Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Fantastic!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Now that DVD recordings of films are commonplace, the producers of "Mother Love" owe it to Dame Diana's global fans to issue this fantastic horror/suspense film as a two-DVD set. Rarely have we seen such a tour d'force by any actress, even though Dame Diana has gratified us with many other outstanding performances. This rich characterization bears repeated viewing because so many of her inspired expressions and gestures can be overlooked when we focus on the twists and turns of the complex story line.Fortunately for us, we taped the four "Mother Love" episodes on VHS when PBS-TV broadcast them in 1990. The film was not bleeped for language, and we did not see any indications of content censorship. My wife and I watch the tapes about once a year, and we see something different each time. But we would love to have the film on DVD because we're sure they would be sharper than the TV reception was, and our 16-year-old videotape copies are starting to show their age. One note: the PBS broadcasts included interviews with the screenwriter and actors, as well as introductions by Dame Diana herself. Those would make dandy extras in a DVD set, because Dame Diana explains how she built her character into the believable psychopath named Helena Vesey.

I was riveted to the television set for all 3 nights of the series. Not only was Diana Rigg's performance a tour de force, but the script itself was a true psychological thriller, beautifully written - I could actually believe there is a mother somewhere who could be so unhinged yet appear so normal. I did wonder about the author's own mother.The flashbacks to "Mother's" childhood provided an extra dimension without totally explaining her future behavior, which really worked for me - I find too much exposition can spoil the punchline.During the final half hour, no phone calls were answered, no trips were made to the frig, no cats were let out, no dogs were let in...I think you get the picture.

The votes say it all. This is an astonishing piece of TV drama. Diana Rigg gives the performance of a lifetime as the monstrously possessive mother, switching from poised charmer to wicked schemer and demented mother with no more than the flick of an eyebrow. The witty and literate script is by Andrew Davies - I saw Mother Love as part of an Andrew Davies season on a new BBC digital channel - and the direction by Simon Langton drives the plot relentlessly forward, keeping the viewer on the edge of the seat, with clenched fists and sweaty palms, never sure what will happen next. The other main roles - James Wilby, Isla Blair, James Grout and David McCallum - are realistic and provide able foils for Rigg. But it is Diana Rigg's role with her chilling personality, cleverly reinforced with flashbacks to a terrible childhood incident, and her wonderful over-the-top dialogue, which makes this a memorable thriller and a 'must-watch' television masterpiece.

Diana Rigg will scare you under the carpet in this story of "treachery, disloyalty" and family ties. A simple lie, Helena's son keeping in touch with his father but not telling his mother, spins wildly out of control, while Helena gradually suspects that her family are keeping information from her. The cleverly-constructed back story, showing that Helena was capable of terrible things as a child, cranks up the tension and gives a sense of terrible foreboding. Helena's paranoia and loneliness take over, creating a horrible revenge.Almost camp in some scenes, (calling everyone "darling", giving her family nicknames and shopping at Fortnums), Diana Rigg gives an intense performance full of pain at the upsets of her past life and full of hatred at her ex-husband. She definitely deserved her Bafta award.