Mr Loverman: 'wonderfully complex' show starring Lennie James
TV adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo's novel tells the story of a gay septuagenarian contemplating leaving his wife for his lifelong best friend

"It's hard to think of a better casting choice than the great Lennie James" as Barrington Walker in BBC One's adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo's 2013 novel "Mr Loverman". "You can't visualise anyone else" as the "dapper, roguish" septuagenarian, driving around in his "gleaming Daimler".
He's been married to the "God-fearing" Carmel for half a century but their marriage is clearly "under strain". Carmel is "fed up" with her husband's antics; he regularly stays out late drinking and ends up "rolling home" in the early hours, said Pat Stacy in the Irish Independent.
It turns out Barry has been the "secret lover" and "soulmate" of his best friend, Morris, since their boyhood in Antigua, said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian. This is the story of a "good life built on lies"; their happiness is "almost palpable" when on screen together, but the "50 misspent years are tragic and their effects corrosive".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As he faces up to old age, Barry "knows time is running out and regrets are rushing in". He promises Morris that he is finally ready to leave Carmel but his lover looks at him with "weary tenderness" – they have "been here before" many times.
Despite its painful examination of the community's deep-rooted homophobia, this is no "miseryfest". "There is plenty of light as well as shade", much of which is provided by Barry and Carmel's "high-maintenance drama queen" younger daughter Maxine (Tamara Lawrance).
"I didn't really get on with it in the beginning", said Anita Singh in The Telegraph. The opening episode "screams 'adapted from a book'" – it felt as if writer Nathaniel Price was "so reverential" to Evaristo's novel that he had "thrown in" every one of the Booker prize-winning author's lines rather than having the "confidence to pare it down". The show takes the characters' "innermost thoughts" from the page and translates them into a voiceover that "clutters" each scene.
But I'm glad I "persevered". The narration gradually becomes "less obtrusive and the characters more appealing". Throughout the series, there are flashbacks to Barry's early relationship with Morris in Antigua but it's the present-day scenes of his life in east London "with their exploration of love and longing in old age" that are "the strongest".
Evaristo's "clever, sparky novel is relatively short", added Carol Midgley in The Times, and as the action is "stretched" across eight episodes it can make the series feel at times like it's moving at a "glacial pace". Even if you sometimes wish things would "speed up a bit", though, James is "layered and twinkling" as Barry, and Sharon D. Clarke gives a "stand-out performance" as the long-suffering Carmel, wearing the "disappointment, hurt and rage" of spending most of her life with a husband she knows is cheating in "every movement of her body". The final scenes when Barry and Carmel are "pulling at the entrails of their rotted marriage" are "easily the best".
All in all, "Mr Loverman" is a "wonderfully complex" show that threads together issues spanning everything from sexuality and racism to marital breakdown and infidelity, said Jeff Ingold on the i news site. It's "rare and powerful to see two elderly Black gay men on-screen in love – and having sex", and the series should be "celebrated" as part of the "changing cultural tide" bringing these stories to the mainstream.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
The collapse of El Salvador's bitcoin dream
Under the Radar Central American nation rolls back its controversial, world-first cryptocurrency laws
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Critics’ choice: New takes on French cuisine
Feature Featuring simple dishes, a Michelin star-winning chef, and a cheeky steakhouse
By The Week US Published
-
Film Reviews: My Dead Friend Zoe and Ex-Husbands
Feature A veteran is haunted by her past and a dad crashes his son's bachelor party
By The Week US Published
-
5 books to read this March to reset your existence right in time for spring
The Week Recommends Another 'Hunger Games' prequel, a eye opening look at lives of the 'working homeless' and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Skip southern Utah for the rugged majesty of Grand Junction, Colorado
The Week Recommends Explore mountains and mesas, without the crowds
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Sleep like you are in a gallery at these art-filled hotels
The Week Recommends Prepare to be inspired
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The best body horror movies of the last half-century
The Week Recommends If 'The Substance' piqued your interest, these other films will likely be your speed
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
6 excellent sleeping bags for campers seeking comfort
The Week Recommends Have sweet dreams in these snug bags
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
6 thought-provoking exhibitions around the US
The Week Recommends Libraries are for more than just checking out books
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Costalegre: a tranquil coastal destination on the Mexican Pacific
The Week Recommends A quieter, less developed take on the luxurious beach life
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Tasty condiments to spice up your life
The Week Recommends From crispy chilli oil to spaghetti dust, these sauces and seasonings are packed with flavour
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published