Chris Kamara: Lost for Words; Vienna Blood; Children of the Taliban

“Lost for Words was moving and very, very sad. Kamara’s on-screen catchphrase used to be “Unbelievable!” and though he wouldn’t want to be thought of this way, his tragedy is scarcely believable too.”
Benji Wilson, Telegraph

“This film had two particular strengths, however. The first was Kamara himself – known to one and all as “Kammy” – who came across as thoroughly likeable. While slightly mystified by his cult status, he was enjoying the ride – Kamara’s distress at losing the job he loved was palpable. The other aspect elevating the documentary was Kamara’s engagement with fellow apraxia sufferers, who were here children or young people, putting his own late-onset apraxia into some sort of perspective.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i

“In places towards the end, this one-off film seemed rushed, as if it was finished in a hurry. More explanation of the benefits that speech therapy can bring for children, at very little cost to the NHS, would have been good, and there was nothing about the non- verbal sign language Makaton, or PECS picture symbols — both invaluable for young people with communication difficulties. None of that was Chris’s fault, though. He’s just beginning to tackle this challenge. I’ve got a feeling it will give him a whole new goal.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Like the previous two series, the plotting is generally solid (even if red herrings are blindingly obvious), but the characters and script are never quite as engaging as Sherlock, the obvious comparison (and the former home of writer Steve Thompson). Hammy acting and wide-ranging accent work all lend an air of silliness to the whole thing but it is panto season, and if you like your festive viewing on the grisly side, this might just hit the spot.”
Rachael Sigee, The i

“This drama feels a little too in love with the elegant refinement of early 20th-century Mitteleuropa, with its beautiful costumes, chandelier-lit restaurants and bars and gentlemanly manners, to pay enough attention to those crucial ingredients of pace, suspense and mystery. It is painfully slow, the mishmash of RP English with heavy Germanic inflections slightly confusing, and the leaden, on-the-nose dialogue feels at times as if it has been passed through Google Translate. “See how beautiful I am,” one would-be victim said. “Loyalty is something you will never appreciate,” said another character. Vienna Blood? Vienna Blood-less, more like.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“The drama is a German-Austrian co-production, and perhaps we should expect more acquisitions like this as the BBC’s budget shrinks. It does have a charismatic lead in Maurer, who is the main reason for watching it. But the plot was plodding – an uninspired cast of male suspects, and a female fashion designer who was clearly hiding something. The next episode at least sounds promising: the case of a retired soldier convinced that he is living under a curse. ”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Give this film your time. It is about hopes and dreams, faith and power, family and love, and the absolute necessity and privilege of education. To see conflict and strife through the eyes of children offers a different perspective. It is such an enlightening one.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian