TV Series Review - “Boardwalk Empire” & “Peaky Blinders”

Like Owen Wilson’s character in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris”, I have a fascination for the 1920’s. After all, it was like the ‘60’s in which I came of age: great music, experiments with drugs, a hedonistic lifestyle, an explosion in the arts, a major generational shift in lifestyles and attitudes. But while the ‘60’s idealistically raged against the growing, pointless war in Vietnam, the ‘20’s reflected the aftermath of WWI, which had already devastated a generation. The world was changed as it hadn’t in a hundred years. Cynicism and fatalism fueled choices that abandoned hope of security in favor of wild speculation and risk-taking.

“Boardwalk Empire”, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg, is set in Atlantic City in the post-WWI era. Steve Buscemi is Nucky Thompson, a smart, successful politician who has gambling operations and, with his brother the sheriff, gets protection money from virtually all the local businesses. He looks upstanding, supporting women’s right to vote, and does charitable good where he can. Prohibition begins, and the Roaring Twenties truly take off; Nucky seizes the opportunity, first as a bootlegger, then a distributor and importer. The stakes go up and up. Ambitious criminal leaders are drawn to Atlantic City, and a series of challenges begin for Nucky’s business and even for his life: Michael Pitt (who can be sweet as an angel or coldly dark) is the Jimmy Darmody, a young man just returned from French battlefields - the epitome of cynical ambition; Michael Shannon (General Zod!) is an unhinged Treasury agent determined to crush sinners; Bobby Cannavale dominates the second season as a really unhinged gangster with big plans (he got “Vinyl” with this emmy-winning performance); Jeffrey Wright is scarily slick as a preacher with a smooth voice and a ruthless nature; and even Nucky’s brother, who gets - yes - unhinged, and goes violently against Nucky. Lots of beautiful, often naked, women cavort or suffer. Most striking are Kelly McDonald, whose Irish charm captivates Nucky and us, and Gretchen Mol (“The Notorious Betty Page”) as Jimmy’s super-hot mom.

“Peaky Blinders” takes place in a parallel universe. It’s the same time period, but takes place in Birmingham, England. This is an industrial town, not glamorous at all. The arcs from welding punctuate the ambient light as one walks down the muddy street. Cillian Murphy is Tommy Shelby; he’s sort of a cross between Nucky (a very smart and clever criminal boss) and Jimmy (young and handsome, and just back from France, having seen death close-up). He runs a family business- they’re gypsies - like a godfather. Extortion, smuggling, whatever. He’s successful, and he’s cool. Sam Neill is an obsessed major who’s now a top cop reporting to a pragmatic Winston Churchill; he’s very shrewd and dangerous, and has a wonderful brogue. There a beautiful girl - Irish, again! - who’s working - and attracting - both sides. There’s Tommy’s mom, an unforgettable Helen McCrory, the matriarch, still strikingly attractive. There’s Arthur, Tommy’s brother, who frequently goes unhinged, with a fury. There’s the second season star appearance by Tom Hardy, who looks like he may have shot these scenes around the time of “Revenant”, with a major beard. And, of course, there are several rival gang leaders of different ethnicities who tag-team the family with evil intent, engaging Tommy in a battle of wits; strategic and tactical skills, along with ambition and ruthlessness, are required.

Are you getting the picture? “Peaky Blinders” has duplicated the formula and quality of the production, casting, writing, direction, sets and music of “Boardwalk Empire”, and it’s all fresh again. Both shows may require a few episodes to get fully hooked, but, if the violence doesn’t overwhelm you, let these epics settle in. Each story is set in the fabulous ‘20’s, and the history around the times and places is fascinating. HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” ran five seasons. Netflix' “Peaky Blinders”’ third season is just beginning; I’ll have to wait for that; I live in a remote place, and must wait for Netflix discs - no streaming. (frowny face)

P.S. Cillian Murphy is a favorite of major directors Danny Boyle (“24 Days Later”, “Sunshine”, “Slumdog Millionaire”) and Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Interstellar”, “Inception”). He and MVP actor Tom Hardy will re-team in Nolan’s next film, the WWII epic “Dunkirk”. Movie stars.