As the war between the British Empire and the United States (secretly) nears its end a man long thought dead returns home to Brittain. An enigmatic man of hidden wealth and dark secrets, surrounded by rumors and whispers of terrible violence and depravity from his stay in Africa; James Keziah Delaney.
He returns to London at the time of his father's death and becomes the sole inheritor of his father's mansion and little remaining wealth. Key in the inheritance, however, is the deed to a tiny strip of land on America's west coast, Nootka Sound on the island of Vancouver. It is the hinge on which the trade between America and China turns.
At odds with his halfsister and her bullying drunk of a husband, The East India Trading Company and the King himself, James Delaney, though his motives are vague and his end goal in doubt, will have to play a shadowy game of manipulation using violence and deception to stay alive.
Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney is incredibly intense; an unblinking and piercing stare, ritualistic tattoos and a cloak-whipping gait throught the grimy streets of London set to some catchy theme music.
He's an odd man, scowling and mumbling and grunting his way through conversations, which can be very hit and miss for most viewers. I found it engaging and yet occasionally unintentionally hilarious.
He is drunk or delirious most of the time, doesn't seem to eat or sleep, he also seems to have special shamanistic powers and occasionaly suffers from alcohol or madness-fuelled hallucinations in which a painted crow lady cackles madly at the screen.
Some of those scenes, with their wildy varying filters, strange scenes and jumping visuals were a little annoying and I wished they'd used a different approach.
You know, just like one of those it was fashionable to wear in london society at the time. There's nothing special about it. It isn't garishly pink. It isn't made from human skin and doesn't even cast an enormous shadow.
It's just a hat. There's no reason to dwell on it except that it's trendy to ascribe to any sort of meme zeitgeist in a weak and sad effort to broker a few laughs.
Put it on a hulking, muscular, broad-shouldered and scowling Tom Hardy though and there is an intimidating effect, I'll give it that.
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| 1,2,3,4,5,6,7...8 Hats. Hmmm You'd almost say it wasn't something out of the ordinary. |
Jonathan Pryce, veteran actor who you might know from the early Pirates of the Caribbean films (Elizabeth's father) is a little typecasted here, playing the role of the head of the East India Company but he does seem to have enormous fun doing so.
Tom Hollander, also known from Pirates (as Cutler Beckett, the main East India Company villain of movies 2 and 3) steals every scene he's in, bringing some much needed levity to the show. A depraved chemist with a pallid skin, with a constant drug addled gaze that is contrasted by his pleasant and witty dialogue.
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| Laughing gas, shit chewing and 'duck hunting', Good times. |
Unlike others I did not like Mark Gattis as king George, I usually find him alright but in this show, looking like a prosthetics bomb went off, he's just over the top camp in any and every way.
Other notable actors are Oona Chaplin (yes, that Chaplin) as James' halfsister, inhabiting a wasted and sordid plotline. All staring eyes and little believeable acting. She's an odd contrast to her time in Game of Thrones.
Franka Potente as Helga, (I'm thinking the Bourne Identity?) is also hit and miss, mostly because of her thick accent. As opposed to others, I have to say that there are no whores with a heart of gold here. Just flawed but believable people living in a hard world.
In contrast to both, relative acting newcomer Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow is a joy to watch as she plays a stage actress claiming to have been married to James' father.
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| Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow Wry grins added to grace and class. |
A period show that has been a passion project for Tom Hardy, Taboo, intended to last three seasons, will follow James Delaney on his journey to Nootka Sound and will presumably end with him taking command of the island.
Directed by Ridley Scott, Taboo is written by Tom Hardy, his father Chips (yes) and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
It can be slow and plodding in its early hours. But if you don't mind being kept in the dark for a while and if you like Tom Hardy's acting it shouldn't be a problem to stick it out until things start to fall into place.
As I mentioned it's alot of fun to watch Tom Hardy strut around doing his stuff and occasionally stalking through the streets of London set to an inspired theme music that will ultimately reach its crescendo in the damn good season finale that manages to tie off practically every dangling plot thread with either unflinching brutality or quiet emotional moments.
The music is by Max Richter, who you might have had a taste of in the recent movie, Arrival. His "On the nature of Daylight" opens and closes that particular film. Here he does, I think, the entire score and it's a good one.
Some small warnings.
The sex and violence are pretty explicit but not gratuitously so.
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| Or are they? |
The taboo from the title derives its name from several themes; racism, slavery, incest, cannibalism, apparent sorcery and madness.
Lastly, the show's treatment of women seems to be a point of contest. I'd like to adress it here as it's relevant for a hypothetical future review (series or seperate seasons) of Black Sails, which can be accused of having the same problems.
It's hard to defend against any sort of accusation of misogyny.
In this time and age with everyone's hair-trigger access to technology, it's easy for anyone to spew bile at a moment's notice at the slightest provocation. The forward march of equality will get any show, movie or story that has women treated badly earmarked and boycotted as a misogynistic show. Taboo doesn't deserve this.
These things happened and still happen to this day. Women are threatened and women are beaten, raped, killed and worse.
Either way, It's worse to close your eyes to it, and to pretend it doesn't exist is not the answer.
Don't mistake depiction for endorsement.
And people who wilfully take issue knowing that it isn't intended as such are doubly at fault.
In the end, I really enjoyed watching Taboo and I'm looking forward to the next season.
Recommended.
Can't wait to see this show! Love a good but of controvercy! Cheers
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