313. Web-series Reviews – 145

More web-series reviews…

Without Sin – Came out in 2022. Explores the relationship which develops between a grieving mother and the man she believes murdered her daughter.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Stella (Vicky McClure) gets by driving a night cab, but carries a dark burden. A few years ago, her daughter was found dead by her at home, with the suspect, Charles (Johnny Harris) fleeing. Now in jail for her daughter's murder, Charles has reached out to Stella, asking to speak with her via a Restorative Justice meeting. Persuaded to go along by an intermediary, Stella is shocked when Charles begs his innocence, shouting out a name that he says will prove this. It all leads to a devastating showdown with a local crime family, but the truth may be more disturbing than either of them could have imagined.

In a time where terrestrial TV struggles to compete with the vast array of streaming services dominating the market, it's good to know there's still plenty of homegrown dramas put out by the mainstream channels, capable of competing with the endless stream of content offered by those. Without Sin, from writer Frances Poletti and director AI Mackay, proves to be one such example, an assured, capable four part production that has a rewarding pay off.

The dark subject matter is given a suitably bleak presentation, with Mackay shooting his project in a fittingly saturated, blurry style throughout. This is matched by the lead performances, with McClure leading the show, shining brightly as a woman who's had the life and soul beaten out of her, exploding in certain scenes, most notably in a scene over a motorway bridge. Harris is always perfect in these dark, sinister roles, and here he carries it away as a seeming monster, who may not be all he seems. It all pays off with a genuinely unexpected, shock twist that you're diverted from guessing.

There's little in the way of laughs, so anyone wanting humour and light may look elsewhere, but as a firm, solid thriller, it does all the right things and pays off quite fine.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

The Railway Men – Came out in 2023. After a deadly gas leaks from a factory in Bhopal, brave railway workers risk their lives to save others in the face of an unspeakable disaster.

A review from IMDB...

The story of a few heroes who rise to save several lives, on the night of a massive disaster. The Railway Men is hard-hitting, powerful, and undoubtedly one of the best series of this year. It has some stellar performances, an engaging screenplay, and a perfect editing. The dialogues, cinematography, and production design are strengths of the series too.

Debutant director Shiv Rawail did a great job and delivered a gripping tale of the heroism of Indian Railway employees. The show picks up the pace right from the first episode. Although there were a few subplots and backstories that seemed unnecessary but it has no dull moments and stays focused on the topic till its last episode. The makers have used real-life footage fittingly to make the viewers feel the pain of that fateful night.

Kay Kay Menon has delivered an outstanding performance and honestly, he deserves an award for playing this role. Divyenndu and R. Madhavan have played their part flawlessly. After giving a decent performance in Qala and Friday Night Plan, Babil Khan got a well-written role and he has given an impressive performance. Juhi Chawla, Sunny Hinduja, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya make an impact with their limited screen time. Other supporting actors excel in their respective parts.

The Railway Men Miniseries Rating: Direction 4/5 Acting 4.5/5 Dialogues 3.5/5 Story 4/5 Screenplay 4/5.

My Take – Do watch it!

 

The Gold – Came out in 2023.  Drama series inspired by true events surrounding the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery, and the remarkable story that followed. The Gold takes a pulsating journey into a 1980's world awash with cheap money and loosened morals to tell an extraordinary and epic tale.

A review from IMDB...

For once we get a BBC police drama that is not stuffed with the latest modern cliches to make it more 'now' and 'authentic' and in which the direction, script and acting are not noticeably produced by the same sausage machine. In many respect The Gold really is several cuts above yer standard BBC fare. But it does have its flaws.

The first of these has been highlighted by other reviewers: for some reason the 'villains' - Noye and Palmer in particular - are sympathetically portrayed as somewhat loveable characters who just happen to be on the wrong side of the law. They were nothing of the kind: partners, mistresses and associates are on record that both were hard, violent, cruel and ruthless.

Noye is still alive. Palmer was murdered at his home in the south of England, the victim of other gangsters he had upset once too often as he made his fortune, reputed to have been £300m.

Noye was acquitted of murdering an undercover police officer but later jailed for a 'road rage' murder. Noye was - make that is - not a nice guy and certainly not a man you would care to cross.

Such characterisation of villasin is not new, of course, and Tinseltown and television have long used that schtick to sex up their cops and robbers drama. A good example which comes to mind is 1967's Bonnie And Clyde starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway which portrays the couple as rather glamorous and heroic. In fact, their short criminal career was sordid and tragic - but that doesn't sell as well.

A second flaw of the BBC's The Gold is more serious as in a sense is it possibly more dishonest: the role of Britain's 'Establishment' is highlighted and the vicious, soulless way it looks after its own.

That is certainly the case and corruption in various police service, a main them of The Gold, is not a scriptwriter's fancy, included just to jazz up his drama. It was then and apparently still is rampant, not just in the police but in other corners of British society.

The Gold's portrayal of it, though, is what is dishonest: both Noye and Palmer, and a third villain who was a crucial element in the scheme to get rid of the gold stolen at Heathrow Airport and launder the proceeds are consciously shown partly to be motivated by sticking one up the Establishment, if kicking back at 'the system'.

From what we know of both men that is just not true: both were motivated purely by greed. They were not 'victims of the system' who were, like some kind of latter-day Robin Hoods, turning on it and giving as good as they could get.

The theme of 'a - potentially - good man' being held back because he 'didn't go to the right school' or something along those lines is perpetuated by the uncorrupt and uncorruptible copper Brian Boyce who is the nemesis of Noye and Palmer. He was a good enough enlisted man to be considered as officer material but he wasn't because he was from the wrong social drawer (runs the drama).

This second flaw does not, though, spoil a very good piece of drama. It is a flaw nothing more. The acting throughout is top-notch, there is none of that silly grandstanding which wrecks an otherwise police procedural, and the cinematography - hand-held cameras making this seem much more of a documentary than it really is - comes off well.

If only the BBC had the courage to free itself of its self-imposed restraints and make more of this kind of drama. We can hope.

My Take – Worth a watch!

Cheers till next time😊!!