360. Tell It To The Bees; movie review

TELL IT TO THE BEES
Cert 15
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains scene of sexual violence, strong threat, bloody images, sex

While I remain appalled at any type of discrimination, it is worth noting how far we have come on the gay agenda over the past 50 years.
Tell It To The Bees is set in rural Scotland in the 1950s when gay relationships were not only frowned upon but were against the law.
Its stars Anna Paquin as a doctor who has returned to her home village to take over the practice of her deceased father.
It is clear from the start that a shadow hangs over the woman who wants to be of service but cannot because hardly anyone attends her surgery.
Meanwhile, Holliday Grainger plays a machine-worker who is desperate for money after her husband (Emun Elliott) has walked out on her and her son (Gregor Selkirk).
In a traditional village, being split up from even an abusive husband is almost as out of step with society as being gay so the two women find solace in each other.
Annabel Jankel's movie scores because it focuses on the effect of the fall-out on the young boy of his mother and father concentrating on their own needs and desires
Selkirk reacts splendidly to the responsibility of being its glue, totally believable in his reactions - even if they jar by modern standards.
While we have a long way to go in terms of equality in 2019, one of the overriding thoughts which Tell It To The Bees conjures is how prejudiced our society was in the supposed glorious 1950s.
If Brexit is intended to take us back to the Britain of the past, please let it not be the one where people were ostracised for their sexuality or left behind because of their gender.
People such as those featured in Tell It To The Bees suffered so we should not go forwards not backwards.

Reasons to watch: Enthralling period drama
Reasons to avoid: The daft mistakes of the protagonists

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Gay activities were only legalised in Scotland in 1981 - 14 years after they were in England.

Final word. Annabel Jankel: "It’s a love story between two friends, which is Jean and Charlie. It’s a love story between two women, Jean and Lydia. It’s a love story between a boy and nature, which is Charlie and the bees. You know? And it’s the dissolution of a love story between Robert and Lydia." LRM

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