The discourse in the lead-up to the Academy Awards was largely focused on the need for Robert Downey Jr. to break free from “Iron Man” – a popular Marvel mega-franchise which had typecast him as a witty metal-clad superhero. However, it was often missed that an equivalent situation concerned the duo of Cillian Murphy and Steven Knight related to their infamous British gangster saga, “Peaky Blinders”.
Similar to the relationship between Downey Jr and his on-screen character Tony Stark, Murphy was increasingly identified as the rogue antihero, Tommy Shelby, from Peaky Blinders. This association, like Downey Jr’s with Iron Man, had become an artistic hindrance. The characterization of Shelby was linear and limiting. It was vital for Murphy to transition to different roles, a move he made successfully, as he went on to bag the best actor Oscar for “Oppenheimer”.
Knight too had to distance himself from “Peaky Blinders”. The historical Birmingham-based drama had, unfortunately, began bordering on self-mockery. The series eventually skewed towards inadvertent comedy. Although a movie extension of the series is on its way, in the meanwhile, Knight has strategically created a clear demarcation between him and his former show with his inconsistent but promising new series “This Town” (BBC One, Sunday).
The series is primarily set in Birmingham and Coventry during the early 1980s, during a period when the Provisional IRA was actively scheming, and the youth were either hurling petrol bombs at law enforcement or harbouring dreams of forming part of the city’s burgeoning ska and punk music scene.
There are certain discordant elements, such as an initial scene in Belfast when a woman shouts what seems to be a racial slur towards a black British soldier, only to clarify she was calling him a “Black and Tan”. This is characteristic of Knight’s writing style which often incorporates improbable, illogical, and anachronistic elements.
In his predicament to establish his uniqueness, his son responds with Jimmy Cliff’s tune ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’. Their musical exchange feels more akin to an episode of The X Factor, rather than an earnest socio-cultural depiction of the pre-Thatcher era in the British West Midlands. Nonetheless, they negotiate this with unwavering poise and deserves commendation.
Knight’s unusual portrayal of Irish characters isn’t new. Charlene McKenna’s fatal woman IRA portrayal in Peaky Blinders serves as a reminder. The Irish characters in This Town seem very exaggerated and plagued by stereotypes. A point that’s highlighted when an IRA thug appears, you almost anticipate the “Imperial March” melody from Star Wars to begin. The thug seems out of place, bearing likeness to a caricature villain, in what Knight ostensibly envisions as a ground-level socialist realism drama.
This Town’s strength lies in its entrancing and vividly portrayed characters and Knight’s occasional detour is regrettable. It kicks off with a football hooliganism incident unknowingly stumbled upon by an aspiring poet, Dante (Levi Brown) lost in thoughts over a girl. Concurrently, his brother Gregory (Jordan Bolger), ensnared by stone-throwing youths in Belfast, wrongly faces accusations of being a Black and Tan. Close by in Coventry, Bardon is somewhat stifled by his father’s domineering persona.
Among these intriguing characters is Fiona (Freya Parks), the hipster record store employee who has captivated Dante. The plot also throws unexpected curves, such as when Bardon’s grandmother (Geraldine James) mysteriously passes away post foreseeing that the IRA is keen on getting their hands on her grandson.
Although Knight assumes that This Town is far more hard-hitting than it actually is, and despite bouts of silliness, it potentially signals an intriguing fresh start for him. Overlooking some inconsistencies and cringe-worthy portrayal of the Irish, it certainly makes for an absorbing watch.