I hadn't heard much about Public Enemies, BBC1's new three-part drama, until I saw a trail for it recently at Christmas, but boy am I glad I sat in and watched it- with Sherlock's opening episode and this excellent brief series having aired in the opening week of the year, the British Broadcasting Corporation are already stamping their mark on 2012 more than any other channel! In Episode 1, we're introduced to Eddie Morton, a man accused and found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, and who has recently been let out of prison after serving his ten-year sentence. Dannie Mays' acting repetoire is already sublime, ranging from serious stories like Ashes To Ashes to more upbeat shows like Doctor Who (see this year's Night Terrors), yet while his latest endevaour undoubtedly falls into the latter category, he immediatedly takes on a very different tone to his role in the Life on Mars spin-off, and for the most part is better for it. Mays is truly a convincing protagonist who forces us to wonder if every offender released from jaul actually deserved their sentence, and what we might overlook in the case of grief. Add Anna Friel into the mix as the suspended probation officer trying to get her life back on track, only to find herself falling for Morton as they begin to file an appeal, and you've got yourself the perfect drama, right? The answer is a less-than-definitive well, almost: although ninety percent of the time, Mays and Friel carry the narrative pitch-perfectly, there are instances where focus is drawn away from their characters, and at these points things can seem to get more than a little convoluted. In addition, Episodes 2 & 3 drag out the weighty consequences of the premise a little more than should have been necessary, and some might argue that the final denounement becomes rather obvious early on in the finale, not to mention that there is no harrowing conclusion for Mays' protagonist as is often the case with more psychological dramas. That last point didn't bother me, but I would say it's a bit of a shame that Public Enemies had a couple of shortcomings, since I reckon it might have stood a chance of being remembered as one of the best domestic dramas of recent times had it stretched out its narrative better, perhaps over a longer course of time. Still, this serial comes highly recommended from me, and just goes to show how much of a challenge iTV, Channel 4 et all have on their hands to top BBC's huge offerings this year!
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Friday 6 January 2012
Public Enemies Review (4.5/5)
I hadn't heard much about Public Enemies, BBC1's new three-part drama, until I saw a trail for it recently at Christmas, but boy am I glad I sat in and watched it- with Sherlock's opening episode and this excellent brief series having aired in the opening week of the year, the British Broadcasting Corporation are already stamping their mark on 2012 more than any other channel! In Episode 1, we're introduced to Eddie Morton, a man accused and found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, and who has recently been let out of prison after serving his ten-year sentence. Dannie Mays' acting repetoire is already sublime, ranging from serious stories like Ashes To Ashes to more upbeat shows like Doctor Who (see this year's Night Terrors), yet while his latest endevaour undoubtedly falls into the latter category, he immediatedly takes on a very different tone to his role in the Life on Mars spin-off, and for the most part is better for it. Mays is truly a convincing protagonist who forces us to wonder if every offender released from jaul actually deserved their sentence, and what we might overlook in the case of grief. Add Anna Friel into the mix as the suspended probation officer trying to get her life back on track, only to find herself falling for Morton as they begin to file an appeal, and you've got yourself the perfect drama, right? The answer is a less-than-definitive well, almost: although ninety percent of the time, Mays and Friel carry the narrative pitch-perfectly, there are instances where focus is drawn away from their characters, and at these points things can seem to get more than a little convoluted. In addition, Episodes 2 & 3 drag out the weighty consequences of the premise a little more than should have been necessary, and some might argue that the final denounement becomes rather obvious early on in the finale, not to mention that there is no harrowing conclusion for Mays' protagonist as is often the case with more psychological dramas. That last point didn't bother me, but I would say it's a bit of a shame that Public Enemies had a couple of shortcomings, since I reckon it might have stood a chance of being remembered as one of the best domestic dramas of recent times had it stretched out its narrative better, perhaps over a longer course of time. Still, this serial comes highly recommended from me, and just goes to show how much of a challenge iTV, Channel 4 et all have on their hands to top BBC's huge offerings this year!
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Errrm, It's Eddie Mottram, not Morton.
ReplyDeleteGreat viewing, Mays is a class act.