Peaky Blinders Series 5 Interview: Harry Kirton

It’s sweltering in London town today. The heatwave has reached thirty five degrees and it might be getting a bit to Harry.

How’s Finn settling into life as an adult Peaky Blinder?

“You know when you’re in hot weather and you have a jacket on and you get a bit dewy and frustrated? You probably need the toilet as well so you just want to get home. I think in Finn’s mind all he’s wanted is to do missions on his own, have that freedom to see what’s on the other side. When you finally get home, to go with this analogy or whatever it is I’m saying, you finally take the jacket off and you feel that freshness. I’m doing what I wanted to do. Season five definitely provides Finn with opportunities to express his inner Shelby that eagerly wants to come out. It foolishly leads him into circumstances. He’s too big for his boots”

Is he trying to fill John’s shoes at all?

“Death is a weird thing. None of the Peaky Blinders are unfamiliar with it but I’d say Finn is the most unfamiliar and when it’s someone so close…

All the other brothers went to war and though that (John’s murder) was caused by gang violence it provides the opportunity for Finn to express his anger in a world he probably hates at this point. He has some very interesting antics”

Now Finn is full of confidence, does he find a lady that doesn’t have to be paid for?!

“Less so lady, more so ladies. Finn has a heart, he really does. There’s a gentleman in him but he also has the family name to live up to. You’d expect the puppy to match that of the pack”

So, in both senses, he gets more action?

He’s enjoying the snow, the whiskey, the girls, the violence and just like any dangerous animal they’re already threatening when they’re a puppy but now he’s full blown it’s a pretty scary beast. You don’t want to get in front of him this season. He’s got street smarts but not enough.

The younger generation are learning and getting Finn and Isaiah together is always going to cause straight up antics! He has his own small gang and whatever we do we do with a heavy hand. You see it on his skin. Anthony (Byrne, the director) wanted my face paler and to have more scars”

Harry certainly has a boyish charm about him that clearly helps his character but thankfully he has a much better haircut in real life. Every question he ponders over studiously and he answers with hand gestures and a willingness to say the right thing, like a student keen to show his workings.

What’s it like to work with such an impressive ensemble cast?

“It’s an honour. I’m passionate about this career I have and seeing so many different backgrounds, energies and ages on set gives me a decent stage and a decent arsenal to mimic and learn from while going forward with this season’s bigger script.

I was a lot more nervous with this one because there’s more to do so there’s more to go wrong. It’s a real pleasure that Steven’s progressed my character and I’ve progressed as an artist. As I say, the arsenal that is next to me is that much greater than what I would learn at college or university. Everybody is very experienced and I’m more comfortable on set. This season I’ve been given more opportunities to explore. The comfort the other cast members have given me has provided a sureness”

Just so you know, for the record, Harry wasn’t wearing a jacket for this interview.

Peaky Blinders: Mr Jones (Series 5, Episode 6 Review)

“THE GREEN SHOOTS OF ANOTHER WAR”

Tommy has been on his own personal mission to overthrow facism throughout series five but in a grand finale that chucks the rulebook onto the fire, conventions are also vanquished. He does not emerge victorious, more enemies surround him than ever before and, worse still for most viewers, there is no conclusion to the story by the time the credits roll. It had previously been stated by Steven Knight that series six will continue the story but most people won’t know this information and will undoubtedly feel perplexed, cheated even. The fact that this was different is a positive thing. The impending doom for next time is stronger, the threat more real. We knew Tommy would defeat Lucas Changretta last time out, now he’s defeating himself. It’s a bold move and one that pays off in sixty five minutes of television that should go down in razor gang based TV folklore. Hardly a crowded field admittedly.

‘Mr Jones’ is more in keeping with where the first two episodes seemed to be heading. It is by no means perfect but the end just about justifies the means. While the third, fourth and fifth episodes were rivetting they lacked a certain edge. Virtually every minute here though is engrossing as the tension slowly builds. From Tommy’s first face to face meeting with Winston Churchill (who looks suspiciously like Neil Maskell with Play-Doh as make up) to a tense four stage meeting in the Garrison which was literally extraordinary.

Michael and Gina issue their plans to take over the company only to be on the recieving end of Tommy’s glacial stare. These are the moments Peaky Blinders shines most. The tension is palpable and made worse by a rogue Barney making a rude interuption. Then the plan is revealed to a disbelieving audience. The tiredness and strain etched on Tommy’s face is clear to see. All the awards should go to Cillian Murphy who has inhabited Tommy for ten post war years and gets better with age. The serrated edges of his character have grown even sharper than his cheekbones. This is akin to watching an immersive play. You’re right there in the room with him. Just be glad you’re not or he’ll shoot you in the face like he did with poor Mickey the barman. A grass for sure but certainly not the dreaded black cat.

What follows is a moment fans have been waiting two years. When Tommy mumbles “I have to go to Margate” we all knew instantly didn’t we? Sure enough, a few seconds later the dulcet tones of Alfie Solomons call out and in mere minutes he makes his presence felt. “How soon did you know that I was not dead?” he asks. “You wrote me a letter, Alfie” Tommy sighs. He’s daan saaf to ask a favour of his old friend / nemesis which is odd because Alfie has continuously stabbed Tommy in the front which is why he got shot in the bleedin’ face. Was it precient that their shoot-out was off kilter? He cant be back from the dead it wasnt confirmed he had departed. Was his return just for the fans or integral to the plot? The truth is we won’t know until 2021.

As for Mosley, he’s been a bit quiet up until now but that peace is shattered at his rally by a double dose of Idles. In a perverse television mash up, Love Island gets mentioned at a fascist convention but things are set to get more mad as everything goes so spectacularly tits up it’s best described with Ron Burgundy’s “well, that escalated quickly” meme. As Alfie’s boys start rioting, Barney is shot dead, Aberama is knived 284 times and Arhur is nearly killed. Again. The scope and ambition is remarkable. The direction, music and performances unite to create visual and aural poetry.

Alas, the disappointments show through right at the end as unresolved arcs slap us in the face. Most should be continued in the next run but for a second time the war with the Billy Boys is reduced to nothing. They offer no threat here and when things kick off Jimmy McCavern just watches on. The biggest bugbear throughout the run has been the apparitions of Grace showing up left right and centre, willing him to suicide. We get it, we don’t need reminding. Don’t overkill the dead. We’re left with Alfie’s dream coming true. Tommy in a field with a horse nearby and a gun to his head, Grace being the metaphorical trigger. Was it real? A dream? A drug induced fantasy? Guess what? We won’t find out until 2021.

Peaky Blinders mark five has challenged itself to evolve and has done so with great success for the most part. If the plan is to take the Shelbys up to the second world war then it seems the seven series timeline is well behind schedule as we’ve only just been to 1929. Fuel your own film rumours if you wish. Whatever happens, now is the time to keep faith in Steven Knight and Tommy Shelby.

A LITTLE PEAK:

– Polly has lost Aberama on the eve of their wedding. Her vengeance on Tommy will be lethal.

– “I got shot in the face by some c**t” Alfie always has a way with words.

– Billy Grade’s sketchiness has a different perspective now.

– On that note: Finn! You had one job!

– Did Alfie betray Tommy again? Is he responsible for the killings at the rally? Common sense would say no as you’d think he’d want Mosley dead too.

– Arthur’s time always feels up. Will he get out alive and leave the gang?

– A big shout out for the editing of music in tonight’s show including when the maid turns the radio on and Idles kick in and the juxtaposition of ‘Land Of Hope And Glory” over the montage of everyone with opposing views. How very 2019.

Peaky Blinders: The Loop (Series 5, Episode 4 Review)

“For now, love must defeat revenge”

After the declaration of all out war last week, it’s a tad disappointing to see the Billy Boys greeted immediately with a peace pact. However, it’s handled exquisitely. “You left me a landmine” Tommy laments. “For which I apologise” McCavern sarcastically responds. This being Peaky Blinders, any peace is fractious. “Nothing here is stolen Mr McCavern, Charlie simply finds things before they’re lost”. This agreement comes as a result of their mutual “friend” Oswald Mosley. The big showdown will not be televised, this week anyway, and that’s reflected in an episode that feels like the calm before the storm.

Calm in Small Heath is a dubious notion because there’s still lots happening, most worryingly of all is the fate of Mrs Connors’ songbirds but it’s ok because Arthur will replace them with birds that have the “same colours and.. feathers”. Tommy’s constituency is of course at the Garrison and his next visitor ups the ante. Brilliant Chang offers a brilliant plan involving opium for Tommy to transport and it gives the Shelbys an opportunity to recover money lost in the crash.

In truth, Tommy has more on his mind than money. Grace keeps revisiting at inconvenient times and she’s no longer a friendly ghost. “It wasn’t the blue stone Tommy, it was you”. The visions may be getting a bit overcooked now. It clearly serves the purpose of showing Tommy’s descent into madness but if people haven’t got that by now they haven’t been paying attention. One thing that is notable about the scene was the use of (Graces?) heavy breaths. That combined with his own coughing fits and breathiness serve as a reminder that Tommy feels more mortal than ever. His weakness shows on the outside now and he was clearly rattled by Mosley.

The set piece of ‘The Loop’ is saved for the very end. A grand ballet is the setting for much intrigue, or as Oswald puts it “an evening with a tribe of gypsies” (incidentally, that’s a show which never got past the ITV Commissioners). Tommy is late due to performing his own bed based ballet much to the chagrin of Mosley. Worse still, the moody guest had previous entaglements with Lizzie back in the day but turns out his own performance was cancelled early due to champagne. AWKS. It’s Come Dine With Me but with drugs, sexual intrigue and murder. Yes, murder but we’ll get to that bit.

While the dancers swan about to Arthur’s snoring, Aberama whisks Polly away and proposes. It’s kind of sweet. “Let’s fuck before the swan dies” she insists. You definitely don’t get that on Come Dine With Me. Meanwhile Linda turns up on the doorstep with a vengeance. We think she’s shot her ex. We think Arthur is dead.. again, but out of nowhere Polly appears (the lovin’ clearly didn’t last long) to put a bullet into Linda . It’s a device that has been used too often for Arthur now but the whole thing was beautifully shot. So was Linda, as it goes.

A LITTLE PEAK:

– The best line was with Ada insisting Tommy throw away the opium. “How much of it have you got left?” she asks. The reply? “Seven tonnes”

– “FUCKING BALLET?!” We’re with you on this one, Michael.

– He may be back in the gang but is Tommy setting Michael up for a fall? Will the Chinese really hang for things if they go wrong?

– No talk of the black cat this week which adds to the feeling that it’s someone in the background. Esme or Frances maybe?

– Finn didn’t piss himself at gunpoint. We’re so proud.

– Did Arthur actually replace those birds in the end? We need to know. Poor old Mrs Connors.

Peaky Blinders: Black Cats (Series 5, Episode 2 Review)

“YOU MIGHT HEAR SOME BANGS‘

Tommy has been standing on landmines since the war, mostly metaphorically, but in quite possibly the most stunning opening seven minutes of a TV show ever he does it for real. For as long as we’ve known him he’s always thought of himself as a dead man walking and this provides the perfect visual metaphor. He stands before his scarecrow self which is hung on a cross, millimeters from being scattered across the field like compost. Stylistically the direction and atmosphere has a poetry to it  Amid all this drama the only sound is the foreboding bluster of the wind in the distance. Until Tommy goes full suicide bomber that is and we hear those bangs. Boy, do we hear them. As he says shortly after, “It’s pretty dark Frances”. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Meanwhile Michael is apprehended on his way back and held in Belfast by the Occupied Six Counties who report that he has betrayed his family. His eventual return is met with a magnificent standoff in the street and is followed by a bruising non physical showdown with Tommy and Arthur in the bar. Cillian Murphy saying so much in his performance when saying so little. His words undercut by mixed messages. “Ok Michael, I believe you” he deadpans before demanding his money back. He giveth then taketh away. Michael and Tommy squaring up are heart skipping moments and give the show a new kind of edge. Let’s face it, this show has always had edge.

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An intriguing turn this year is the younger generation starting to stand up for themselves. “General Finn” too is getting his say even if that say is ignored. “I’ve met this girl and want to get married” he declares proudly, “Fuck off!” responds Arthur. Classic bants. The dialogue is even zippier this series and that is quite an achievement given all that’s gone before.

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Lizzie and Linda are also taking on the Peaky patriarchy but their letters of intent fall on flat ears , or burning coals to be precise. They are dismissed but no moment was crueller than Tommy telling his wife “In my head I still pay for it”. He definitely deserved the gun pointed at him.

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We meet the Billy Boys. We know they’re the Billy Boys because they politely introduce themselves (“Did you not hear my song?!”) They’re a Protestant razor gang and they surprise Aberama Gold’s picnic, not to steal the sausages, but to kill his son Bonnie and tie him to a cross. It’s gruesome and as Gold lies in a pool of his own tears his life is spared purely to pass a message on to you know who…

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Narcism and paranoia are the driving force behind Tommy now. He states “I am the revolution” and that “Someone wants my crown” This is no longer about family. This is about status and ego. Michael, Lizzie, Linda, Aberama, the Billy Boys and probably the whole of Ireland are in his sights. Apologies if anyone was left out, it’s difficult to keep up. Everything is falling apart from the inside while the hunters outside prowl. Let’s enjoy the fireworks because the bangs are set to get even louder.

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A LITTLE PEAK

– In a rare moment of vulnerability Tommy told Arthur “I don’t like the fucking life” with tiredness writ large over his face. The human inside is trying to come out.

– We got another glimpse of Oswald Mosley who was met with Ada’s typical offishness. He is being held back for now.

– Here’s betting The Garrison doesn’t serve Guinness.

– “How can a one armed man avenge the death of his son?” Hand grenade? Knife? Angry glove puppet? The possibilities are vast.

Peaky Blinders: Black Tuesday (Series 5, Episode 1 Review)

“EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION”

Cillian Murphy rides once more into the breach (on his one horse open slay). His return is grander than a canyon and it’s bloody spectacular. Tommy is a man full of his own importance and the cinematic opening sees him once more as the star of his own Hollywood tragedy. Television shouldn’t look this good, television shouldn’t feel this good, television shouldn’t sound this good and yet here we are in 1929 setting higher and higher bars for programme makers in 2019.

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While Murphy rocks every scene he’s in with a vibrant coldness, the malevolent world of Peaky Blinders is brought to life by every character, every set detail, every chord struck and every line said in the Brummy timbre. Quality runs through every pore of its sweating but very furrowed brow. The show knows how bloody good it is and even if the first ten minutes play out like a blockbuster film, it’s the subtlety in everything that follows which transcends it beyond just theatre – this is art.

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The central theme of series five looks set to be Tommy’s inner demons but this isn’t an overnight thing. This has been going for six years. Strands from previous series are always picked up on or referenced to. Nothing feels throwaway and even if Steven Knight did scrunch an idea up and throw it in the bin he must later save it from the recycling to take us by surprise.

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Maybe Michael will wish Knight had trashed the bit where he inadvertently loses a lot of money in the stock market crash because Tommy is furious with him. Actually, Tommy is furious with everyone. Lizzie, their son, and later on a journalist. “What do I have to do to make people fucking listen to me?!” he bellows. His family might zone out but the irony of Tommy being welcomed into the Garrison with open arms by an adoring public is strong. His reputation has changed with his role as an MP but with the inner turmoil rapidly escalating he should be feared more now than ever.

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With Tommy’s struggles as the centrepiece Peaky Blinders has evolved. It may not be the Arctic Monkeys blasting riot fuelled pubescent early days anymore but in middle age it is aging well. The storytelling is even better, the direction is more on point and the impending sense of doom is even more sinister. Anna Calvi’s score is perfectly in sync with Tommy’s despair. It’s a glorious marriage made in hell.

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Believe it or not there are softer moments too and Arthur’s attempts at holding a meeting are uncomfortably funny. Even when Finn got shot we were allowed to raise a smile. Sorry Finn While there has been many funny lines in the past it feels like a concerted effort has been made to make the lighter moments lighter. That may have something to do with the transition to BBC1. It’s not even a criticism because the comedy works and in every other way there’s no sense of compromise. Peaky Blinders is still unrelentingly dark and violent. Which is nice.

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It’s a wonder of script writing how Knight can focus on Tommy’s downfall and unite his venture into politics so harmoniously, yet alone everything else that’s going on. In parliament he isn’t much more corrupt than the fellow politicians and it’s delicious to see him let loose in this world of careerist vagabonds. Two standout scenes highlight this perfectly. The first when he knocks red wine onto the table and the second when he’s at loggerheads with a journalist by the name of Michael Levitt. Two people are simply talking in a darkened room but the tension is unbearable and broken up only slightly by Tommy’s insistence that he writes it all down. The closing scene is confirmation that with power comes great irresponsibility. Levitt Is shot down im a swarm of bullets. It’s graphic and shocking and would no doubt make Quentin Tarantino a little jealous.

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So our antagonist is making enemies out of his own family, has enemies in his own head and is making new enemies with each new scene. With friends like Tommy and all that..

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A LITTLE PEAK

– Ada is pregnant. In an incident packed episode this news felt small fry.

– The surprise appearance of Grace felt eerily out of place at first but in full context it does make sense.

– We see a little glimpse of Oswald Mosley and as hindsight has taught us, anyone with a ‘tashe like that shouldn’t be trusted.

– It’s good to see Aberama Gold still working for the gang. For the time being anyway.

– Lizzie has quite clearly had enough of Tommy’s shit. In fact all the women have. An uprising is in the offing.

– Michael is going to have quite the welcome back. Let’s just say the order on bunting has been cancelled.

Peaky Blinders: ‘The Duel’ (Series 4, Episode 5 Review)

“Me and you, Tommy”

We pick up exactly where last week left off, Tommy being followed in slow pursuit by the Mafia and with a knowing look into the rear view mirror we know that our anti-hero is in on Polly’s plan. What follows is an epic, noisy opening few minutes of, let’s face it, very badly aimed gunfire. There’s more shots here than in the last half hour of Hot Fuzz as Tommy and Luca rampage through a housing estate.

Riveting though it most definitely is, it does raise some questions. Why did Changretta and his gang not carry out the deed on a quiet road en route rather than wait for the final destination? Why did Tommy not seek back up from either the Blinders or the gypsies to help him take on the hit squad? Is his death wish so strong? Hey, who cares, it looks amazing. There’s a murder committed through a white bed sheet and everything. An unlikely advertisement deal with Ariel is but a phone call away (“Killed someone on your linen again? Try new Shelby All In One”). The duel doesn’t last very long because it is crudely interrupted by the police.

“I don’t drink whiskey or gin anymore”

Lizzie delivers the news of her pregnancy in typical matter of fact Lizzie fashion and Tommy takes to the news as if he’d just won a tenner. He has got the shakes though, bless. He did kill three people, not sure if he mentioned it.

While pregnancy is causing one person to tone down on their vices, the same can’t be said for Arthur who is getting carried away with the white powder and not the kind Tim Henman would happily promote. That combined with his drinking means he’s slipping down a very slippery slope and falling down a very still table. He calls for Linda to save him but frankly, the man may be beyond redemption. Full marks for Paul Anderson’s drunk acting, it was convincing enough to conjure up images of Delia Smith shouting on a football pitch.

“I know ways back that will take forever”

Much to Michael’s delight, Polly arranges a little holiday for him with the gypsies. The idea is that he’ll be off map and avoid detection. While the son is away the auntie will play as she soon starts locking lips with Aberama Gold. Inappropriate men indeed. They may be getting it on but Gold knows full well that if any harm comes to her child, then he won’t have the equipment to get it on much longer.

“You just made a deal without a negotiation, didn’t ya?”

There’s another face to face duel as Luca squares up to an Alfie who conveys much more menace than the man stood opposite, even with his eyes closed. The negotiations involve an indecent proposal of sorts. Alfie will hand Tommy over at the boxing match if Luca runs his alcohol into New York. We don’t get the outcome of this intriguing conversation, but where would the fun be in that?

“Tommy Shelby is going to stop the revolution with his cock”

The pesky C word pops up again – communism. Ada is taken in for questions by the military who have a keen interest in her political past. As with most things, Tommy is responsible. His wheeling and dealing  climbs two further levels. Firstly, the military have offered him a lucrative contract and secondly, he reveals his plans to deceive and corrupt Jessie Eden for his own gain. Profit over principles. The very opposite of the socialist he once was.

They settle down for a dinner that wouldn’t have made the edit of First Dates. The tone is completely serious and worse still, Curly is the DJ. You can see Jessie’s guard falling by the wayside as Tommy works his charm once more but fair play, she doesn’t put out. Physically, at least anyway. In the end she does comes to an agreement she’ll soon regret.

“Take your bets”

And so to the ring and there’s nothing Peaky Blinders loves more than high octane drama around a boxing match. Out of the shadows Alfie appears in a blaze of mystery. Is he alone or did he strike a deal with Luca? The imagery of Tommy walking into the light suggests it’s actually a trap for the boys from New York. While the Mafia haven’t lived up to their early threat, next week’s finale still looks set to be an explosive, gory and satisfactory ending to the series and hopefully Changretta’s bloody toothpicks too. 8/10