. You mustn’t tell anyone. He will be fine in a few days.
The sad part is that when I tryed to leave it went from bad to worse, he tryed to ram us both off the road. I have a police tape
with the whole thing on there where he chased us down the road and every turning on to the road I had to just take a chance
and hope no one was coming and then on the main road he just wheel span his car round and headed towards us and then
you hear myself and my daughter screaming as if that was the end he was coming at us at speed and then dodged right at
the last minute. Had there been another car coming the same way as him he couldn’t have missed us I would not be here
writing this now.
I so wish they could do a film into how it works in court as even though you hear tell someone,go to a refuge its all not
that simple and the courts put you through hell. After what you have been through for 16years the last thing you need is
the Great British Justice System. After a while you realsie that the solicitors you sit in front of only care about the money
I have learn’t a lot from this experience that the more your house is worth the more they see you as a cash registrar they
can draw the process out the more protracted debates the more money in there pockets. The barristers treat it as a game
best one wins. They dont care that it took a lot of guts to go to the court,they dont care that you have to give your most
embarrassing moments . Thye dont care when it come to custody they just want to tick a box and give the child over to
the violent person because they dont care to understand that the person they will put a vulnerable child with, could kill that
child just to spite the mother.
Sorry I went on a bit but theirs so much more,my daughter gave her dad another chance when she was 18 he contacted
her everyone said his changed his mellow not aggressive heartbroken he hadn’t seen her for 8 years etc etc
if you listen to my two songs they were written because of this. Tears Behind the Smile is mine. This Ones for you Dad
is about my daughters experience after giving her dad a second chance. Both songs are True but short I was told by a producer
they were to sad to release. Unfortunately Domestic Violence is not Happy and upbeat.
itunes.apple.com/album/id803215922#.U7EVRFiDSdM.twitter … … … … … … … … … pic.twitter.com/ZEcZbGiZwc
itunes.apple.com/album/id803215922#.U7prFXsYi5A.twitter … … … pic.twitter.com/FvN3Bwk7IR
LikeLike