Displaying items by tag: James Nesbitt

MISSING YOU

UK, 2024, 5 X 45 minutes, Colour.

Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, Richard Armitage, Steve Pemberton, Mary Malone, James Nesbitt, Jessica Plummer, Lenny Henry, Charlie Hamblett, Catherine Ayres, Felix Garcia Guyer, Oscar Kennedy, Marc Warren, Lisa Faulkner, Stephen Kunz.

Directed by Nimer Rashed, Isher Sahota

Missing You is a 2014 novel by crime writer, Harlan Coben. In 2010s and in the 2020s, a number of his novels were adapted for streaming, especially for Netflix.

This limited series is shorter than some of the others, situated in a British town, creating an atmosphere of the town, but focusing on police investigations. At the centre is Rosalind Eleazar (Slow Horses), strong-minded, a detective, working with collaborators but also independently, personally affected by the murder of her police father a decade earlier and the disappearance of her fiance.

As with this kind of series, there is the introduction of quite a number of characters spending time on them to make them vivid, flashbacks to Kat’s father, discussions with her mother and her mother’s friends, the police officers with audiences suspicion of them at times, the flashbacks to the missing fiance, the development of that story, as well as investigations concerning number of missing persons.

There is quite some complexity with a dog trainer and dog lover called Titus, played by Steve Pemberton (in exactly the opposite way from his playing Robbie Williams’ father in Better Man). And a young man approaches Kat to find his mother who has disappeared. All these themes come together, a ruthless scam to get money by creating a false dating app, false names and resumes, getting their targets  together, capturing and holding them, forcing them to make transferral from their bank account.

There is an interesting performances throughout the series, Richard Armitage has appeared in for Harlan Coben adaptations. Lenny Henry appears as Kat’s father. Ashley Walters is the fiance who disappeared – and there are two scenes, expertly performed by James Nesbitt as the smooth-talking gangster. The series is directed by a two directors who have considerable television series experience.

1. Crime detection, murder mystery? Harlan Coben’s novel? Adaptation? John Waite’s song and the lyrics during the final credits?
2. The British setting, the English city, homes, police precincts, public buildings, streets, the farm setting, interiors, barns, the countryside? The musical score?
3. The focus on Kat Donovan, the centre of the film, as a policewoman and detective, her personality, determined, her relationship with her mother and her mother’s friends, work in the office, Stagger as her superior, working with Nia, with Charlie and the growing relationship, her skills in detection? The background, her father as a celebrated police officer, the flashbacks with him, happy, her childhood, her apartment? The impact of his death? The further investigations, the killer in hospital, dying of cancer, her visit to him, his denial of killing her father? Stagger and his resistance, putting her off the case? Her friends in confidence, Aqua, communication with her, Stacy and her investigations?
4. The issue of Josh Buchanan, writer, the flashbacks, with Kat, happy, his disappearance, her hurt? The reappearance on the dating app? Further investigations, his articles and the AI for his identification, Aqua seeing him and their past sharing the flat? Stacy seeing him, warning him off, her confession to Kat, apology, further detection?
5. The mystery of the man and his car, visiting the site, his wandering, imprisoned by Titus, the torture, the money issues, £25,000? His attempt at escape, his death, his body in the furnace? The further “assets” and the money scheme? The tracking down of his financial adviser and the information?
6. The introduction to Titus, working with the dogs, the couple and his photo of the wife’s infidelity, the later reporting him to the police? His obsession with dogs, proud of his record, competitions and winds? The farm, his henchmen, ruthlessness, cruelty, the focus on Dana, the ‘assets’ tied up and standing? The money being cut off, tracking down Brendan, abducting him, targeting Kat, the buildup to the climax, Dana and her escape, killing the henchmen, freeing the assets, Titus setting the farm alight, threatening Brendan, threatening Dana, Kat seeing the fire, the final confrontation and killing him?
7. The scam, the technology at the farm, the footage of Vanessa and the using it on the app, the various people succumbing, Brendan and his coming to Kat because of Josh Buchanan’s name, on the app, the story of his mother, Costa Rica, ransacking Kat’s flat, the confrontation, the episode with Aqua attacking him?
8. Charlie, his expertise, computers, getting the information, very quickly, opening up accounts, surveillance the airport, Dana and removing the money, the story of Titus henchmen with the rental cars and his taking the money, Titus shooting him? The discovery of the false identities?
9. Kat, the various investigations, Stagger putting her off, her visit to the dying man in the hospital, continually confronting Stagger? Discoveries about Josh, finding where his payments went, following the grandfather, discovering the daughter, meeting Josh again, the apologies, his reasons for moving out, the revelation about her father’s corruption?
10. Culigan, the gangster, the influence, reputation, his manufacturing his mythology, summoning Kat, the Gallery, his painting, the truth about the background, using Kat’s father, promising to find Parker? Contacting Kat, the address?
11. Police corruption, widespread, the father’s murder? The cover-ups – and the good intentions of protecting Kat? Tracking down Parker, the revelation of her father’s relationship with him, his personality, the experience? The link in blackmailing the father because of his gay relationship?
12. The final revelation, Josh seeing the father with his lover, the chase, the violence, the threat to Aqua, Josh and the knife, the father’s death?
13. The police, suspicions Stagger, his protection of Kat? Kohl, genial, retiring, investigations, the farewell, his wife and the information about corruption? Kat and her confronting her mother, the truth?
14. The end, Josh’s confession, Kats love for him, able to forgive him?

THE HEIST BEFORE CHRISTMAS

UK/Northern Ireland, 2023, 80 mintues, Colour.

Timothy Spall, James Nesbitt, Bamber Todd, Laura Donnelly, Joshua McLees.

Directed by Edward Hall.

Here is a slight and different Christmas film from Northern Ireland. And, it is not necessarily a charming Christmas story.

It opens with a bank robbery by a robber disguised as Santa Claus (James Nesbitt). The focus is on the town, especially young boy, Mikey (Bamber Todd) defying the headmaster, all kinds of mischief, all kinds of bitterness, at home with his single mother and his younger brother, she hard at work to make ends meet.

Mikey realises what has happened, goes in pursuit of the false Santa, discovers an old Santa  lyng in the snow, mistaking him for the robber, this Santa being Charlie, a kind old man who imagines himself as Santa Claus and lives in local institution. And is played by Timothy Spall in Norwegian-accented English.

And so, the film moves along, what will Mikey do, can he possibly change, be sympathetic? What about Charlie and his being out there in the snow? And what about the robber, and his tactics to avoid capture?

So, more than a touch of the offbeat, not exactly the nice family Christmas film expected.

1. The title, Christmas entertainment? Different?
2. From Northern Ireland, the town, homes, shops, banks, the countryside? Carols and the score?
3. The edge in Mikey’s behaviour and the possibility of his changing. Different Christmas film? The bank robbery? The bank robber, disguised as centre? Charlie and his dementia and thinking he was centre? The atmosphere in the town, Christmas celebrations, he and his family?
4. The picture of the town, homes, shops, offices, the bank, the streets and celebrations, the countryside, the forest, the snow? The car chases and other vehicles? The musical score, Joy to the world?
5. The focus on Mikey, his age, his attitudes, causing mischief at school, the reaction of the headmaster, his surliness, defiance, seeing the bank robber and the pursuit, his curiosity, pursuit? At home, his attitude towards his mother, to his brother? Audience response to him?
6. The exasperated mother, at home, with the children, Mikey and his attitudes, her eventually slapping him, her upset afterwards? With Joshua, his age, difficulties, the hopes for Christmas, the bike? The poor situation? The mother at work, the boss, her being late, his attitude, her friend? With the customers, the raffle tickets? Joshua wanting the bite? Her changing the bucket of tickets? Not winning the bike, going into the office, discovering the truth, confronting the owner?
7. The robber, disguised as centre, the chase to the town, his escape, in the forest? Mikey and his pursuit? Discovering Charlie, the Norwegian accent, talking as if he were centre, dressed as centre, Rudolph’s return…? Mikey returning with the soup, the bank robber, the confrontations, the gun?
8. The adventures in the forest, Mikey wanting the money, escaping with Joshua, the continued pursuit? The vehicles? Mikey’s promise? The bag, the money? The slapstick comedy, all the accidents, the fights?
9. Back into town, the identity of Charlie, the police, the officer and his laughing at his own jokes, the more sympathetic police officer? Shooting centre? Hospital?
10. The pursuits, the climbing, the mother attacking the robber, her fall, the mayhem? Hospital?
11. The target audience for this kind of Christmas film? Children? Family? Adults?