“I’m awfully afraid I am falling in love with you,” whispers charming suitor David Blakely (Laurie Davidson) to Ruth Ellis (Lucy Boynton) early on in A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story. The remark would otherwise be considered sweet were it not for the fact that the more David kisses Ruth’s neck, he’s also tightening his grip around it. This isn’t a good beginning for a relationship, but it’s the one Ruth ultimately leans into and stays in for two years. It’s the one that certainly seals her fate in this riveting true-crime BritBox miniseries that tracks murderess Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain.
Boynton (The Politician, Murder on the Orient Express) and BAFTA-winner Toby Jones (The Long Shadow, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) headline the series with Jones taking on the role of Ellis’s driven legal counsel (or solicitor), John Bickford. The compelling four-part miniseries is based on Carol Ann Lee’s biography and promises to shed light on a case that turned heads worldwide.
It does that to winning ends in the hands of director Lee Haven Jones, and, considering the subject matter, moves along at a breezy pace, never keeping the audience in one particular scene for too long. In that regard, this feels like a fabulous fever dream of sorts, as it floats back and forth through time with our dear Ruth recalling events either on the eve of her execution or with her formidable legal counsel. If only American television could win us over so quickly in a first episode. As enthralling as it is beguiling, A Cruel Love is a wonderfully addictive pleasure.
True Murderess or Woman with a Secret?
- Lucy Boynton is remarkable, beautiful, and tragic in all the right ways.
- Remarkable production design throughout, along with great supporting actors.
- A witty script and direction that’s in tune with it.
- Supporting characters can come across as rather flat and uninteresting.
Set in 1955 in the ultra glamorous London club world, Ruth Ellis rose in status and by the age of 28, she was the capital’s youngest, perhaps savviest club manager. Her joint, The Little Club, offered “special” moments for its male clientele, which Ellis later was judged for and by when the series finds Ruth on trial. She was ultimately sentenced to death not so much because she killed a man, but more so for who she was and how she worked. (It took only 14 minutes for a jury to convict Ruth Ellis in 1955.)
The series opens on July 13, 1955, the day Ellis was executed for shooting and killing Blakely, at the time a well-known playboy and race car driver. As the miniseries drifts from past to present and back again, we find Ruth’s main counsel surprised that she willingly confessed to murdering David outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead, London. Initially, she has no desire to suggest that she killed David because of the physical violence that he inflicted upon her, which adds a great layer of intrigue. If that’s not the reason, then what is? Makes for a memorable crime caper all around.
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Soon enough, we get to see how David creates a major twist to Ruth’s life path. She’s at the top of her career, after all, confident and flush with cash. She’s easily raising two children and living in a charming apartment. But Ruth’s initial attraction to David takes such a wicked turn that she succumbs to manipulation. Suddenly, her world shrinks and her obsession grows. Between the misogyny and abuse she’s subjected to, Ruth clearly has an intense need to feel and be loved. It became her downfall.
Hail, the Almighty Lucy Boynton
There’s nothing finer than watching an actress disappear into a role, and Lucy Boynton turns in an award-worthy performance here. Writer Kelly Jones loves to flip the narrative on its creative head from time to time, which adds yet another layer of intrigue for the audience. Boynton’s performance is rich and layered, often mystifying, and wonderfully grounded from beginning to end, illuminating Ellis’ genuine care and concern for her friends — and David — as well as her conviction to her beliefs. Ruth Ellis was her own woman. So, too, is this fine actress.
Toby Jones can do no wrong. The man is our voice of reason here, if not the well-needed presence of compassion. The supporting cast, featuring Joe Armstrong, Arthur Darvill, Nigel Havers, Toby Stephens, Juliet Stevenson, Bessie Carter, and Rowan Robinson, are remarkably sharp and effective, elevating the entire production. The result offers some remarkable world-building in a relatively short amount of time.
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A Witty Deconstruction of London Society
London society is on show here, too, as the creative team — writer Kelly Jones, director Lee Haven Jones, and producer Angie Daniell — shine the spotlight on just how influential it is. Upon encountering Ruth at a function, one person loyal to David purrs, “You’ve been a lovely friend, bless you,” and insists David is engaged to somebody else. Ruth isn’t bothered. But did those kinds of remarks and judgments factor into Ruth pulling the trigger? At one point she quips: “I just want the malicious snobs to pay for what they did.”
Look for another suitor, Desmond (Mark Stanley), to figure prominently into the plot and the murder. And by the end of Episode 2, the intrigue keeps up even more. So, brace yourself for the last two episodes. They truly stand out. Between its brilliant storytelling, stellar production design, and a commanding performance by Lucy Boynton, this is one unforgettable and gripping miniseries. A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story is streaming on BritBox. Watch it through the link below:
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
