What This Week #9

Greetings from my sick chaise (see Not This Week for further details).

So yes, an out-of-the-blue ill week.

Bit of a sore throat on Tuesday, floored by Thursday.

The word of my week is undoubtedly ‘meh’.

But I’ve watched things and I’ve read things, and here I am ready to share them, if maybe not quite so eloquently as usual.

Watching:

The Gold (BBC iPlayer)—I was a little reluctant to watch this. Even though I’m a huge fan of writer Neil Forsyth’s Guilt, I’d convinced myself that coming hot on the heels of Happy Valley in BBC One’s prime Sunday night slot, The Gold just wasn’t going to be that good. A bit of filler after that incredible Lancashire/Norton showdown. I was wrong. The Gold is based on the aftermath of Brinks-Mat heist in 1983, where armed robbers made off with a staggering £26 million of gold bullion. The robbery takes place in the opening moments of the programme, and the drama unfolds over six episodes as the police try to catch the self-styled ‘villains’, the gold and the money. The story of what happened next is expertly told across a large cast of characters, each of whom is well-written, layered and complex. The acting is golden (couldn’t resist). Jack Lowden (officially the most mentioned actor in What This Week) plays against type brilliantly as Kenneth Noye. Hugh Bonneville and Dominic Cooper bring a depth to their roles that was unexpected. Honourable mention to Daniel Ings, who plays a brilliant character drafted in from Customs to help the police team trace the gold. His overenthusiastic presentation on how exactly the criminals are shifting the gold and turning it into money is a joy to watch—not that I understood it, even after multiple viewings!

The Gold: The Inside Story (BBC iPlayer)—This documentary aired the night after The Gold concluded, and while it was very interesting, it felt like there was perhaps too much detail to squeeze comprehensively into an hour. Plus the drama had been so strong, it was a hard ask for the documentary to be as compelling in its own right. I nodded vigorously at this quote from the Guardian’s review: “The Gold: The Inside Story works better as an appendix to the drama, confirming or mildly correcting memorable moments from Neil Forsyth’s script.” To be enjoyed as ‘an appendix to the drama’—totally agree.

An Irish Goodbye (BBC iPlayer)—I saw this after a recommendation on bookstagram by my lovely Northern Irish pal, Claire (@silverliningsandpages). It’s 23 minutes long. Everyone has time to watch this wonderful short film, winner of both BAFTA and Oscar. It’s a dark comedy brimming with heart. Two brothers in the aftermath of their mother’s death, working through her ‘bucket list’. Short. Simple. Brilliant.

The Quiet Girl (BFI player)—More Irish brilliance, this is the Oscar-nominated film adaptation of Claire Keegan’s stunning novella Foster that I read a couple of weeks ago. It captures the story beautifully, the girl sent away from home for the summer who slowly unfurls and blossoms under the gentle ‘minding’ of a childless couple. Even though I knew what was coming, those powerful final moments had me gulping back sobs. So much can be done with so little.

Honourable mention for Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (paid to stream from YouTube). A recent favourite, providing excellent under-blanket comfort viewing this week. Big dresses, big-hearted, visually stunning, Lesley Manville and Jason Isaacs, and (sigh) Lucas Bravo. Springtime in Paris—what’s not to love?

Reading:

This week I finished Ali Smith’s How to be Both—wow! I’ve become a big Ali Smith fan over the years and it was a joy to finally dive into this long-term inhabitant of my tbr shelf. How to be Both contains all the Smith hallmarks I’ve come to expect—a focus on art and interconnection, stylistically stretchy and playful. Love the Seasonal Quartet, you’ll love this. This will definitely be the focus of a future deep-dive newsletter.

I also read Emma Gannon’s latest non-fiction work, (Dis)connected: how to stay human in an online world. Written in her accessible and informative style, reading this was like having a conversation over coffee with a well-researched friend. (Dis)connected is full of food for thought for those of us ready to re-evaluate, but not completely step away from, our relationship with social media.

I hope your week has been less feverish. Come share your reading and watching recommendations in the comments section (which, fear not, I’ve doused liberally in anti-bacterial hand gel).

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