'Greyhawk' has Alec Newman (lately seen in the BBC's 'Waterloo Road') as Mal, a blinded ex-soldier. A walking attitude, he drinks in the pub where a well-meaning elderly man (Jack Shepherd, 'Wycliffe') bores him; he pays for a prostitute; he has to cope with bullying local youths. Through all this his constant companion is his guide dog, a labrador called Quince. But one day, while Mal is throwing a ball for Quince on the socially-deprived Greyhawk council estate, the dog doesn't come back.
I decided to watch this film because the situation sounded so desperate: a blind man having to search for his guide dog. How would I cope in such a situation? I hope I'd realise that people are more willing to help if you treat them with respect; Mal just goes around grousing at everyone - okay, he has reason to, but it doesn't make him a very sympathetic hero. Newman is sighted, and perhaps the film would have had more resonance with a blind actor in the lead role, although I can appreciate the logistical difficulties that may have caused. As it is, with attacks on guide dogs being increasingly reported in the UK, the film is at least very timely.
