29/38
The series is great, the acting is excellent and the overall story is engaging
Plot
Spanning four tumultuous decades during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the real-life Dolours Price was married for two decades (1983-2003) to Irish actor Stephen Rea. During that time, Rea appeared in the film for which he is arguably best known in the US: the 1992 romantic thriller The Crying Game. In that film, Rea plays Fergus, a very reluctant and ambiguous member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) – the same organisation with which Price had been associated for many years. As someone from Northern Ireland, it’s always great to see someone from there depicted on TV or in film, but it usually feels like a “B-rated” production at best.
This kind of thing is usually only interesting to people on the island, people directly involved with it, or history buffs
I’m happy to say that’s not the case with Say Nothing – this series was one that I think will be watched and praised by people all over the world. But I think it will appeal to a wider audience because it is presented as a drama series with characters at its heart. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched something and heard a Northern Irish accent cut out so badly that it makes me cringe. I always thought to myself, “If only we had the best actors (that aren’t Liam Neeson) to play these roles.” We’re not sure where they’ve been hiding, but they’ve finally found them!
The show certainly takes into account the historical and cultural influences, although it is largely character driven
The acting was great throughout the show, 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 on this show, but if at least one or two don’t become UK housewives, I’ll be surprised (especially the actors who played the Price sisters). I haven’t read the book, although I would imagine it to be more historical and factual about what happened during the Troubles. It does a great job of developing the characters and portraying all sides of the characters involved and showing a range of emotions in people we would probably prefer to see as one dimensional in real life.
My only qualms with this show are that I felt the narrative of the Troubles was a bit one-sided
Of course, the focus is on the IRA/Republican movement, so it’s no surprise that they are seen as the main character. However, there are two sides to the story of the Belfast conflict and the Protestant/Allied side seems to have been completely removed. I think they did a great job of showing how things played out and how the lines became blurred between right and wrong, even during wartime and even when you are convinced that the only correct opinion is yours. I hope this will be a difficult watch for many people, especially those directly affected and still grieving the loss of loved ones.