During World War II, Tommy Shelby returns to a bombed Birmingham and becomes involved in secret wartime missions based on true events, facing new threats as he reckons with his past and rising national stakes.
Chuck says:
After six seasons, the British crime series “Peaky Blinders” comes to a fitting end with “The Immortal Man,” a feature film that brings to a close the saga of Tommy Shelby. Accurate period production values, a poignant script from the show’s creator Steven Knight and strong performances from series veterans and newcomers alike, combine to provide a gripping and satisfying conclusion to its anti-hero’s story arc.
Though he’s gone into hiding on a crumbling country estate, Tommy (Cillian Murphy) isn’t alone. Haunted by past misdeeds, the specter of family members who have died due to his actions is never far from his mind. Wanting to set the record straight, and perhaps purge himself of his demons, he’s set out to write his memoirs. Initially, this practice does not prove productive as, instead of providing catharsis, it dredges up that which should be forgotten.
It’s almost as if this practice conjures an unwelcome visitor in the form of Kaulo Chirikio (Rebecca Ferguson), a gypsy who claims she can help Tommy put his past behind him. Just what her connection is to the Shelby clan and what she wants of them remains a secret. That she has an ulterior motive goes without saying. Perhaps most importantly, she tells Tommy that his bastard son, Duke (Barry Keoghan) has taken over the Peaky Blinders gang. The young man has entered into an arrangement with John Beckett (Tim Roth), a Nazi-sympathizer who’s been charged with spearheading a mission to bring the British economy to its knees. He intends on flooding the marketplace with millions in counterfeit currency. The Blinders are to help facilitate this, Duke unconcerned by what the fallout might be.
Of course, it’s inevitable that Tommy will be sucked back into his old way of life, but it’s too Knight’s credit that he doesn’t rush this. The first hour is spent re-establishing this world and the supporting characters, chief among them, Tommy’s sister Ada (Sophie Rundle), while providing vital background on Duke. Perhaps more importantly, this deliberate pacing reminds us of the reasons for the weight Tommy is carrying, the many losses he’s suffered movingly recounted.
It comes as no surprise that Murphy brings the proper gravitas to the role. Reserved throughout, he’s coiled and ready to strike at the least provocation, years of repressed anger roiling beneath the surface. But it’s the haunted look Murphy employs that makes Tommy a tragic figure, his world-weary expressions and measured actions all employed to create a character who is more than ready to shuffle off his mortal coil. Murphy grounds and commands each scene he’s in; you just can’t take your eyes off him.
The supporting cast compliment him in their own ways, Ferguson properly mysterious and sexy, ably leading Tommy down a path he shouldn’t take. Keoghan is saddled with a rather one-dimensional role but to his credit, subtly projects sincere traces of pain beneath the acts of violence his character’s compelled to make. Roth does what he can with the common villain he’s been saddled with, while the return of Stephen Graham as Hayden Stagg is nothing but an extended cameo.
While the movie successfully wraps up numerous storylines, there remain many narrative strands ripe for possible development. With each season of the show only running six episodes, Knight has always been keenly aware where taxing his audiences’ patience is concerned, neither the series nor “Immortal Man,” suffering from narrative bloat. Were he to adhere to this approach, and continue to provide the kind of fascinating, morally conflicted characters that have become a franchise cornerstone, a continuation of “Peaky” would be most welcome.
3 1/2 Stars
