More TV drama (Collateral)
Feb. 14th, 2018 07:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessCollateral - Episode 1
State of the nation drama from a proper playwright? Well, a state of That London (crime) drama anyway. It’s attracted Proper Film Star Carey Mulligan, who has seemed to be longing to be doing modern stuff instead of getting boxed into bonnets, and a whole host of good actors – John Simm is up against himself on ITV. He brought State of Play baggage (the good kind) for me, now playing an opposition MP who rather incredibly had a history with several women, even a lesbian vicar (played by Nicola Walker). This also allowed the playwright to take a political stance. (I occasionally felt lectured at, and, at the moment, point to the London-centricity and observe that London is not representative of England, the 'nation' here). Other viewers would probably be more interested that A/The Master had a baby with a Companion (Billie Piper). And it’s worth noting that his character is David Mars.
So, in the first five minutes, a pizza delivery man was shot dead, in what looked like a hit. The detective on the case, DS Glaspie seems smart, which seems good, because the audience already knows more than her, and what she knows and we know is very mysterious. The pizza joint manager (Hayley Squires, making an impact) knows more than she’s letting on, possibly also so does the customer who heard the shots and called the police. The only witness is someone who lied a bit about their student visa and lied a bit to the police. The dead man was a Syrian asylum seeker with two terrified sisters – so it’s explicitly about immigration. But the (white) pizza delivery guy who ought to have taken the order is also terrified.
The opening sequence, with the Very Now dancehally music put me off, but getting to meet the characters, and a healthy dose of female characters (particularly in professional roles) pulled me in, I thought it was well shot. I was also very impressed by the tradecraft of the killer, who we follow after they leave the scene. She is also a woman.
I’ve just checked, and as I suspected, Hare wrote Page Eight and Turks & Caicos, with Bill Nighy being involved with the security services and much younger women. I thought so when the police started wondering about why MI5 wasn’t coming onto their turf. The reviews that I’ve read are pointing out that he’s critiquing institutions.
State of the nation drama from a proper playwright? Well, a state of That London (crime) drama anyway. It’s attracted Proper Film Star Carey Mulligan, who has seemed to be longing to be doing modern stuff instead of getting boxed into bonnets, and a whole host of good actors – John Simm is up against himself on ITV. He brought State of Play baggage (the good kind) for me, now playing an opposition MP who rather incredibly had a history with several women, even a lesbian vicar (played by Nicola Walker). This also allowed the playwright to take a political stance. (I occasionally felt lectured at, and, at the moment, point to the London-centricity and observe that London is not representative of England, the 'nation' here). Other viewers would probably be more interested that A/The Master had a baby with a Companion (Billie Piper). And it’s worth noting that his character is David Mars.
So, in the first five minutes, a pizza delivery man was shot dead, in what looked like a hit. The detective on the case, DS Glaspie seems smart, which seems good, because the audience already knows more than her, and what she knows and we know is very mysterious. The pizza joint manager (Hayley Squires, making an impact) knows more than she’s letting on, possibly also so does the customer who heard the shots and called the police. The only witness is someone who lied a bit about their student visa and lied a bit to the police. The dead man was a Syrian asylum seeker with two terrified sisters – so it’s explicitly about immigration. But the (white) pizza delivery guy who ought to have taken the order is also terrified.
The opening sequence, with the Very Now dancehally music put me off, but getting to meet the characters, and a healthy dose of female characters (particularly in professional roles) pulled me in, I thought it was well shot. I was also very impressed by the tradecraft of the killer, who we follow after they leave the scene. She is also a woman.
I’ve just checked, and as I suspected, Hare wrote Page Eight and Turks & Caicos, with Bill Nighy being involved with the security services and much younger women. I thought so when the police started wondering about why MI5 wasn’t coming onto their turf. The reviews that I’ve read are pointing out that he’s critiquing institutions.
