This Life + 10 (2007) (TV)

Director:

Joe Ahearne

Writer:

Amy Jenkins (creator)

Release Date:

2 January 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The friends reunite for Ferdy's funeral and old tensions rise.

Plot Keywords:

Funeral | Reunion | Old Friends | Documentary Crew | Drugs

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Jack Davenport	...	Miles Stewart
Amita Dhiri	...	Milly Nassim
Jason Hughes	...	Warren Jones
Andrew Lincoln	...	Edgar 'Egg' Cook
Daniela Nardini	...	Anna Forbes
Jodie Whittaker	...	Clare
Linh Dan Pham	...	Me-Linh (as Linh-Dan Pham)
Deborah Findlay	...	Doctor
Nick Sampson	...	Priest
Mark Lawson	...	Interviewer
James Greene	...	Judge
Joanne McQuinn	...	Audience Member
Nicholas Beveney	...	Bailiff
Shakeel Orr-Deen	...	Oscar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Humby	...	Passer By

Runtime:

UK:90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The original cast, executive producer, creator and writer were all re-united for this one-off special.

Movie Connections:

Follows "This Life" (1996)

An outsider's perspective

I had never seen "This Life" before, but I took a leap of faith and followed my TV guide. It turned out to be right for once. I immediately bonded with the characters and the show wasted no time in getting to the juicy bits. I felt like I had been with flatmates with these guys since forever, even five minutes into the programme! The mock documentary format was put to good use as we got to know our new (old) characters again. It was being used as an aside comment box, telling us things that would feel unnatural had it been told in the third person. I thought it worked very well. The drama unfolded gradually and we learnt about how each character has developed since we last saw them ten years ago (well, for the first time for me!). There were some surprises and confusions but I ate it all up. I don't want to spoil the plot, especially for the nostalgic fans, so I won't say anything more other than it's all top notch, riveting stuff. I don't know how it compares to the original series, but since I've enjoyed this special so much I'm considering buying the DVDs for them. An entertaining 90 minutes and I would recommend it even for those who have not seen "This Life" before, you'll get sucked in right away. Oh, and before I go, I must gush about the music. I'm a soundtrack freak and I adored this one - some very current selections at the start that gave it an optimistic note, and from what I've heard they put in some classic tracks as an homage to the original series. The funniest thing was that I was thinking how great it would be to have some Portishead on the show, and then Sour Times kicked in(!) Very apt, especially with Beth Gibbons wailing "Cos nobody loves me... it's true." right when Anna was talking. Props to the music team. ;)