Better Late Then Never

Am I Missing Something?

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

This was just broadcast in one go, the original episodic partitions merged into one showing as part of the Masterpiece series on PBS. I didn't actually get to see the whole thing, coming upon it as I did part way through. At first I did not know what it was about, but something quickly seemed compelling and it wasn't long before the story became evident to me. Then I stayed up much too late, unable to turn away.If you don't know the story, read the book first. If you do then you don't need me to tell you what it is about. But concerning this production, it blew me away. It is beautifully crafted and sensitively acted. The character of Anne and her interaction with those around her during a truly bizarre time is disarming and haunting. My big plasma screen may have helped, but it was the nature of the production and the intensity of the story that really pulled me in, making me feel I was in the same space with them, as a silent observer to the ups and the downs, the warmth and the tension, the joy and the anger, the hope and the fear.The ending was a nice touch. Everyone was accounted for. I could feel a sense of grief and a sense of closure, knowing the aftermath of what Anne was able to record.

This was an utterly stunning piece of television. It kept my whole family absolutely gripped from Monday to Friday making us laugh, cry and think as we watched Anne's story unfold. Its real strength was the lack of sensationalism and romanticisation. The final episode was as nerve shredding as any thriller and totally heartbreaking. Anne was an irritating character at times with typical teenage behaviour. Her prodigious talent was in no doubt and the fact that she was otherwise normal actually made her seem that little bit more special. Ellie Kendrick was absolutely marvellous in the role of Anne. A real talent for the future without doubt. The other actors were equally superb with none of them striking a false note. This should be required viewing for everyone. Children, especially, will relate to Anne's humane and forthright views on everything including sex. I just hope that the moral majority in the US don't mess too much with that part of it because of that, as it is integral to the life of this exceptional person.

One can only be grateful to the BBC, which (along with a lot of rubbish) produces so many worthwhile, thoughtful and carefully crafted programmes.This is one of them. The story of Anne, her family, Peter's family and the dentist has been dramatised with great attention to detail and sensitivity. The sets seem to be exact recreations of the real hiding place in Amsterdam.Ellie Kendrick is a great find as Anne. She is quite a good look-alike and convincingly acts Anne's personality. This version is far from painting her as a saint. She is portrayed as quite selfish and petulant, and cruel towards her mother. This seems to be truthful.Most of the rest of the cast are good, and are also have quite a good resemblance to the real people they represent.I only have doubts about the actor playing Peter. He is way too old for the part. A man of 24 is not suitable to play a boy of 16, try as he might. To make matters worse, his face seems to have been painted pink and white to make him seem younger, but this merely looks unnatural.However, this is a minor blemish in a very good production.

My wife read the Diary of Anne Frank last year for English class, and when we visited Amsterdam we went to see the house.The house in this TV series is exactly the same as the real house, almost to the extent that I wonder if they filmed it there.The story as told in this series is very close to the book and shows Anne as she shows herself in her diary. An intelligent, boisterous, moody, lively teenage girl.The fact that she was SO full of energy and ideas and yet was cooped up in those rooms for so long is the really moving thing about the book I think and they have captured it very well in the series.This BBC drama feels completely authentic, I can't think of anything to criticise it about at all!