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Ron_Bacardi
Reviews
We Are Lady Parts (2021)
Fantastic, funny and innovative
We Are Lady Parts is the brainchild of writer/director Nida Manzoor, one of the most interesting and creative storytellers working right now. Series 1 and 2 of Lady Parts and her 2023 film Polite Society have established Manzoor as a sophisticated filmmaker with a knack for combining genres and deftly playing with narrative perspective. Comparisons are lazy but useful and the first that comes to mind is Edgar Wright, who also started in TV before moving to film. I really hope that Manzoor continues working in both because television will be so much better with her in it.
Both series are beautifully directed. We Are Lady Parts always has a slightly heightened sense of reality, making for some unique comedy and allowing the musical numbers to sit comfortably alongside moments of more naturalistic drama. Manzoor has the confidence (and skill) to implement fantastical elements without warning or explanation, in ways specific to the character, that vividly communicate how they're feeling. I'm thinking of the scene in which Bisma (Faith Omole), Lady Parts' bassist, picks up the TV remote and literally pauses her husband and daughter during an argument. She walks out the door into a street of similarly-frozen pedestrians, singing a spellbinding rendition of Nina Simone's Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. (I cannot stress enough how incredible Faith Omole's voice is here!) In that moment we are feeling Bisma's desire to stop and escape, and it's visceral. Similarly, the scene with Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), Lady Parts' lead singer, being censored in Dirty Mahmood's studio by some unseen, supernatural force is evocative in a way you rarely experience with TV. I found it particularly affecting given the current situation in... y'know. For a show whose characters are challenging and questioning expectations, it's no surprise that Manzoor approaches the medium of television the same way.
As well as celebrating Nida Manzoor, I have to mention how sensational the cast is. Every one of the Lady Parts gang is phenomenal: Sarah Kameela Impey, Faith Omole, Anjana Vasan (lead guitarist Amina), Juliette Motamed (drummer Ayesha) and Lucie Shorthouse (the band's hardworking manager Momtaz). Not only are they fantastic actors, but each of the four musicians played their own instruments and sang their own parts. Some had to learn for the show (which is huge dedication!) whilst others, like Anjana Vasan, were already accomplished musicians. In fact I'm listening to Vasan's wonderful 2021 country/blues/americana album Strange Country Jukebox as I write this. It's really good!
The second series of We Are Lady Parts achieves the impressive task of being even better than the first. Series 2 continues and expands on stories about integrity, authenticity, identity, and love. Without giving too much away, by the final episode our heroes get their much-deserved happy ending. But is it the ending they (and we) expected? Considering this is We Are Lady Parts, I wouldn't be so sure.
The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies (2023)
Fantastic new show from the BBC
It's such a joy to see a show with big ideas, big narratives and - whisper it - maybe even a big budget come out of the BBC. Of course, the American networks are still the best at blockbuster tele; recent highlights for me include 'The Power' - the excellent adaptation of Naomi Alderman's sensational book - and Showtime's gripping 'Yellowjackets'. Both series inhabit an exaggerated reality, and although there's countless real-life monsters to rival Alistair Petrie's villain Rob Chance, 'The Following Events...' has a scope and level of ambition that puts me in mind of those two other programmes.
Speaking of real-life monsters, the final episode breaks the fourth wall entirely with actual footage of famous wrong'uns, from Saville to Epstein, as exploited author Cheryl Harker (the excellent Marianne Jean-Baptiste) vents her frustration at power always protecting power. It's a testament to the show's cinematic dexterity that this moment doesn't feel at all out of place.
Rebekah Staton is sublime in the role of Alice Newman, an aspiring fashion designer who spies her long-lost ex-husband cycling thorough the streets of Oxford, cool as a cucumber, 15 years after dissappearing without a trace. Oh, and the bugger had only gone and done a runner with Alice and her family's life savings. What a scoundrel! But now he's got his eyes on a bigger prize. Can Alice uncover the truth and save the day? (It's far more complicated than that, but I don't want to spoil the many delightful twists and turns).
Staton - who deserves to be on TV a heck of a lot more than she is - delivers a nuanced performance of a complex character battling against contradiction, paranoia, anger and - ultimately - a world where powerful men are always given the benefit of the doubt. Even when you've got to look very, very closely to see the doubt. It's not always men, of course, although it usually is, but it is always power. The most powerful in society seem to he held to a much lower standard than everyone else. We don't need rules for the powerful! They have power, ergo they must be honourable and virtuous, and on the occasions they're not, well those are clearly the exception and we can let it slide just this once.
Sorry, got a bit carried away.
'The Following Events...' tackles a lot of big themes and succeeds in making valuable comments about each one, whilst never overshadowing the story. And what a cracking story it is! Even if it is based on a pack of lies.
The Power of Parker (2023)
Comedy with more up its sleeve
I really enjoyed 'The Power of Parker'. I was expecting a well-written but fairly run of the mill comedy - not so! There's a lot more going on than first appears. As the series progresses, it subtly morphs into a comedy drama, with the plot almost threatening to outdo the comedy. Fortunately 'The Power of Parker' is packed full of funny characters, witty observations and social satire, some cracking dialogue, and a scene stealing performance by Steve Pemberton.
We learn more about Kath (Sian Gibson) and Diane (Rosie Cavaliero) and their respective relationships with the eponymous Martin Parker (Conleth Hill), and Martin's other - potentially deadly - indiscretions are revealed. The backdrop of 1990 is a treat for those of us who remember when wallpaper and rugs really were that beige, and it affords some well-observed satire about gender roles (many of which have sadly not gone out of fashion with the furnishings).
Wonderful writing, well-crafted characters and a gripping narrative. And very, very funny! Recommended!
Henpocalypse! (2023)
Incredibly silly and very, very funny
Caroline Moran, co-writer of the fantastic Channel 4 comedy 'Raised By Wolves', brings another gang of boisterous, badass Brummies to the small screen. 'Henpocalypse' has a similar energy, with larger-than-life characters, razor-sharp dialogue and a lot of laughs. There's even a fun cameo that connects Moran's two shows that'll delight '...Wolves' fans!
You'll probably know after the first episode if this is your cup of tea. Sure, the humour can be crude, and it might be a bit weird or too silly for some, but it's balanced by moments of genuine warmth, with enjoyable plot twists and stellar perormances from the entire cast. 'Henpocalypse' is a glorious ensemble piece, although I've got to single out Kate O'Flynn as Jen, who spends half the series hallucinating her "inner geezer"!
Loads of fun, hope there's a second series!