Between the Sheets (2003)

good back-story, and good acting

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's funny, but I remembered seeing this some years ago, presumably when it was released, mainly because of Brenda Blethyn's eye make up! I had the chance to hire the series and watched it over a couple of days. I am interested to see that the order of cast on IMDB is totally different to the priority on the credits of the film (Pete and Hazel Delaney were the most important then) and reading the other comments, I had to double check to see who they were referring to - not really the main characters at all. The whole thing really centres on that main couple - of course there are other important characters, and the woven tapestry of the series does really well, as each person's personality shines through. I found that the therapist (Julie Graham) became (for me) unsympathetic as the story unfolded and the kids in her house came more to the fore. I thought it was an interesting concept, and extremely well-handled. The older couple were so good that no-one else mattered when they were on screen, but that's what happens with top-notch actors. Overall, although it could not have been stretched out any farther, I felt a twinge of regret when it finished. Oddly enough, I hardly noticed the eye makeup this time around, but her clothes were stunning!

I'm one of those people who bought Between the Sheets just to see Richard Armitage in another role.I had some misgivings because of the explicit sexual contents but after watching it once, I can say I liked the series overall and though I would definitely have preferred less sex scenes, I could appreciate their significance and how they made the story progress, except those in Peter's club, which to my mind have only been included to shock or allure viewers. I would recommend the series however to people who already have experienced the difficulties of relationships in couples, as I think it might be a little boring and/or dark for a young single person.The main story between Hazel (Brenda Blenthyn) and Peter (Alun Armstrong) is given much prominence and could have been shortened, I think. Hazel's sexual hang ups are rather tedious after a while and she leads such a privileged life that I find it difficult to pity her character. Her high and whiny voice is very annoying, too. Was she meant to be annoying or is it just me?Alona (Julie Graham) is the link between Hazel and Peter which she sees professionally as a therapist and the second story, that of her own marital difficulties. Richard Armitage as Paul Andrews, Alona's live-in boyfriend, gives a very good moving performance, subtle and multi-layered, which led me to wonder a lot about his character's motivations and moral make-up. I don't think he and Julie Graham together get enough screen time and it's a pity the Hazel-Peter story is given so much. But he still has enough time on screen to make it worthwhile to buy the DVD in order to see his performance. Julie Graham gives an excellent multi-layered performance and Alun Armstrong is remarkable as Hazel's less than perfect but very patient and loving husband. Well done to the two younger actors, Vinette Robinson as Tracy and Adam Scourfield as Alona's son.On the whole, great acting!

I would never have purchased this if not for the presence of Richard Armitage in the cast - but I quite enjoyed it and his story line in particular because it was a complex role.It was another excellent performance by Richard, playing a completely different character to his character in North and South and there is a quality ensemble cast which makes it worthwhile even if the material may not particularly appeal to you.For anyone interested in Richard Armitage's work, it is well worth it in my opinion. It's not for you however if frank sexual discussion and nudity will trouble you. The fact that it has a multi genre description is fairly accurate - it is a slice of (not quite average) life with its comedy, drama and romance.

Julie's convincing character acting and on screen presence is enough to make me tune in for each episode, but the fact that we are occasionally treated to quick snaps of her gorgeous voluptuous naked body is a bonus for me. A Perfect 10.