TV Show Review - Peaky Blinders (Season 5)

Season: 5
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2019
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Tom Hardy, Sam Claflin, Natasha O’Keefe, Packy Lee, Finn Cole, Kate Phillips, Aidan Gillen

Description: In the wake of the Wall Street Crash, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) faces new dangers from unexpected quarters.

Review: The fifth season of “Peaky Blinders” is one to remember. In these six episodes, we see Thomas Shelby slowly slide down, barely sleeping and his alcohol and drug abuse is excessively high. And brother Arthur also gets deeper into misery.
This season mainly evolves around those two, where Polly plays the incredible role of the dame that can not be messed with. The Peaky Blinders, and Tommy especially, are attacked from all corners. Danger is everywhere, even within their own group.
Tommy is ambitious. He becomes a member of the parliament, proofs to be an outstanding spokesman and stands out. But there is another man that does this: Oswald Mosley. He is the devil himself and he easily gives viewers chills. We see the rise of his fascism.
Tommy wants to do something good for a change, but will he succeed? The wives of Tommy, Arthur and Michael all play an important role, besides Polly, in this fifth season. The downward spiral that starts in the first episode, eventually becomes a slide which seemingly has no end. The story is well told and all actors have become their characters, which make them extremely believable and somewhat frightening.
The last three episodes are all some to look forward to, but that final episode will leave you breathless. With an ending that will make you want more. Season 5 of “Peaky Blinders” is one of the best. Especially for the character of Tommy Shelby: we see his demolition as a leader, husband, father, brother, but most of all as a man. That downward spiral will definitely be something to build on in the next season.
“Peaky Blinders”, after 5 seasons still a show that manages to make their characters vulnerable and touches you as an audience.

TV Show Review - Peaky Blinders (Season 3)

Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2016
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Annabelle Wallis, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Tom Hardy, Paddy Considine, Natasha O’Keefe, Packy Lee, Finn Cole, Kate Phillips, Gaite Jansen

Description: Set in 1924, two years after the events in series 2. It follows the Shelby family as they enter a dangerous world of international intrigue. Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his entire organization are at risk forcing him to question everything about his ambitions and desires.

Review: After two very strong seasons, expectations are very high. And even though it never reaches that same level, “Peaky Blinders” is still one of the best crime series out there. The people Tommy Shelby and his organization have to face this time, are stronger than ever. Series 3 follows the same kind of pattern, but eventually manages to surprise big at the end.
The third season focusses on personal development. A quest for their role in this complete picture. At the start everyone is living their best life: Tommy marries Grace, live in a beautiful mansion and have a son named Charlie. Even the very unstable and aggressive Arthur is married now and has devoted himself to the lord. But in that first episode, they also see that trouble isn’t that far away. And this time it’s the Russians. The Bourgeoisie that were send away from Russia by the communists. They want to return, but need the Peaky Blinders to find weapons. They are represented by a wealthy family, with especially daughter Tatiana playing a confusing role in this all. Driving Tommy crazy.
Arthur is led by his wife Linda. Aunt Polly is in search for love and acknowledgment. She seems weaker then ever and regularly reaches for the bottle. Her son Michael is confronted with a reverend from his past. This same reverend, Hughes, becomes Tommy’s biggest threat.
Series 3 is a filled with political games. Which will intrigue viewers, but misses the sparks from the previous two seasons. But it’s still on top, when it comes to other shows in this genre. The acting is again great. Cillian Murphy’s Tommy shows more weak moments and he loses his cool a couple of times. Which is a Tommy we didn’t see often yet. And we are introduced to Reverend Hughes, played wonderfully by Paddy Considine.
A good third season, I’m ready for season 4.

TV Show Review - Peaky Blinders (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2014
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Annabelle Wallis, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Tom Hardy

Description: A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England; centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy)

Review: “Peaky Blinders” has a strong first season, that made me jump into season 2 immediately. And it’s even better! More locations are used and new characters are added, with the most important ones being Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) and Darby Sabini (played by Noah Taylor). Real personalities.
Tommy Shelby could use some opponents that are a serious threat. Where in the first season Tommy tries to own Birmingham, he now tries to take over London. But London just happens to be the terrain for Solomons and Sabini. Tommy is even more ambitious in season 2. He buys a race horse and meets some elites, which he manages to win for him. And even Winston Churchill wants to work with him. Tommy has to deal with Chester Campbell again as well, but this season focusses on the expansion of the Shelby family.
Arthur and John get more responsibilities. Paul Anderson, who portrays Arthur, gets more interesting things to do with his character. And the same goes for Helen McCrory, as Aunt Polly, who starts a search for her long lost children that were taken from her. But her storyline is the least interesting. I also found the romance story of Tommy and his old love a bit rushed this time.
Cillian Murphy is again the man that carries the series, as Tommy. But he is very well assisted by Tom Hardy this time. He’s only in a few scenes, but he steels them all. He has such charisma, it almost makes Murphy fade away.
The most epic moments of this season are definitely the ambush by Sabini in the first episode and the big fight scene in Sabini’s London club.
The second season did it again and was very strong. Let season 3 begin!

TV Show Review - Peaky Blinders (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2013
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Annabelle Wallis, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Michael Gray

Description: A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England; centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy)

Review: Birmingham, right after World War I. The Peaky Blinders gang rules the streets of England. The criminals can be recognized by their caps, where they sew razor blades into the peaks of their caps. Their leader is Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy. Belfast detective Chester Campbell is called to England to clean the streets and take care of the Peaky Blinders.
When you love the gangster and crime genre, the first season of “Peaky Blinders” will be true gold and easy to watch in one sitting. It has all the ingredients for a good, compelling TV series: an excellent cast, it looks amazing, interesting characters, strong story.
Not a lot of locations were used for this series, but the period it’s set in is pictured perfectly. In this time, it’s either calling the shots yourself or being suppressed. The Peaky Blinders, and especially their leader Tommy, choose the first. Because when you look closer you can see that Tommy never wants to feel powerlessness again. He wants to create his own destiny and this for he builds his own imperium.
Cillian Murphy is the perfect choice for Tommy Shelby. Charismatic yet dangerous, unpredictable yet timid. I’ve always loved Murphy as an actor and he really carries this series.
The first season is mostly a fight for power between Tommy and detective Campbell. Campbell wants to clean the streets of Birmingham free from criminals like the Peaky Blinders.
“Peaky Blinders” had been on my watchlist for a while and when a few of my friends told me I really had to start watching, I finally did. I watched the first season in 2 days and I’m hooked. It’s a fantastic first season and I can’t wait what will happen next.

10s Movie Review - Loving Vincent

Director: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman
Genre: Animation/ Drama
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Douglas Booth, Josh Burdett, Holly Earl, Robin Hidges, Chris O’Dowd, John Session, Helen McCrory, Eleanor Tomlinson, Aidan Turner, Saoirse Ronan, Joe Stuckey, James Greene, Martin Herdman, Bill Thomas

Description: In a story depicted in oil painted animation, a young man comes to the last hometown of painter Vincent van Gogh to deliver the troubled artist's final letter and ends up investigating his final days there.

Review: The works of Vincent van Gogh are recognizable. They used Van Gogh’s paintings for “Loving Vincent”, the first hand painted movie.
I always appreciate and respect people who make animated movies. Hand drawn, computer animations, stop motion, claymation, it always leaves me thinking about all the work, love and passion that went into the project. For “Loving Vincent” it took 125 painters to create about 65 000 frames for this 95 minute animation.
For the story, they mixed truth and fiction. We meet the son of Van Gogh’s mailman, who has to deliver the painter’s last letter a year after his death, to his brother Theo. The young man, Armand, travels to Paris to investigate Van Gogh’s legacy.
When it comes to styles, it’s divided in two parts. The here and now is based on Van Gogh’s painting style. Flashbacks are shown un black and white drawings/ paintings. This last isn’t Van Gogh’s style.
The film is being very clever in ‘thinking outside the frame’ so to say, to imagine what happened outside the frames of Van Gogh’s masterful paintings. And how it would have looked from someone else’s point of view.
The result is a dynamic film, where Van Gogh’s paintings show an unique world. This is combined with an educating and exciting story. I really want to see a making-of of this film, because this cost so much effort and energy.

Rating: 4/ 5