The Movie Journal

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 6 September 30, 2014 The season’s finale is a perfect ending for this hit BBC series. Season finales tend to be divisive, but I think most can agree that director Tom Harper and writer Steven Knight put together a winner. This is a bittersweet ending. Tommy almost completed his redemption arc for it to fall apart in the very last scenes. On the flip side, Inspector Campbell had a falls-from-grace arc as he goes from Bible-thumping agent to murderous prostitute killer. That final scene where he pulls a gun on Grace came out of nowhere and completed Campbell’s season one story. Each of the characters had a chance to shine this episode as they had all season. Cillian Murphy has undoubtedly been the season’s MVP. In addition, Helen McCrory is majestic as Aunt Polly who fought her own demons. Annabelle Wallis gave Grace a sense of guile and delicacy. Sam Neill made sure you were invested in every single line of dialogue. Everyone delivered strong pe...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 5 September 30, 2014 The penultimate episode of Peaky Blinder’s first season is a fiery episode with gut-wrenching scenes that will stay with you. Paul Anderson takes the limelight this episode as “the head of the family” Arthur Jr. He goes through some intense daddy issues as he tries to prove himself but all for naught. His response is a suicide attempt that will make your heart stop because you feel so much for the guy. That and the tension that builds between Tommy and IRA agent Byrnes who declares to be Tommy’s “judge, jury, and executioner.” This really brings out the best of Cillian Murphy who nailed every scene. Not to mention that Tommy and Grace finally are in love with one another. If I did not know better, I felt like this could have been the first season’s finale as many storylines seem complete, but we still have one more episode to go! A father comes home! After a decade away from the family, Arthur Senior (played brilliantly by ...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 4 September 30, 2014 Inspector Chester Campbell is back with a vengeance. The last episode or two, Sam Neill’s detective was being manipulated by the Shelby’s. Now, it is all about regaining that power. His lines he delivered, his best lines since the opening episode’s speech, is terrifying to think about. He goes into detail to what will happen to Tommy and his family if he does not give up the location of the guns. Very chilling stuff. This episode proves this remain a tense, well-written, and well-acted gangster series. I love watching the mounting adversaries the Shelby’s face with the gypsy family (the Lee’s), Freddie Thorne and his communist ideals, and Inspector Campbell among them. The ending was a little predictable but important to how these characters will evolve in the coming episodes. Is it me, or will there be fraction within the Shelby family? It seems like Aunt Polly is having a difficult time agreeing to anything Tommy says or do...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 3 September 30, 2014 The third episode of Peaky Blinders is nothing short of fantastic. It easily combines the frenetic action of the first episode and the introspective, more character-oriented drama of the second film. The result is a wild ride that leaves you longing for me. Give credit to Steven Knight for his exemplary writing and Otto Bathurst for his cinematic directing skills. This series has been all about the well-written, fleshed out characters…and that includes the strong female characters. If you look at Aunt Polly or Grace, they are no damsels in distress or half-hearted romantic interests. We seen the kind of woman Polly is, but Grace takes center stage as she proves her worth against an IRA agent and creates a sophisticated relationship with Tommy. The relationship between the two is complicated and is further complicated when Billy Kimber takes an eye for Grace. Luckily, Tommy has “a girl with the clap” on his mind. Annabelle Wal...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 2 September 30, 2014 Peaky Blinder’s second episode is a vast reminder of this show’s distinctive style. I loved the visual flair that director Otto Bathurst and cinematographer George Steele bring to the table. This episode is a strong episode that continues to fleshen out the characters and their relationships with one another. The fighting sequences are intense and visceral. Shelby and his gang start the episode fighting their gypsy neighbors and they don’t hold back with their imagery. The performances continue to be very strong particularly Cillian Murphy and Sam Neill. Their one-on-one meeting to discuss the missing guns truly electrified me. Sam Neill is a legend, and he captivates me in every scene he is in. In this episode (these episodes are unnamed), Thomas continues to keep his eye on Grace unaware that Campbell put her there to spy on the gang. Shelby fights the Lees, a gypsy gang, who later sends him a bullet with his name on it. ...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 1 September 30, 2014 Right away, I knew Peaky Blinders would be something special. It is a British gangster show that takes ideas from American westerns and gangster films (I see shades of The Godfather and that horse scene with Cillian Murphy), but the show quickly establishes its own identity with its unique visual style and soundtrack choices. You would think for a show set right after The Great War ended, that songs from bands like The White Stripes would not be prevalent here. But I digress. The show gets the costumes and the haircuts right. Those are some ugly haircuts but were the style of the time. The gang also wear razor blades in their hats as part of their outfits. Certainly helps instill fear in everyone! Otto Bathhurst did a solid job directing the pilot. He gave this episode cinematic scope, but also an intimate and personal feeling. This show was created and written by Steven Knight. This first episode could have been confusing ...