I look forward to every season of Peaky Blinders as a holiday, which is probably my favorite show when it comes to modern projects. For all my antipathy for the Gypsies, the Shelby family's story is heartfelt. The fifth season, unfortunately, did not live up to my expectations, as it mediocrely reveals most of the characters - they lack depth. Expressiveness partially compensates for this, but only partially.
In general, I believe that this is the weakest season for the entire series, because in addition to the superficial disclosure of characters, there is also not the most interesting plot, in the sense that it is clearly cut off with the idea of a sequel, but cut, frankly, not at the most appropriate moment. There are many questions, and there is no special desire to know the answers to them, because the story manages to tire, but does not shock in the finale, as it has repeatedly happened before.
I will give a high rating, and for the whole series I will leave the maximum, because although this is the weakest season, it is still good. First of all, its luxurious atmosphere of pre-war Britain. Plus purely technical quality at height, especially the stunning soundtrack. In general, my nagging about the characters and the plot are nitpicking about the ideal.
The plot develops interestingly, and quickly and aggressively, just does not bring to its logical conclusion. Suffice it to say that Winston Churchill and Oswald Mosley, the main fascist of Great Britain, first appear here. In addition, since the fifth season, street crime, illegal business and the big politics of the Shelby family are mixed together, and it is very interesting to watch this.
9 out of 10
The history of composure and cruelty to all who crossed the line.
I did not expect or receive anything supernatural from the series. For the most part, only the first 2 seasons are really interesting to watch. Then begin incomprehensible plot lines, which are not normally told and did not have to think of themselves. Ask yourself, what happened, did I miss and not see?
In the center of the plot is the criminal family of the city of Birmingham nicknamed Peaky Blinders. This name they acquired thanks to the blades sewn into the headgear. During the entire period of the series, only a couple of times I managed to see the blades in battle, but more is not needed.
A story of composure and cruelty to all who crossed the line. A family with no morals but one, love and protect each other in every way possible. No matter how many of the main characters were in the series, one of the Shelby Thomas brothers stood out most to me. As head of the family, he did unthinkable things to survive in that rotten world. There will be a lot of people in his way, season after season I have seen everything human leave him and in the end there will be only the beast.
If you want to plunge into the criminal world of England of the 20s, then you simply can not find a better series. Here you and torture, brutal murders, scams, games of cat mouse, where you can not know exactly who is who.
7 out of 10
Series and films become cult not only because the viewer reaches catharsis in the course of their viewing. Cinema becomes a cult when people who watched it begin to rely on the same principles as the characters of the film, and also believe that the thoughts and aspirations of the characters, their format of behavior, can be the only true in solving real everyday problems and problems.
In this sense, the Peaky Blinders open a Pandora’s box, similar to the one that the Brigade and Boomer opened in our country. You grown-ups, your uncles and aunts, can laugh at this, but for inflamed young souls, it is not politicians and brands that become the Mission, the savior and the shield in one person, I do not even think of calling scientists or writers here. Young people with burning eyes, consciously or subconsciously, find both inspiration and role models in the likes of Thomas Shellby. It is the charming image of the criminal strategist and combinator, so accurately described in the series and brilliantly played by Killian Murphy, becomes an ideal for failed, immature minds. A man, a friend, a brother, a war hero who, on the one hand, is brave, and on the other, intellectually and resourcefully fighting for his business and for his family - which could be more positive.
This is the destructive power of big cinema, which is sometimes more powerful than spiritual literature. Life situations and images in the cinema are described in less detail, but more clearly and vividly visualized, and therefore faster and deeper into memory.
But what about this “destructive” force, you ask? Everything would be fine, but in this work, oversaturated in its romanticization of permissiveness, we are forced to choose the lesser of two evils. Moreover, we are left with no choice but to say that bad things can be good when viewed from a different angle. That is, they focus our attention not on the final destination, but on the good intentions that pave the way to it.
So pulls to empathize, selflessly trust an honest and inventive, business "seafarer", just trying to survive in the depths of the bloody ocean among the sharks and killer whales surrounding him. I want to close my eyes to the next “Not us, this is life.” It beckons to join the fans of the series in general and its main character in particular, who will not even think of sending their favorite to the gallows, although he certainly deserves it. But, leaving the head cold and the rhythm of the heart even, as Shellby himself would do, let’s think – and who and what do we see in the series?
Before us, young people who, instead of working, doing something with their hands, in other words, doing honest work, “solve things”, “scatter deluge”, humiliate competitors and engage in deliberately unclean, bookmaker business. We see young people who, albeit at the epicenter of gangster fights, do not seek to build human relationships, start families, give someone their love. Instead, they either sleep with sluts or go headlong into "disassembly." We see a family mired in cruelty and tragedies, in which the father betrays and abandons his own children, the godmother is a depraved drunkard, whose children were taken for drunkenness, the older brother is a murderer and a cocaine junkie, one of the younger brothers marries of convenience and also kills people. Before us is a world in which it is not shameful to commit a serious crime for the benefit of your loved ones, it is possible to live with one, and to love another, it is permissible to earn a living by fraud.
The authors of the story and the creators of the series do everything to make us love these characters, empathize with them in any endeavors, and, to give credit, do it talentedly. But I want to ask them, why should we empathize with these people? Why all this flirting with a criminal worldview? Why all these mitigating circumstances? Why are these exceptions to laws and regulations?
The series Peaky Blinders is great in terms of style and film language. But it is precisely because its quality is so unquestionable that I ask the questions above. Peaky blinders are destructively good. But their ideological filling does not correspond to the immaculateness of the wrapper.
All this moralizing, of course, is aimed only at a certain segment of the audience. The one, which is especially acute, due to age, is the question of how to continue to live, how to earn and what road to go. Everyone else can only enjoy what they see and be in a bloody catharsis.
#PeakyBlinders #PeakyBlinders #CillianMurphy #Netflix
Quick, daring as a Birmingham bullet!
And seriously, this is one of the most stylish and damn coolly shot series in recent times. Tip: watch better in the original with subtitles for full immersion.
A bunch of amazing moments (sometimes I literally screamed with pleasure!), sharp plot twists, contradictory characters, an awesome soundtrack - all right.
God damn it, Tom Hardy's playing Alfie Solomons. Very colorful character! There’s nothing to say about Killian Murphy, there’s so much to play with. Bravo, Killian. Bravo, Tom. The creators of the series, my great respect.
The entire Shelby gangsta family became like my own. I was there myself, I saw everything with my own eyes, damn it, I went through all this with them!
Peaky Fokin Blinders!
Soon I will be swearing on a mixture of Cockney, English and Russian.
Peaky Blinders is one of my favorite series. Soaked in the atmosphere of England of the 20s, it is as pleasant to the eye as possible. And when actors such as Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Adrian Brody gather in one place, it is very difficult not to pay attention to the project. In addition, the rest of the cast and the crew are excellent here. But everything in order.
The crime drama, the showrunner of which is Stephen Knight, tells about three Shelby brothers who returned from the First World War to their native Birmingham. They are the leaders of the Peaky Blinders gang, which covers racetracks, organizes the work of bookmakers and actually manages the life of the city. They bribe police officers, deal with rivals and set their own rules in Birmingham.
Why are Peaky Blinders really? The story is based on real gangs that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and one of them had such a name. In the series, the group is nicknamed so because its members sew dangerous razors into their visors, with which in hand-to-hand combat they cut the foreheads of opponents, inflict deep cuts, and can even halve their ears if desired. Confirmation of this in real life was not found, but the idea of Stephen Knight is built rather on the urban legend that appeared among the residents of Birmingham at that time.
As the story progresses, the Shelby family is replenished with new faces, the gang expands, the cases become more serious. We are told the stories of the heroes: their formation, the past and the problems they face. The main conflict of each season, except the first, is built on the confrontation of the Peaky Blinders against other gangs. There is a struggle for territory, the Shelby brothers want to receive money from enterprises in London and even outside of England, and on their way there are those who do not want to share – Billy Kimber (which is interesting, this is a real person who lived at that time, he served as a prototype for Thomas Shelby), the Sabini family, Luke Changrett (Adrian Brody).
Gangster wars sometimes become a real test for the characters - in the series there are many plot twists, which sometimes in an instant change the balance of forces and the narrative as a whole. There are moments that you do not expect and for a long time you can not understand how this could come to mind a writer. You have time to become attached to the heroes, to love someone, and to hate someone. And then a character that you like can be on the verge of death or even die. And there is a feeling, which mixes delight from the plot twist, surprise, and next to them anger and sometimes even painful experience of what happened, because everything went quite differently than you imagined.
The series is the work of a huge number of people, but first of all I will focus on the actors. Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson and Joe Cole form the rest of the backbone of the series - they play brothers Thomas, Arthur and John Shelby, respectively. And usually all actors have flaws that depend on them or anyone else — not enough persuasive acting, not enough character, not enough chemistry. But from the first series, these guys interact so vividly with each other, get used to the role perfectly and look so natural that I want to watch more and more.
And that applies to the whole caste. Everyone here has a story, purpose, motivation, and development, whether it’s Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) or Arthur’s wife Linda (Kate Phillips), who has a much smaller role than many other characters.
In general, the introduction of additional storylines, such as love stories, well reveal both the mores and traditions of the time, and fill the stories of the characters with additional meanings, family values and additional details. This not only gives us a look at bed scenes with very attractive women (of which there are enough), but also expands the conventional world in which Shelby lives, sometimes distracts from difficult events associated with crime, shows everyday moments of life and makes the characters more human, closer to the viewer.
Interesting series and its atmosphere. England at that time was just a source of ideas for the designer. From stylish costumes to the streets surrounding the heroes, Peaky Blinders immerses us in this era. The general entourage is saturated with soot and smoke from Birmingham's working-class neighborhoods, its factories, beer houses, brothels and low-rise houses, in which huge families of war veterans, masons, widows and small pickpockets survive. We see where the characters come from and we can unwittingly compare them to ourselves.
The overall emotional background is supported by music. The main theme of the series, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand, clings to consciousness and is recognized from the first note. It creates the feeling that in the next second something significant, special will happen. In addition, the soundtrack has hits Radiohead, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys. And David Bowie, a big fan of “Blinders”, before his death agreed to use the compositions from his last release.
The series in a short time became a cult. It has received a huge number of positive reviews and reviews from critics, as well as numerous awards and nominations for best TV series, directing, acting, music and costume design. The fourth season has not been spared and I am looking forward to BAFTA 2018. And I advise you to go and watch the series, and if you have already watched, then revise, preferably in English.
#PeakyBlinders or, #PeakyBlinders. For a long time I did not write anything about creations for the big screen, and serial works and even my feedback in writing did not receive. Classics in the form of the Clinic, In all seriousness, Shameless (USA) and other masterpieces in response, I believe, and does not need a response. But now - a different case, silence did not work.
20 years of the last century, Bermingham, Shelby - the story of a family of gangsters, one of the most influential families and gangs of the time. “I am Shelby!” – this phrase can be made a slogan for the series.
Series after series, the authors of the series keep the viewer’s attention “on a short leash”, and even closer. A dashingly twisted plot makes you swallow another hour immediately after watching.
Characters, script, long shots, music, color range of stylistics of frames - in general, the whole picture leaves such a crazy aftertaste of sophistication and nobility, up to the fear of never again such a combination of efforts over the series will not meet. Cillian Murphy - no comment. Tom Hardy, Adrian Brody and other great actors added a special shine to some seasons - the gem shone with all its faces.
Amazing, powerful, frank, frightening, instilling love and hope - right! And much deeper. Sharp visors crash into consciousness, penetrating into the very heart, excite the mind.
Bravo to the creators, bravo to the actors and everyone who worked on the series!
10 out of 10
The plot is in two words: Birmingham. 1919. The Shelby family runs everything in town. They are feared and respected at the same time, but everything changes when a new police chief arrives.
In fact, things are far from that simple. Characters are interesting, storylines are carefully built, intrigue is present.
This is the case when there is nothing to blame the film for. From the first frames, the viewer is immersed in the atmosphere of that time. I must say that the creators did not sting. The scenery, costumes and music are a single whole, everything is very harmonious. The video is great! It feels like the film was being worked on.
The following seasons are just as good. What is happening in the world could not but affect the life of a troubled family, so it was decided to adjust activities and engage in legal business. As it turns out, moving away from old habits is not easy. In the maelstrom of events involved all members of the gang, including the ladies. By the way, the latter do not suffer at all, and on occasion skillfully manipulate men.
Let me tell you again about costumes and furnishings that are luxurious. For hairstyles, details of clothing (both women and men), interior - the highest score. In the third season, there is more music, the lion’s share of which is performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Remarkably, each character has its own story, they are not static and very charismatic, especially Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) and Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy). By the way, these two in real life are close friends, so watching their confrontation on the screen is doubly interesting. With the characters there are changes, in each there are both positive and negative traits.
10 out of 10.
Britain is famous for its TV series - "Doctor Who", "Skins", "Sherlock", "Taboo", "Notes of a Young Doctor" and this is not the entire list of famous TV series from the UK. But there is another one that offends the viewer from the first seconds of viewing. On September 13, 2013, a new gangster series about Birmingham in the 20s of the 20th century, Peaky Blinders, was released on the BBC (now very popular). In the first season, it attracted 2.4 million viewers. No wonder. Let’s talk a little bit about the series itself. The series has so far 4 seasons of 6 episodes, each of which is an hour (plus or minus a minute). In 2019, we expect season 5.
As I said, the action takes place in the hazy Birmingham of the last century. We are shown the Shelby family, which is engaged in illegal business, but the leader of the Peaky Blinders group, middle brother Thomas, is trying to make their family business legal. They are called sharp visors or sharpened caps, because under the visors of their caps there are blades that they use in fights.
Now let’s talk about the technical part of the series. You can see that the script was written wisely. The writers were tasked with taking us to England of the last century, to show how people lived in an industrial city, which is suffering from an economic crisis. If you are an attentive viewer, you will immediately notice that all scenes go their own way and all, at first glance, “incomprehensible” shots are logically connected and each of them makes sense. Without such impeccable camerawork, the spirit of the dusty, hazy and criminal Birmingham would not have been conveyed. Operators were able to show us all the depression, gloom and poverty of this town. Thanks to such a believable and beautiful picture, only in gray tones you can easily feel yourself a resident of Birmingham, who just watches everything from the outside. I want to send a special greeting to the costumers who did not lazy and studied history in order to make the series more realistic. As far as the music is concerned, it’s great. As I know, almost all of the music was picked up by actor Cillian Murphy (Thomas Shelby), and he didn’t fail. Each track, each song corresponds to its own moment. Thanks to her, so many cool scenes were born (we will do without spoilers, you should watch it yourself and you will understand everything). What else can Blinders catch you besides a thoughtful plot, a beautiful picture and costumes, and cool music? Of course, cool caste actors! Just look at these names: Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Annabelle Wallis, Sam Neal, Helen McCrory, and in Season 4 they were joined by Adrian Brody, who showed us (in my opinion) the best antagonist of the whole series. And, of course, the work of directors. All I mentioned above is their merit. The performance is hurried!
Summing up, I want to mention only one disadvantage – it is sometimes the “delay” of some moments. Yes, unfortunately, in this series was not without it. But that’s just my subjective opinion, you might think differently. I advise everyone to watch movies and TV series about gangsters.
10 out of 10
Peaky Blinders in the fourth season retained many of the advantages of the first two (the third is decidedly cranberry). Good casting, plot twists and Machiavellianism of central Shelby is available, all the favorite surroundings too. In the role of the villain-antagonist-mafia Brody, a completely cocky character. “Blinders” is a rather old-fashioned series with theatrical replicas, the selection of types and the love of villains for various gestures and sharp words. In the fourth season of this overkill, and the cheap scares of Brody surprise no less than the far-fetched actions of the same Tony: what prevented him from doing the final trick with the villain in exactly the first series. It is a pity that it artificially turned out with the character Hardy. It's okay with the urine, I've been waiting for us to see Tony's attempts to adapt to the privileged class -- and here -- everything to the origins, to the shootings. It should be noted that all minor aunts (including Arthur’s wife and hitherto unlucky little sister) pretty spoiled and obscured for the final series – behind them in the new season the future. Murphy is expected to droop and although another aunt in bed is capped, the charisma melts. With all the advantages and disadvantages expected - quite sane entertainment, which strongly adorns the six-part format: it is easy to imagine diluting each season to the format and semblance of "Underground Empire". I hope that the fifth season, which is still kind of final, will give something new.
6 out of 10
The series tells about the events taking place in the early 20th century in Birmingham. The plot revolves around the Shelby brothers and their actions for the welfare of their family.
The cast is wonderful. Almost every minor character deserves attention not only as a character, but also as an actor playing his role.
Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) - it has long been no secret that Killian is an outstanding actor who has an amazing talent to attract attention to himself, but the paradox is that he is not groomed and does not have any sparkling appearance, but at the same time focuses on himself. He is multifaceted and has both negative and positive roles in his portfolio. And in "Blinders" the line between good and evil is all blurred and Killian has a place to turn. Thus, inviting Murphy to the lead role was a winning option for the studio and for the actor himself.
Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) is no longer an unknown actor. The role in the film “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows” showed us another worthy British actor. And the director of “Survivor” – Alejandro Iñárritu will not take anyone in his movie. In the series, he plays his older brother Thomas. He smokes, drinks and swears. And also sometimes greatly interferes with the affairs of the brother and generally not very smart.
Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis) - her career goes uphill with seven-mile steps. And more recently, the actress plays small roles in little-known British TV series, already starred in blockbusters with famous directors and side by side with cult actors. Here she is, implanted by the police in the Shelby family, an agent.
Inspector Chester Campbell (Sam Neal) — The star of Jurassic Park and Bicentennial Man stopped shining as brightly in the late 90s as before. But this does not beg for his past merits and does not diminish his acting talent. His character, like most in the series, is multifaceted. He is a patriot and an ardent “communist” hater, but at the same time quite a sentimental person and at the same time a cold-blooded cop who does not abhor to get his hands dirty, following his goal.
Sins are an integral part of any film. Peaky Blinders is no exception:
(1) Thomas Shelby has an intellectual advantage over his relatives and enemies. From the very beginning, we are assured that he is a brilliant tactician, quirky, calculating and intelligent. But sometimes he is so blind and defenseless that you begin to doubt all the titles assigned to him by others. There are also some doubts about Thomas’s decisions, which in some incredible way result in a positive result. It seems to be far-fetched and intentional omitting, the authors, details, so as not to explain to the viewer how this could happen at all.
2 Sometimes the series begins to resemble sitcoms like “Office” or “Friends”. No, not in terms of humor, but in terms of staging. In one episode, the Shelby family's pub includes "bad people" and begins a storyline with them associated. In the next episode, the same pub is visited by “bad guys” with weapons to commit murder. In another series, the pub includes "good people" to enter into a partnership agreement with "Blinders". And this happens quite often.
(3) The regularity of most such series is either the heaviness of the finale or the speedy retelling. In the first season of “Blinders” – accelerated rewinding of events. The incorrect distribution of ready-to-show material forces the creators to omit some plot details and touch only the tops of turns of events. A similar thing was recently seen in Westworld and the first season of Preacher.
The series is especially recommended to fans of films by directors such as Guy Ritchie or Martin Scorsese. If you have watched the series "Underground Empire", then you definitely should not pass "Blinders". Also similar in style to the series Taboo with Tom Hardy. Only in "Blinders" walking of the protagonist is not the central event.
The film has wonderful music. Great attention is paid to the sounds of the surrounding world and objects. Such sounds as the knocking of a bottle on the bar counter, shots, punches and coin ringing have a juicy color and occupy an important place in the auditory receptors of spectators.
After the first season, I will definitely watch the second. The story of Peaky Blinders is interesting and can still tell a lot. Moreover, it is already known that next season the cast will be replenished with Tom Hardy, who, you can be sure, will only decorate the series.
8 out of 10
The series about the Roma Shelby family tells us the post-war history of the criminal group Peaky Blinders. This series has a rather large baggage of pluses, which I will list below. First of all, the acting work of Killian Murphy, as well as other actors, whose play does not sag in comparison with the star of the series (and the manner of talking Tom Hardy deserves a special mention, look, you understand me). Beautiful visual, saturated tones, shades of black are not super dark, as in the same modern “Sherlock” (there was a clear overlight in the first season somewhere and it immediately caught the eye, well, let’s leave it to the authors’ court). An interesting story that can be seasoned with different stories and situations. The soundtrack also has its power in the series, some compositions are remembered and fall into the soul.
What I didn’t like was the work of the writers. I liked the first season until the middle, and then apparently the course changed to a female audience, and the series added a love triangle, which he did not need. There were also strange actions of the characters, atypical (and extremely stupid). The series wanted everyone to like it, and that was a huge omission.
The second season was pleasantly surprised, apparently the writers changed. It was as if he was working on mistakes. The season finale was very strong, comparable to the finale of the movie "Seven", but the high ratings apparently forced to renew the series for a third season, which was a mistake (as it was a mistake to continue "House of Cards" after the third season). But the cow is milked as long as it gives milk.
The third season was the height of irrationality, but it was interesting how to end the case. The protagonist this season was not at all, and for some reason Churchill safely forgotten. The writers tried to confuse everyone who followed the development of events in the series. As a result, they got confused themselves and the third season turned out to be weaker than all the previous ones.
In the course of the series, he overgrown with new heroes who for some reason seemed and were immortal (as well as all together lacked screen time). In the world of crime and murder in which our heroes live, death is commonplace, but not for the main characters. This drawback is reminiscent of the series “Gotham”, but forgive “Gotham” is still a superhero, and here real life. The whole series left mixed feelings. Yes, not bad, but no more than that, poorly cut love lines and script flaws easily leave all the advantages “overboard”. I don’t recommend watching unless you have a lot of time like me.
6 out of 10
First of all, I want to be glad that modern cinema pleases the viewer with such excellent paintings. And I note that this series can appeal to the sophisticated viewer.
I like atmospheric films and TV series, where you can completely dissolve in the story, imbue with its themes. With this task, this series copes with a hundred, ranging from carefully thought out images of the main characters, and not deprived were secondary, ending with the environment, scenery. Yes, damn it, after watching the feeling that if you inadvertently look out the window, you will surely see behind it a foggy, gloomy Birmingham with its narrow streets, saturated with the smell of cheap cigarettes and smuggled whiskey, you will hear singing and screaming fights from the pub around the corner.
The main characters and cast
Thomas Shelby performed by chameleon actor Killian Murphy - the embodiment of the head of the family, true leadership spirit and masculinity. At first glance, it may seem that He is quite cold, but under the mask of this man who has gone through the war, there is something very personal, vulnerable, human feelings are not alien to him. I note from myself that this character is played so convincingly, his image is so cut into memory and mind that after watching I want to smoke a cigarette, one or two, not forgetting about a glass of whiskey.
Arthur Shelby performed by Paul Andersen. Senior, but not in charge. Impulsive, sharp and rather hasty in making decisions, which often leads to serious problems.
John Shelby The role went to the young, but already managed to prove himself to Joe Cole. John is the “middle ground” between the calm Thomas and the cocky Arthur, who often draws John into his adventures, making him his faithful companion.
The role of Aunt Polly went to the truly beautiful Helen McCrory. Her character is built on contrasts, on a combination of incompatible, because Aunt Polly inherent independence, male mindset, coupled with a truly female charm and desire to be loved. On my own, I add that Helen McCrory did a worthwhile job on the “Bermingham” accent of her character, so I recommend this series to watch in the original.
Chester Campbell is one of the main antagonists, he is calculating and cunning, it is impossible to calculate his next step, at the same time he is somewhat cowardly. Looking at this character, it is simply impossible not to experience hostility, some feeling that “here, a little more and he will shoot.” He did. Great work by Sam Neal.
I also want to mention the work of Tom Hardy, while I have mixed feelings about this character, in the expectation that this character will be better revealed in the future.
In conclusion, I note the amazing camera work and musical accompaniment, I think the sound engineers wanted to show how people perceived music then, in the now seemingly distant era of the “roaring twenties”.
I recommend this series to watch, it is difficult not to feel this atmosphere of the British city, which, like a dusty cabinet, harbors a myriad of secrets invisible to the eyes of an ordinary citizen.
Storytelling series about the criminal Shelby clan
After watching Peaky Blinders, I was once again convinced that I am not a fan of the series. And the point is not only in the long hours spent in front of the monitor, but rather in the fact that such a stretched plot (and there are works much longer!) gives a kind of serial taste to the filmed material and get rid of it is very difficult. So that readers understand what I mean: this is the pallor of a single series, albeit lasting 55 minutes, the heap of the characters of the film, the tedious revue of the viewed and the titles, too pavilion scenes, fake dynamic plots (fights, fires, explosions, etc.), which in general resembles an overdue TV show.
In general, I will not touch on the retelling of impressions and will try not to comment on Peaky Blinders. The film is generally a great success and in this should objectively note the merit of all gangster sagas as a genre, the British style of gangster films, a stunning soundtrack and, in general, a wonderful cast.
All this is abundant. It seemed that Cillian Murphy did not need to play, but simply remain himself in the frame. He's a good villain, no words. Perhaps the often-reminiscent page of his military biography in Africa and reduced the requirements for Tom Shelby to imagine the range of feelings a little more varied, who knows. I would put Inspector Campbell (Sam Neal) in second place and Shelby’s inimitable brother John (Joe Cole) in third place. Yeah, I almost forgot. Let not the brightest in his career played and Tom Hardy in the role of the Jewish mafia Solomons, but Tom perfectly transforms into characters and it seems that in front of the camera he is easier than in real life.
This signature atmosphere of “that Birmingham”, in my opinion, was due to the acting images themselves, created mainly by Shelby’s sons, costumes and music, which should be mentioned separately. I don’t know what would have happened if the masterpieces of Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, The Kills and others had not sounded behind the scenes. The tracks harmoniously fell on the video, enhancing the perception of the plot. Why, I immediately thought, is it possible to shoot a similar domestic gangster story in the musical design of modern Russian bands? There may be lawyers for Russian music, but it makes no sense to argue with me, since my musical tastes coincided with the opinion of the sound engineer and the authors of the series. By the way, in the final assessment I added 2 points for the soundtrack.
The main impression of the series, bearing in mind what is deposited deeply and changes the viewer in any way: nothing. I looked at it, noted the advantages/disadvantages and forgot. One-time read book, once viewed "Blinders".
Of those disappointments that I cannot help but notice, and they cannot but affect the holistic perception, is, of course, the Russian emigration painted in ugly brushstrokes. In order not to reveal possible plot surprises for those who have not yet watched, I will try not to exaggerate the topic of Russians, noting only the main thing. Why, referring to the creation of the image of British (almost pretty!), Italian (albeit briefly, but worthy), Jewish gangsters (quite normal guys, nothing but appearance is not remarkable), the authors proposed at least realistic types, and the entire Russian diaspora was presented to the viewer by an assortment of freaks, and one is better than the other? Of course, the authors “see this way”, are free in their work and this is how they make a conscious move into the underworld of human characters. The Russians are good, in my opinion, at least in that they did not eat babies and were not caught for a zoophilic act. It's just "dummy"!
I choose a neutral type of review, while emphasizing that after all, the series is primarily for fans of series who have the ability to view 18 episodes or more. I think fans of Peaky Blinders were able to get their unforgettable sensations. I will continue to search for scanning both in quantity and quality of feature films.
7 out of 10
The series delights in quality. Starting from the picture and actors, and ending with the plot - everything I want to call qualitative.
The era of the 20s, this is the time that I want to talk about and which is interesting to watch. The illegal business of the Shelby brothers (who actually lived) that they are so desperate to make “legal” and break into the big leagues from ordinary backyard bookmakers to Darby and other elements of luxury.
A time of revolution, bootlegging, weapons and the flourishing of smuggling, and therefore corruption.
We are all rooting for the bad guys holding the police under their heels (it is all the fault of the Brigade).
The first two seasons are in the same breath. The plot is exciting from the first seconds of the series, and the game of Killian Murphy is simply inimitable.
Separately, it is worth highlighting the soundtracks. Each melody is simply fantastic and very suitable for the era shown on the screen.
The 3rd season was a real disappointment in terms of the main line of the season. It seems as if the writers have never studied history, and because of this, they put in the season as many stereotypes as possible about the Russian rich. In his eyes, it was choking with plenty of nudity and eroticism. Dirty jokes sounding out of place. But the intriguing ending makes you wait for the new season with ecstasy and greed. What did Thomas Shelby come up with this time? And what would the family do for the King?
Of course, this series turned out to be magnificent and interesting not only for the younger generation, but also for adults.
The plot of this series is not just some fiction, the writers had to turn to the history of the Irish Mafia to show the characters of the series, & #39; how she lived and what she ate & #39; one of the oldest organized crime groups. And it is clear that all those who participated in the creation of this series worked hard. The actions of the Shelby family are similar to the real actions of the Irish mafia.
John, Arthur and Michael show the behavior of men who went through the war. And how they treated those who did not go to war.
This series is inspired by its references to real people from the past.
The ending of the series was very intriguing and for all those who have not yet seen this series, be sure to watch.
10 out of 10
“Sharp Blinders” came to me only the second time. But we will drink, completely and without wanting to break away from the screen.
Crime drama is not a rare genre. Therefore, the creators needed a “chip”, which they used to the fullest – the brutality of gangs sewing blades into their caps is shown tastefully, from different sides, in all aspects of the activity. The path of the formation of a powerful organized criminal group from small recruiters and owners “in the neighborhood” to a strong gang that has influence even on the other side of the Atlantic is described not step by step, but in separate stories. The "arched" plot construction - a separate story for each season - is perfectly seasoned with small details, small plot moves, bright characters "for one series." Sometimes the story moves too slowly and deviations from the main plot make you bored, but in general, the specificity of the details, the thoughtfulness of the motivations of each character, if not clear to us as modern people, seems logical in the circumstances proposed to us. It’s better to get bored for a few minutes than ask “what the fuck.” Nevertheless, the image of the gang, its activities are brought to the first place in the series, which means that one way or another the viewer begins to sympathize with the criminals. And it seems that for all crimes and villains, you can find an excuse.
“To kill a man is a mortal sin.” Nope. It is unjust to kill a human being – a mortal sin.
The main character seems to be trying with all his might to translate the criminal activities of his family into a legal channel. But each time it turns out that there is one last thing left. And it is impossible to understand whether he deceives others because he believes in it, or prefers to deceive himself, knowing that he will never turn away from this path.
Of course, without a strong cast now, no series goes far. Kylian Murphy, with his deep eyes but empty gaze (a paradox that attracts), perfectly fits into the image of the main character - the middle brother, who at first no one perceives as a leader until he shows who really is in charge of the Shelby family. Heavy baritone, the habit of holding a cigarette with the whole brush, the look from under the visor is a magnificently played classic image of a criminal of the 20s. Helen MacRory and her "Aunt Polly" - a strong female image, for which they chose the perfect performer. Her metamorphosis during the three available seasons is no less powerful than the changes in the behavior of the hero Murphy.
The supporting characters - the performers of the rest of the Shelby family - become more interesting for the second season. In the first, it is worthwhile to dwell on the image of Grace Burgess (actress Annabelle Wallis). More precisely, I do not want to dwell on it at all - the actress does not look at all. It seems to understand the motivation of her heroine, seemingly adequate her attempts to attract the attention of Thomas Shelby, seems to want to sympathize with her, but the performance of the role leaves much to be desired. For me, the only mistake in the entire cast.
A separate bow should be given to Tom Hardy. His “guest appearance” as the leader of a Jewish gang made me aesthetically delighted every time. Hardy once again showed that he is a genius actor. In his image, everything is thought out - from the nuances of the accent to the smallest gesture. There are few actors who could perform such a role with such precision.
Perfectly matched soundtrack. Fatal compositions, especially the "opening" theme "Red right hand" incredibly harmoniously fit into the overall atmosphere of the series. The predominant color scheme is black and white. But color appears when Grace is present in the frame or when Thomas has nightmares. It seems that color has no place in the world of slums, gambling and betting. Shadow, dusk, night, gray coats, dark gypsy hair - monochrome also adds to the setting of seriousness.
The series did not leave a special aftertaste. I mean, I don't think I want to reconsider it. After all, cruelty, violence, heavy scenes are not the best motivators for this. But for the next few seasons, I will be waiting and watching. Great acting, smart script moves, great atmosphere - a British sign of quality.
About beautiful eyes, sharp razors and stolen machine guns.
Now I'm going to praise one gorgeous British (Irish actually, but I can't tell the difference from here) actor, Cillian Murphy, beautiful eyes. I remember him after the movie Disco Pigs and could not forget. And when choosing the next series to watch, the magical name Killian (and in fact beautiful eyes) was decisive.
So, the series “Sharpened caps”, aka “Sharp Blinders”.
Killian plays a bandit, the head of the Birmingen mafia (sometimes, it turns out). Show all the stages of the organization, how it all began. Like a simple goat, who at first just steals everything that lies badly, becomes bandits in law, and then legitimate bandits, and then does charity.
Killian's hero Tom Shelby is smart, almost smarter than everyone else, even his main antagonist, a government agent played by Sam Neal.
What did you like?
First, the era. The case takes place immediately after the First World War - a favorite era of the British. They are like the post-war 40s. We had the Black Cat gang, they had the Peaky Blinders gang. Ours painted a cat on the wall with a charcoal, their gangsters wore blades sewn into caps. Only here we were rooting for Volodya Sharapov and for Gleb Zheglov, and here all the sympathies on the side can not say that such a pretty trinity of bandit brothers. But you are worried about them, and you want – this is the horror – that another scam of them will succeed, so that they will not be caught, killed and in general, that everything will be fine.
So, the second thing that attracts is a beautifully written plot, intriguing, without sagging. And let not all turns are completely unexpected, but keep in suspense all the time.
Three.
Acting jobs. That’s what amazes me about English TV shows – it’s how gorgeous the actors are! Even the fifth swans in the tenth row! Where do they get actors, where do they find them in their little England and even smaller Ireland?
I also want to mention the gorgeous Helen McCrory. The aunt of the bandit brothers they listen to and who has a decisive voice in the gang. About Killian Murphy do not even need to talk - the game is beyond praise.
Fourth.
Birmingen Industrial Canal Landscape. After the series, I wanted to go to Birmingham. See what it's like. Interesting city, I guess. There are many channels. Plenty of channels. The Shelby brothers were, by the way, gypsies. But they did not ride horses mainly, but left on boats with stolen goods.
Which I didn't like.
Season three.
The problem of the third season, as it turned out, could not survive many series. Almost all of his time is filled with suffering with going into metaphysics and diluted with a hanging cranberry from the life of the Russian nobility who fled the revolution in England.
No, I understand the Americans, they are sitting overseas, not all military binoculars, may not see the details and embellish Russian life with details such as “what your evidence” performed by Schwarzenegger.
But the English! You're right here! Where did this come from?
By the way, Princess Elizabeth (and there was such, it turns out) played Dina Korzun. That's who has changed beyond recognition. If not the credits, I would never have guessed that she was filming in the Land of the Deaf.
And epilogue.
The first two seasons are very interesting to watch. I recommend it.
The third is frankly weak, but after watching the first two, you're sure to run and watch the third, and then, like me, look forward to the fourth.
PS. You may be wondering what the stolen machine guns are. So I'll tell you, it all started with them.
As far as the plot is concerned, he's not. It all comes down to the fact that the writers pour from empty to empty. I can’t even explain what happened there, since the whole plot is a set of incoherent nonsense.
Actors: actors are badly selected, the emotions of the characters are the same or even absent.
The scenery: it looks like everyone is filming in the same pavilion.
Special effects: everything boils down to the stove that emits sparks, which is present in each series (by the way, it is not clear why) and this element is meaningless!
Thus, summarizing the above, the series does not deserve such high marks, does not deserve continuation, and most importantly does not deserve your attention!
The narrative focuses the viewer’s attention on the Shelby clan, a clan that holds in its powerful, bloody but fair paws the whole existence of the industrial city of Birmingham. The division of the controlled territory, alcohol and ubiquitous racketeering. More than textbook and novelty plot, to put it mildly, does not shine. But it's like music and notes, of which there are only seven. Therefore, I do not want to go into the details of the plot, the idea of raising gangs to associations of patrons is beaten in blood. In my opinion, the basis for the interest of the viewer here is another - this is an incredibly attractive atmosphere of the series. The creators of the Air Force project, the league of brilliant screenwriters shows us a saga about the life of post-war England at the end of the nineteenth century with skillful virtuosity. And it really touches the tarnished and most sophisticated taste. Here everyone finds the alter ego of himself, which further plunges into this gangster epidemic.
The leader of the family is Thomas Shelby, one of the brothers, but the only one who so deftly combines everything necessary for a leader - cool thinking, toughness of presentation and dexterity of tactics. This character was presented to us with all the magnificence of his talent, Irish actor - Killian Murphy.
Murphy has a typical appearance for his ethnos, and if you evaluate it superficially, it can rather be called repulsive and suitable for such quiet psychotic maniac tendencies. However, for all this controversy, Thomas Shelby can not be characterized as a repulsive character. He admires the luxury of his sharpness, and this is one hundred percent hit in the image. The viewer can never calculate Tommy’s true motives, which ultimately causes your jaw to hang, slap your hands, and nod respectfully toward the team.
The love line is an unconditional attribute of any gangster epic. But even here "Blinders" take over, because its concentration is incredibly accurate and fiercely clean.
Summing up, I want to say that Peaky Blinders, it is a unique climate, clarity of costumes, moisture of the streets, an exhilarating soundtrack and the highest plausibility of the cast.
With prayer to the creators of this masterpiece, waiting for the continuation. By order of the Peaky Blinders!!! ?
Again, the story of the Anglo-Saxon (in this case, the Irish gypsies) gangsters, the postwar time with all the necessary entourage - dirt, soot, soot, the proletariat, lumpenes, scum of all stripes, not far gone from them representatives of law and government, up to the highest echelons ...
“Sharp Blinders” are good, but to reach the “Underground Empire”, as for me, with the similarity of the development of the main characters, can not, the main difference here is the highly twisted history of the formation of the Shelby family. I don’t know how there is a historical basis (in the Underground Empire it is), but the excellent performance of the actors, the overall atmosphere and the excellent quality of the shooting can not overshadow the feeling of “God’s regime” closer to the finale of each season – with such a scale of problems, the Gypsy Gopniks had few chances to survive, and it greases the whole impression! Add to this that Thomas every season gets injuries, after which it would be necessary to retire, at best, and get more action than drama.
Of course, the series is great pull actors – so talented (that is, believable, not “charming”) to play finished scum and ruthless ghouls is not everyone, except for the current holder of the honorary title “the main bad guy of our time”. Killian Murphy (to remove him, except for Ivan Reon, aka Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones, in the foreseeable future no one) perfectly performs the Jewish authority Tom Hardy (although in the sabzh there is a whole kaleidoscope of villains of all stripes, for any, so to speak, taste). But, unlike the same “Underground Empire”, here the plot develops according to the standard way “the boys went to success”, trying to put the Shelby family as an illustration of the motto of “Boomer” – “not us, life is like this”. No, guys, it is you who are such assholes, and do not look for excuses - in this regard, I liked that Thomas in the final series of the 3rd season about it directly and says - understood, finally, the truth to this he was led by a passionate and very instructive monologue of Solomon.
And, of course, following the “modern trends” in cinema begins to irritate, in the third season, the Shelby family met the Russians – here they (both the authors and the characters) performed for all the money – yes, the European aristocracy as a whole at the time of the story is not a model for moral education, but such rampant buffoonery and the stamp “these crazy Russians!” I do not remember even in the films-agitors of the 80s.
In general, I recommend this series not as a criminal saga, but as a wonderful display of the system of relationships in a large family - from this point of view, both behavioral logic, motives, and characters (especially Arthur and Aunt Polly were successful) are brought out perfectly.
8 out of 10
Philip Dick wombly, senilely whines in the coffin with envy, “The Man in the High Castle” is a sweet fairy tale for the mentally retarded, in the genre of alternative history, more masculine players appeared, the world history is ruled by a family of horse thieves and fortune-tellers from the outskirts of Birmingham.
To view films shot in 3D format, special glasses are needed, to view the third season of Blinders, special forks are needed (to remove spaghetti from the ears), as well as a strainer for filtering thick cranberry syrup. The British government hates the Soviet Communists, and is looking for an excuse to break diplomatic relations, for which a cunning combination involving the Shelby family is conceived. Why is it so hard to perform? There were plenty of reasons for severing relations, starting with the refusal of the Bolsheviks to pay the tsarist debts (what impudence on their part to refuse to pay the money spent by the tsar on balls, the world war and the fight against the Bolsheviks), the creation of the Comintern, supporting the labor movement in England, the detention of English fishermen who honestly poached in Soviet territorial waters, and so on. .
England did not just supply the White Guards with tanks, she complacently forgot in these tanks the trained crews (old ladies, and the British Empire is an old lady, they are forgetful) who fought against the evil Communists, everything was done openly, and was accompanied by calls to destroy the red infection, which of course does not diminish the role of the Shelby family in world history. A thorough knowledge of history is supported by juicy, vivid images of representatives of the Romanov dynasty.
Grand Duke Leon Petrovna (as it is written in the credits) is a drunken drunk with the psychology of a barefoot (he eats black caviar by ladles, and does it exclusively at someone else's expense, despite the innumerable riches stored in the cellar), married, but loves to indulge in pure male love in the company of waiters, morally stable, depravity causes in him an indignation, which he energetically expresses cries in pure Russian - "slughi!", in general - a worthy person, there is one small defect - he is an anti-Semite, and in forgiving, and forgiving Thomas, who is more forgiving on the other side.
Princess Tatiana Petrovna is a fragile, gentle creature, compared to her, Al-Capone is a shy, naive shalopai, harmlessly mischievous in his free time. A modest girl, educated at some remote Smolny Institute, demonstrates her acquired skills: she drinks vodka from her throat, understands prison tattoos, and where they are applied (" and some killers hide them behind their eggs), plays Russian roulette, is ready to shoot through the head of anyone who interferes with it, and has such perversions of Campuchean sex that Tom Shelby, who has seen the species, blue eyes climb out of orbits with delight.
Add the Cossacks (a whole battalion with guns and horses), with pronounced degenerative, mustachioed faces, and the debauchery they have arranged, from which the Birmingham waiter, weeping in his voice, asks – “Hosspad, when will this stop?” and you will understand that Churchill made the right choice, supported those who need it. But that's okay, these are backward, dark Russians, but what do the real Shelby Brits look like? Perfect. A sophisticated boy from an intelligent teaching family, whose face is marked with higher education, the same one who played the transvestite Barden in Breakfast on Pluto, the blue-eyed Cillian Murphy portrays a stupid gopnik Thomas. How do you play that? Cigarette, sandwiched between the index and thumb, widely spaced hands (biceps pinch), fashionable haircut a la Emelka Pugachev (under the pot), frozen, unblinking look, wooden face, . . voila, before you - the coolest gangsta Tom Shelby!
In the first season, Tom is shown as severely wounded in imperialist wars: serious psychological problems, hallucinations, in the third season he is generously carried with a troubled head through all the urinals of Birmingham toilets, knocked with a knuckle on the skull, and ... instead of becoming God's dandelion, profusely drooling, he will turn into the Great Combinator, cunning, quirky, far-sighted. This is the benefit of timely inflicted heavy bodily!
There is also brother Arthur - a deeply religious alcoholic and a murderer, who dreams of going to where everyone walks in white pants, and shamefully removes his wedding ring, before betraying his beloved wife, who turned him on the path of a true, holy woman, combining the virtues of a televangelist and a calculator - "to kill it is a sin!" But for a lot of money, and without anger, you can. There are other, colorful characters, each with his own pathology (victim of the priest - pedophile Michael, courageously profusely, annually fruiting Esme, cool aunt Polly in search of a suitable member, and many others) this family is impossible not to love.
Judging by the direction in which the series is developing (Road to London), in a couple of seasons we will see Shelby, sending aid caravans to the USSR on the Lend-Lisa, the Gypsies, courageously squinting, will sink German submarines with precise spits, and shoot down Luftwaffe fighters with sharpened caps, and then, dressed in Soviet cavalry uniforms, the gypsy division will storm Berlin, and the eloquent Kudryash, hoist, shouting over the Reystach, chopped with a bucket. "
Bottom line.
The third season surpassed all expectations, which characters, and how many twists - "We blow up the train, no, we don't blow up the train, no, all the same - blow up, but there will be only six killed," and the beautiful final hysteria, the cool bandits are crying courageously - what have you done, Tom? We'll be hanged! We just killed and robbed, for what? We're not doing evil, just for money! Help!
Perfectly matched with the gray tones of industrial Birmingham music. Red Right Hand – The one at the beginning of each series has been a long-running hit for me. It is more pleasant to watch the action under the above track than to watch the credits with the main actors and creators of the series. All the events were always accompanied by the right music. 1b for soundtracks.
Pubs, apartments, ports, clothing, horse racing, industry, grayness - the atmosphere reflects the 20s of Great Britain. 2nd point.
3b. Thomas Shelby is the middle son of the Shelby family. Ambitious, insightful, farsighted young man, who at the beginning of the season appears to us as one of the main characters. But already in the middle smoothly ascends to the pedestal of the head of the family. Makes you expect the next move from his sharp mind. Cillian Murphy seems too “sweet” for the head of one of the cruel gangs, but a cigarette in the teeth, a piercing look, facial expressions, balance in expressions and here, full of set.
4b. Arthur Shelby. The complete opposite of Thomas, aggressive, unbalanced, not particularly distinguished by intelligence and ingenuity - the "Chain Dog" of the Shelby family. And with each episode it gets crazier and scarier, where will the path of this character lead?
5b. Polly, she's the main female character in the series. And this character becomes the most complex in the whole series. Murderer, mother, accountant, acting head of the family, and just a woman with her rights at the time. All this is intertwined in one person, without the storyline of which it is difficult to imagine this series.
The Irish Rebel Army, the Communists, the authorities and the police, the gangs form a complex polyhedron. Using different strategies and political games among themselves. There is no good or evil, only opinions, actions and their consequences. When choosing the right strategy, you can survive and rise than the main character successfully uses. For the diversity of the English world 6 points.
7b for the colour of England. The Gypsies, who are significantly different from "our" Gypsies, Jews, Italians, Irish, are gang-forming and sun-seeking nationalities. Each of these minorities has its own style and culture that distinguishes them from each other. Their relationship with each other is difficult to call friendly. But hostility, alliances, betrayals play a significant role in satisfying the ambitions of gangs.
8b. - Love line. It, like all the narrative, slowly develops, and does not noticeably grow into something big, and reaching the climax, leaves the viewer with doubts and questions. A lot of attention is paid to the place of women in this violent, unpredictable criminal world, including the voice of their opinions, the right to vote. The extraordinaryness in the love line is depicted by Shelby’s directness in relations with the beautiful sex.
9b – Alfie Solomons, head of a Jewish gang in London. This character attracts attention to Tom Hardy. Although Tom has no resemblance to Jews, you take his character for granted. Character with charisma and “Jewish” quirkiness gives the series entertainment and popularity, especially if this character was played by Hardy.
10b. - The plot. In the heat, tensions can compete with many masterpieces. Each series can be safely considered a film, leaving the "bait" for the next series, growing into a grand finale, which you are looking forward to.
If any score is in doubt, remember about the excellent English humor present in the dialogues.
10 out of 10
Peaky visors are a great food for the eyes and mind.
Before us is a brutal fascinating time of criminal England of the early XX century. Very well-written characters, led by the hero Killian Murphy, make you believe everything that happens. They are very alive, with their pros and cons, with vices and virtues. And all aspects of the characters’ lives are covered, and love lines, and family affairs, and business aspirations.
All this severity, cruelty, but at the same time, charm and style, I fell to my taste.
Well, from the technical side, the picture is chic, everything is filmed at the highest level "delicious" and interesting, and the soundtrack is surprisingly good in its unusualness. The title theme in the performance of Arctic Monkeys for the series about the XX century is cool!
I’m looking forward to watching season 3.
The genre of crime in cinema is often blamed for the romanticization of gang life. The leader gets the most beautiful women, the fastest cars and, of course, unquestioning authority. In Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby has it all, of course. On the surface, the Shelby family and its head row for themselves, share territory with other gangs, sit the loot, periodically clarifying the relationship. In dry listing - the plot is not that fresh. However, it is not news that there are a limited number of plots in art, all of them are to one degree or another an interpretation of literature from the ancient world. Therefore, I do not want to talk about the content, I assure you, you have seen all this repeatedly (as in the field of gop-stop, the family became influential, and then began to legalize business). The visors are bribed by execution. What in other hands could become a passing thing, the BBC team, thanks to the camera work, the efforts of the actors and the composer really takes alive. This series can be revised and, as it happens with really worthwhile films, every time you worry about your favorite characters. First of all, this applies, of course, Thomas Shelby, brilliantly played by Cillian Murphy.
“I would like such a bandit” – for the female part of the audience, this idea accompanies watching the series. It's designed. Crime series are almost always generously seasoned with romance. Fortunately, in the case of Peaky Blinders, the creators knew the measure, and the plot did not slide into some Santa Barbara, as it was, for example, with Sons of Anarchy. "Blinders" combine such multi-movements from Tommy Shelby that the viewer cannot calculate them, and the jaw will definitely sag, and the love line, as they say, "to break the heart." Their love story with Grace came out very touching, the example of this relationship hurts from how people sometimes make mistakes in the most important.
If there had been another actor in Killian Murphy’s place, I think the show would have caught my attention anyway, but now it’s unthinkable to imagine anyone else in the role. Murphy doesn’t have to prove anything, the diversity of his roles speaks for itself. And many of them are so bright that, which first you see, such an image in the audience’s consciousness will stick to the actor. Apparently, this is why I met such an opinion that Cillian Murphy should change into an aunt: the viewer after Breakfast on Pluto perceives the actor in a female image, and we need to move away from this impression to see Murphy again. But if someone is lucky to get acquainted with the Irish actor in the role of Thomas Shelby, then in this hero he will see resilience, power, reliability, dignity - in short, the embodiment of strength, masculinity. But even though I'm frankly fascinated by Tommy, for the record, he's a bad person. As it sounds in the series.
The viewer is on Tommy’s side, because there is worse in the series, it is his main rival – Major Chester Campbell, played by Sam Neal. If after “Survivor” everyone agrees that they hated the hero Tom Hardy, then in “Blinders” Sam Neal has exactly the same unbearable, outrageous character. Envious, hypocritical and completely devoid of the slightest idea of honor. When such people defend the law, Birmingham residents are forced to turn their hopes to Thomas Shelby. Yes, he's a bad person, but he's "their bad person."
Several times in my life, I’ve been watching a show or finishing a book, and I feel like I’ve been abandoned. I took on other films and books, but they couldn’t match what impressed me so much. Peaky visors are such a case. There is only hope for the third season. “We must wait – I will wait” (c), but already stomping the leg, like Kartsev in the monologue of the same name.
10 out of 10
It’s one of the few shows that caught me. I think it's because I found something in him. As a result, several sleepless nights watching it. And so at five in the morning, after watching the last episode, under the impression of the production, the actors, the plot and much more, I depart from this film. Very strong, stylish and thought-provoking series. And of course, one of its main advantages is the excellent acting. Kellyan Murphy as Thomas Shelby is divine. I think I fell in love with both the actor and his character. Thomas Shelby is not just the head of a gang, but a person who embodies both male strength, charisma and rudeness, and love. A person who does not fall into the stereotypes of many. In general, this character has exactly the qualities that attract and keep me waiting for a continuation in the third season of this gangster story of the 20s. .
My most fascinating acquaintance with Cillian Murphy began with the film "Disco Pig". Back then, as a teenager, I was so fascinated by Killian's character that after I started watching every picture with this resourceful and charming Irishman. Murphy is one of those actors who is really in love with each of his characters, but they can be different. The only thing that unites them is Killian’s appearance and his ability to see unpredictable features in a typical character. It seems that the actor’s imagination draws a whole world inside the hero, followed by words, actions, gestures. In the TV series "Sharp Blinders" Murphy has an equally attractive image, with which I now have the most pleasant impressions.
The first three episodes filled me with a sense of anticipation and I looked forward to it. Actions in the series are developing rapidly and dynamically. The main character Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) manages a gang of tough guys-thugs (part-time one big family). They are associated with all illegal and profitable business in the city of Birmingham (England 20s). A good idea and its implementation.
The cast. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed that British films and TV shows always have a perfect cast (well, maybe with some mistakes). The family created a real, all connections are skillfully used by screenwriters. Very happy with the actors and their attitude to their work! They are inspiring (which is very important). The exception will be Annabelle Wallis, in comparison with the game Helen McCrory, the actress loses. Some actors, trying on even the most attractive image remain uninteresting, empty. In the role of Grace, I would like to see someone more exceptional, both in acting abilities and externally. Of the female characters, I liked the image of Charlotte Riley. Of the roles created by men, the only hero who was deprived of character is Chester Campbell. Why is it necessary to make a joke out of a police officer, a jester, couldn’t you think of a more worthy image? Can you believe this confrontation? Cool and witty Thomas Shelby vs. stupid Inspector Campbell? Or is this how it should be?
And of course, the works of decorators, costume artists, the operator will not remain unnoticed by the viewer. The atmosphere of the picture is mesmerizing! Musical accompaniment, soundtracks are appropriate in every frame. The script in the first season is better worked out than in the second. In the third, you want to see more unpredictable moments. Looking forward to continuing!
A more skillful, more stylish, more saturated and more juicy picture is simply difficult to imagine. The British have raised the bar so high that, in truth, I am even beginning to fear heights.
But seriously, picking up any epithets other than admiration is very difficult and I am very surprised that this film is in such a big shadow of the rest of the consumer goods. Although it might be for the best. It creates a sense of elitism and selectivity, or something.
From the first second catches the eye, how painstakingly and in British pedantic the creators approached the shooting of this film. Plot, scenery, characters, costumes, music, angles, special effects ... And most importantly, style. Absolutely everything in this picture is so stylish and refined filmed that by chance you begin to feel like a sophisticated gourmet who has just tasted the perfect dish with a perfect serve in the best restaurant in London.
British cinema is now very much on the line relative to Hollywood, taking the direction of quality as opposed to quantity. No “Underground Empire” is suitable for sweeping, although there were fears before viewing.
No matter how hard I tried, the review turned into an ode. Although I don't think it can be any other way. Period.
Let's talk a little bit about gangsters. Which one is really cool? The Sicilian Mafia: Tuxedoes, Godfather and "Five New York Families"? No, hardly. Then maybe the yakuza thugs are those narrow-eyed guys with back tattoos? Fail again! Mexican cartels - "Don Julio" with a cigar in his teeth and tons of cocaine? Milk. The Shelby brothers from Birmingham win. Tweed suit, revolver and sharp razor in the visor - yes, what you need!
To start watching the series, I only needed one thing - blades sewn into caps. But what did I get? Probably one of the most atmospheric shows I've ever seen.
The series has a raucous story, like its title. A real gentleman's paradise. Desperate Shelbys rush to the top of the food chain. These guys have that hooligan flair and street hardening. Clever and agile, they are willing to take risks and go all-in. With what excitement they conduct their business, and the honor of the family above all else. Young but brash Johnny, cold and calculating Thomas, and Arthur. His mustache is gorgeous.
Gambling, booze and vice. Birmingham's gloom of the 20s is fascinating. The paved streets are covered in smog. Old, noisy pubs where they pour cheap whiskey, and in the air there are smoke puffs. Traditions of generations, which we learn by diving into the fate of the people of this city.
Foggy evenings, dull lights and vintage cars on the streets of the city. I will say a word about cars. The series has a cult on the subject. After the end of the First World War, the car strengthened in people’s lives and became a reliable means of transportation. It is nice to know that the authors paid attention to such subtleties. The devil is in the details.
The creators of the series showed the professionalism of their craft, proving that they know what the audience wants. Let's hope they don't lower the bar.
Now let me tell you why this series is the best seen in a very long time. Let's be clear.
The first and most obvious is the actors. If such famous people as Cillian Murphy, Sam Neal, Helen McCrory, Tom Hardy went to star in the series, then he is at least not bad. Killian Murphy... well, what can I say, he makes most of the atmosphere of what is happening, you want to look at him, you want to listen to his lines – his character is connected with everyone, although not always explicitly, and this only makes it more interesting! And it’s not about the beautiful face and appearance – this actor is not handsome, in the usual sense of the word (but his eyes are, of course, yes ...), but the way he presents his hero, and even a little annoying in the first series of self-confidence, arrogance and arrogance begin to like. In the future, he reveals himself more and more, from different sides, and it is impossible not to sympathize with him. Each hero of this story is a holistic character, which alternately empathize with, then disapprove and so on.
The second, of course, is the story itself. I confess that such stories were always attracted in the style of “The Godfather”, “Once Upon a Time in America”, etc. Here is just an incredibly attractive mixture of favorite theme, English actors, everything English, the absence of unnecessary bloodshed, bloody scenes, intricate pedigrees and sentimentality. Now watching the second season, and there is absolutely no hint of boredom, although, it would seem, what else to talk about? But no, the further, the more interesting and so far there is no such thing that the continuation of the action is sucked out of the finger and created from scratch, as it happens in protracted American TV series. In addition, the story of the Shelby family is woven into the real story and the plot is played by real organizations and individuals.
The third is the style: camera work, editing, music, locations, costumes, makeup. Everything is absolutely harmonious: the past is combined with modernity in an incredibly refined form. The mood and atmosphere in some places are more transmitted precisely due to how it is filmed, what details are snatched for the viewer from the general background - and it acts more powerful than any words and background music.
This series is a harmony of themes and styles, among which everyone will find something suitable for themselves. And if it is not one or two things, then it is impossible to break away.
I recommend watching at least the first two episodes (because they go almost an hour).
10 out of 10