Wow! Such a good movie.

Waste of time

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Whilst the film 'Rainman' and Mark Haddon's book are both primarily works of fiction, this film is a dramatisation of a true story that, at the time of writing, is still going on.The fact that psychiatrists and social workers seemed flummoxed is the centre of this tragic tale. Without a proper diagnosis - a label - Lisa and her family receive little help. This is not about Asperger's. The medical teams decided it was not 'just' Asperger's, but they couldn't decide what it was and this condemned the family to the life they had and which the film tried to portray.Rebekah Staton was very good as Lisa. If she seemed detestable then that is the point. Difficult to love her, but still unconditionally loved by her mother in the only way she knew how. Difficult for her to show love, but she did in her own way by demonstrating an overpowering need for her mother to be around, to 'look after her' and not to 'spoil her day'.It's not an easy film to watch. Life is not easy sometimes. I thought it was well done. I don't like 'wobblevision' but its use when Lisa was being sectioned highlighted her panic, fear and confusion. The stark quality of the film was enhanced by the brave decision of the producers not to have incidental music, so well done to them! I don't think the point of the film was to help anyone associated with Asperger's. If there was a point in showing this story at all, maybe it was that we can't help those we can't label and that we should open our minds to understanding people when they are in distress, for whatever reason and however unpalatable.

Individually, Timothy Spall and Brenda Blethyn are usually worth watching. Put them together and as long as the script doesn't let them down, they should be tremendous. It doesn't and they are. This is a drama based on a true story. But it is the drama of despair, there's no feel-good factor or happy ending. This is the tale of a severely dysfunctional family that love each other, but are destroying each other. It's not quite about Asberger's syndrome, nor about mental illness, Lisa's condition remains undiagnosed. It's more about how a family with problems can fall through the cracks between the different agencies set up to care for just such a situation. Bill and Wendy have been coping with their daughter for years. But her demands drive them to attempting suicide. It's only then that the mental health and social services agencies realise that there's a problem. But the reason for Lisa's behaviour appears to be partly due to the way her parents are treating her. Rebekah Staton is definitely one to watch.

This was an outstanding drama which depicted how life was for the Ainscows, a family living with their daughter's condition which they found difficult to have diagnosed by medical and mental health professionals.The story was written based on the accounts of Mrs Ainscow, (played by Brenda Blenthyn). And while it's gritty portrayal of Lisa may not leave you full of empathy for her as the user above has stated, I don't believe that is the responsibility of the drama. It does however display the real life difficulty the family faced and what led Mr and Mrs Ainscow to do what they felt they had to.The performances were excellent by the three lead characters, Brenda Blethyn gave a performance reminiscent of her turn as Cynthia Purley in Secrets and Lies and Rebehak Staton is an actress to watch for in the future.While at times harrowing to watch it was truly gripping and one of the best things on TV for a long time.

The film 'Rainman' and Mark Haddon's book 'The Curious Incident of the Dog - ' helped one empathise with people with Asperger's Syndrome, but this high profile TV film made Lisa, the 32-year old daughter of middle-aged parents (played by Timothy Spall, at his glummest, and Brenda Blethyn, at her most irksome) a manipulative monster. Her parents are driven to joint suicide attempts twice by her impossible demands, and at the second attempt her father successfully removes himself from the scene, leaving her mother to continue to collude with her insatiable child. As usual, psychiatry and social services are made to seem flummoxed (though it's refreshing when a Birmingham Social Worker finally confronts Lisa with reality). Rebekah Staton may well be brilliant as Lisa - I can't tell because I found her so detestable! How on earth could this film help anyone associated with this distressing disorder?