Like Father Like Son (2005)

Really Surprised!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I thought this was quite an amazing production with many insights into the human condition. It was a very fair and brave attempt to show the importance of the family and how in the end true love wins the day. It is also a gripping thriller. While it was a little edgy at times this film had many deep insights. The son looks for an ideal father but his real father is a killer. The teacher is falsely accused, but makes a stand. The desire of the children is for that ideal family we all want. The mother battles to save her son - it's the classic struggle between the forces of evil and good. This is a brave movie because it doesn't fall prey to political correctness. It could also be used as an educational tool to show that the desire of us all is for a stable family, the very building block of a healthy society.

When an ITV murder thriller is this rife with heterosexual dysfunction, you know who the killer must be: The Homosexual.Who murdered the sexy blonde teenager (who's also a pathological liar) on her way home from school? Let's see, could it be the mother who (against all common sense) is letting her teenaged son make unchaperoned visits to his serial-killer father behind bars? Could it be the moody son, who's impressed by his dad's no-nonsense attitude about women? Could it be the serial killer himself, who seems able to manipulate events from behind bars, a la Hannibal Lecter? Could it be mom's boyfriend, a teacher at the school whose affair with an ex-student led to his wife's suicide? Or could it be boyfriend's daughter, who goes blabbing everyone's secrets at school, causing untold misery? No, it's none of these likely suspects. It's...The Homosexual!The only mystery for the viewer is guessing who The Homosexual is. Of course, it could be anybody, since the only characteristics of The Homosexual are shameful secrecy and a propensity to murder and otherwise make life complicated for the "normal" folks. The Homosexual is the invisible root cause of society's ills; only when this person is exposed and eliminated can the fractured family come back together, and things can return to normal...whatever that is.As for the cast, both Jemma Redgrave and Robson Green are now officially past their sell-by dates. The world could get by marvelously without ever seeing either on screen again, but as long as ITV has roles for The Aggrieved Woman and The Misunderstood Man, I suppose they'll keep coming back in movies like this one.

I think that the one true star of Like Father Like son was the director Nick Laughland.He is an inspiring man and this drama really shows how much his talent should be recognised and awarded. His ability to bring the best out of all the actors involved and create a magical environment where all the stories came together is truly a remarkable achievement. This alone shows a man of true talent and although jam packed with stars he shone the brightest.With his ideas and knowledge and commendable vision he alone created a masterpiece!I am very much looking forward to another.

This is a gripping psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.There a number of impressive performances from Tara Fitzgerald (as the Detective Inspector),Jemma Redgrave(as the harassed mother), Robson Green (as the kindly school teacher, who finds himself fighting for both his career and reputation,due to the actions of others), Phil Davis (as the boy's imprisoned father) and the young boy who when faced by constant bullying and prejudice, feels compelled to make a stand. The screenplay and direction has been well handled. A young boy has been brought up in total ignorance of his origins with devastating consequences. It transpires that several people have been carrying long harboured secrets, which begin to unravel following the unexpected sequence of events. There are some powerful scenes such as the classroom debate by the provocative schoolgirl with her espousal of William Shakespeare's play "Othello" and when she corners her teacher following the end of the lesson by making an unexpected pass at him. There some vivid scenes as the girl is followed into the woods.