‘Mr. Loverman' Is a Rich, Stylish and Riveting Mini-Series

New York Times

2 days ago

Lennie James recently won a BAFTA for his leading role in the mini-series 'Mr. Loverman,' and for good reason: His performance is as whole and mesmerizing a portrait as one sees on television.
'Loverman,' arriving Wednesday, on BritBox, is based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo and follows Barrington Jedidiah Walker (James), an Antiguan native who has been living in London for decades. He is a self-described 'man of property, man of style,' a dapper dresser and a Shakespeare enthusiast, husband to a devout Christian woman, father to two adult daughters and grandfather to a teen boy.
He is also closeted. His long-term partner, Morris (Ariyon Bakare, who also won a BAFTA for his work here and is also fantastic), has been his best friend and lover since they met in Antigua as young men; he is Uncle Morris to Barry's children, a constant presence, a secret and not a secret, a betrayal but also a devotion.
But Barry balks at labels, and he says he isn't a homosexual but rather 'a Barry sexual.' Barry swears he is about to leave his wife, about to tell her the truth. But he has sworn that before.
The show weaves among the characters' perspectives, and long flashbacks depict the pivotal moments that carve each person's reality. We hear their internal monologues, though none sing quite as melodically as Barry's does.
'Loverman' is polished and literary, practically silky — sublime, even. It's natural to be baffled by other people's choices: Why would you do that? Why didn't you say anything? Why would you stay? Why would you leave? A lot of contemporary shows — even plenty of good ones — fall back on pat just-so stories for their characters' backgrounds, but the picture here is deeper and fuller than that. Fear and pain, love and loyalty: They're never just one thing.
There are eight half-hour episodes of 'Mr. Loverman.' I couldn't resist bingeing it, not because it's so propulsive, per se, but because it's so lovely.