BroadcastChic
Excellent, a Must See
Orla Zuniga
It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
Cody
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Brooklynn
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
yjudith
Im looking at all the 9s and 10s and Im wondering if I should watch this movie again....not!!! I considered not playing the second disc at all that's how much i wasnt enjoying it. This film was way too slow, especially the first disc, to be considered gripping or intriguing. Absolutely not a thriller.
After being fired from his job, Tom Rondstadt goes back to his childhood home and almost immediately starts to flashback to an incident that led him to leave home in the first place; an incident between him and his father, Sam. Getting answers to the rising questions Tom has for his dad is difficult because dad has Alzheimers. The movie just stutter steps to me. When there is a revelation, I really couldn't care less. This was a great story, I just dont think it was executed well; it needed more intensity. I didnt care for the ending either. As things are falling into place and more and more truth is revealed, it was like a snowball rolling down a hill and it's getting bigger...then stalls.
I did like the exposure Alzheimer's received by making it a huge focal point and the phenomenal job Jim Broadbent did this role. John Simm did a great job as well.
filmgoose
Exile is a story about returning to your hometown to find that little has changed. It focuses on the father-son relationship between Sam (Jim Broadbent),and Tom Ronstadt (John Simm), and also Nancy (Olivia Coleman, who is tired of caring for her elderly father on her own.There's so much frustration and anger in Tom's character who is unable to understand why his father treated him like he did in the past, and with Sam's Alzheimer's it becomes a real mystery with little pieces of the past being gradually released throughout the three episodes. What I love about this show is that even with all the angst and tension there is some great humour and heartwarming moments.
farmertrouser
Given the well known actors involved in this drama, I had high hopes and they were not disappointed. All of the main characters were played fantastically well and it felt real. My mum has Alzheimers and I did wonder whether I would be "up" to watching something that was obviously so close to home, but the illness as a main strand of the story was treated with sensitivity and humour. Jim Broadbent was amazing in the role as the ill dad, and John Simm and Olivia Colman were both fantastic in their roles as wayward son and put upon daughter. The mystery surrounding the sudden departure of Tom to London 18 years earlier developed well as the storyline moved on. Similarly to another reviewer I did think that the ending was somewhat hurried, but all of the loose ends were well and truly tied, and it didn't detract from the overall quality. I'll be making a DVD purchase when it's released.
only_kam
There's not much to add from the other reviews on this drama. The only thing I would say, is that the ending was somewhat anti-climatic, it just felt like it could have ended with more of a bang, due to the build up of the finale. I don't think that I would be the only one in thinking that there was still enough room for an extra episode. Anyhow, the drama does extremely well in highlighting the plight of Alzheimer sufferers and the effect on those around them in the wider context of it being a thriller. I think the casting was great, it was nice to see Olivia Coleman playing such a rich character in support. Obviously credit goes to John Simm for providing an outstanding performance of great depth, as well as Jim Broadbent's lovable portrayal as the father suffering from Alzheimers. Also, Kate Magowan oozed an unconventional sense of sexiness from her first scene behind the bar.I am glad to have watched this show and I shall be recommending this to all my friends!