Unforgiven (Yurusarezarumono) Steelbook [Blu-ray] [2014] [Region Free]

I bought this, along with Strictly Confidential, on the strength of Scott and Bailey and in particular Suranne Jones's excellent performance as Rachel. Strictly Confidential was disappointing as it seemed at times an excuse for raunchiness and lots of swearing and neither were there subtitles which was a pity as the soundtrack quality wasn't great. But with Unforgiven we are once again in the territory that Ms Jones inhabits so securely and of course once again the admirable Sally Wainwright delivers a terrific script. Suranne Jones is more than assured in her role as the recently released murderer and her interacting with the supporting cast is brilliant. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

I came to this drama many years after it was aired now, after watching Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley series starring Sarah Lancashire.Happy Valley recently received glowing praise from Richard Osman on the TV programme Pointless, so l took a punt on the series which l bought on dvd.Starring a former soap actress, l had wrongly assumed Happy Valley would be a rather unremarkable Sunday evening type drama.Due to Sally Wainwright's remarkable writing, superb performances from Sarah Lancashire and pretty much all the cast, together with high quality direction and production, the two series of Happy Valley far exceeded my expectations. Happy Valley has a gritty story line combining policing in the community with police murder investigations, and a large dose of family and social drama.This earlier mini series, Unforgiven, has many similarities to Happy Valley. It stars another ex- Coronation Street actress Suranne Jones, who also puts in a superb performance, especially as the story unfolds.Like Happy Valley, Unforgiven is also filmed in the Calder Valley where l once lived myself, and although it doesn't make quite as much use of the superb scenery of the area, the valley does still add a stamp of authenticity and character to the events. Knowing the area from childhood, Sally Wainwright may even have written parts of her storylines with particular locations in mind?Unforgiven has other links with Happy Valley in that George Costigan and the excellent Siobhan Finneran feature in both amongst excellent casts.Being only three 45 minute episodes long, Unforgiven does not have as much time to explore sub-plots, but there are different strands to the story that Sally Wainwright weaves into an intriguing whole, and you would have to have a heart of stone not to get emotionally involved with the plot, particularly the predicament of Suranne Jones' character.Although the major twist at the start of Episode Three can be foreseen as a likely development, this doesn't in my opinion detract from the tension and viewer involvement in the outcome. This again is due to Sally Wainwright's ability to create believable conflicted characters, brought to life by a strong cast.There is however an element of implausibility in the plot, in that Suranne's character on release from prison is resettled into the community where she is still remembered for the violent crime for which she was convicted. The explaination offered of lack of resources to relocate her with a different identity is not very convincing, but overall this is just a minor criticism.Needless to say l highly recommend both series to those unfamiliar with these works. Subtitles are incidentally an option for those who are hard of hearing, or for Southerners who may have difficulty making out some of the local dialect.

I missed this series when it originally aired, after reading the reviews decided to order it.Essentially the story is about a woman released from prison after 15 years. Implausible that she would not have been given a new identity and re-located to somewhere other than the location of the original crime. That said first the location is amazing, beautifull Yorkshire scenery. The transformation of the farmhouse is amazing.Suzanne Jones is excellent in the role of Ruth Slater, child like at times and very vulnerable. Nice twist in the story becomes evident later in the series. Overall definitely worth watching. For a change an ending that is satisfying.

This three-part mini series is worth watching for the brilliant acting by Suranne Jones. She performs with such intensity that she draws you into fully believing that you can experience the world as seen by a woman leaving prison for the first time in 15 years. Her tone of voice, facial expressions and body carriage all bespeak the bitterness, the sadness, the desperation that must be the lot of a person in that situation. It is a mesmerising performance.The quality of the other performances in the series is also high, with familiar faces such as Peter Davison, Jemma Redgrave and Douglas Hodge lending strong support. I particularly liked the way Siobhan Finneran (O'Brien in Downton Abbey) played in her role.The taut script, by Sally Wainwright, deals thoughtfully with the issues it raises and, combined with the skills of director, David Evans, delivers genuine tension and a sense of dread in several crucial scenes.I took a star off my rating for this show because of the predictability and / or implausibility of some of the plot developments, particularly in the third episode and also because the script made Jones' character a bit too easy and quick to sympathise with. However, I still heartily recommend "Unforgiven" as absorbing viewing. Suranne Jones' performance will stay in your mind.

Sooner or later Suranne Jones is going to be recognised as one of our finest actresses. She has never been in a duff production and this is absolutely no exception. The depth of emotion she can express, without dialogue, is simply stunning. All supporting cast also excellent. I will not reveal the storyline but be assured it is excellent, although you may figure out the truth behind "the happening" early on, it is of no consequence and will not affect your appreciation of the fine performances. Please watch this, I want the world to know and appreciate the sheer quality that is Suranne Jones. You'll need a box of tissues (available on Amazon). She's come a long way from Coronation Street. Hope we will soon see her in a big production and up there receiving honours that she so richly deserves.

I loved this, it had me in tears.But when I got to the end of the 3rd episode I was really surprised and disappointed that there wasn't a 4th episode to round the story off. If there'd been that last ending episode is have given this 5+ stars, as it is I think it deserves the 4 stars because what there is is brilliant.