41/41
I’ll start by saying that this film was produced
Chronology
Four turbulent decades during the Northern Ireland Rebellion. The real-life Dolours Price was married for two decades (1983-2003) to Irish actor Stephen Rea. During this period, Rea appeared in the film for which he is perhaps best known in the United States: the 1992 romantic thriller The Crying Game. In this film, Rea plays Fergus, an extremely reluctant and controversial member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA)—the same organization with which Price was involved for many years. The series is great, the acting is great, and the overall story is fascinating.
or in film, but it usually feels like a “B-rated” production at best
As someone from Northern Ireland, it’s always great to see something from here depicted on T.V. I’m thrilled to say that’s not the case with Say Nothing – this series was made in a way that I think people all over the world will watch and praise. This kind of thing is usually only interesting to people from the island, people who were directly involved, or history buffs. But I think it will appeal to a wider audience because it’s presented as a drama series with characters at its heart. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched something and heard Northern Ireland’s accents cut to the point where I cringe.
We’re not sure where they’ve been hiding, but they’ve finally found them!
I’ve always wondered if we had some of the best actors (that aren’t Liam Neeson) to star in these roles. The acting was superb throughout and it’s great to see some homegrown talent getting some much-needed and well-deserved recognition. I wasn’t familiar with most of the cast in this show, but I’d be surprised if at least one or two weren’t household names in the UK (especially the actors who played the Price sisters). I haven’t read the book, although I would imagine it’s more historical and focused on the facts of what happened during the Troubles. The show certainly keeps that historical and cultural influence in mind, even though it’s mostly character-driven.
My only reservation about this show is that I felt the story of the Troubles was a bit one-sided
It does a great job of developing the characters and portraying all sides of the characters involved, and showing a lot of emotion in people we’d probably rather see as one-dimensional in real life. The focus is of course on the IRA/Republican movement, so it’s not really surprising that they’re considered the main character. However, there are two sides to the story with the Belfast conflict, and the Protestant/Union side seems to be completely omitted. I think they did a good job of showing how nasty things got and how the lines blurred between right and wrong even in times of war and even when you’re convinced that the only right opinion is yours. I think it’s going to be a tough watch for a lot of people, especially those directly affected by it and who are still grieving the loss of loved ones.
A good show
I hope people can enjoy it for what it is – a great piece of television on a subject that most of the world has probably forgotten or even heard of, and I hope that prejudice doesn’t get in the way of enjoying it.
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