The Immortal Man

Cillian Murphy as Peaky Blinders' leader Tommy Shelby.

Peaky Blinders fans have good reason to rush to Netflix for a peek at the soulful leader of their pack, Tommy Shelby, played by soulful Irish thespian, Cillian Murphy. Just to see him in the flesh (live on screen) attired in stylish period duds is almost enough to satisfy the hunger. I say almost.

The new Netflix production, The Immortal Man, presents a dose of Tommy come back from retirement, yet how could a less-than-two-hour film dedicated to his legend satisfy what six seasons of moody, romantic drama dished up? It cannot.

The setting is much the same, a few years later. It's now 1940 and wartime Birmingham, England is a dark, bombed out mess. The boys still sport the peaky blinder caps and strut with street-smart swagger. The Nazis are the enemy and the plot centers on smuggling weapons and counterfeit pounds, as in graft and filthy lucre. The violence is brutal, in your face with a faux smugness that will curl the lip of the casual viewer. 

The Shelby family has been whittled down to a father-son tête-à-tête that finds resolution in the final scene. Tommy's son is played by Barry Keoghan.

The soundtrack -- featuring nihilistic lyrics and voice of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -- acts as narrator during street scenes of shadowy alleys, muddy streets and foreboding plot twists. Feminine mystique and influence, a major theme of the series, is portrayed handsomely by actresses Sophie Rundle as Tommy's sister, and Rebecca Ferguson as Ada, the witchy fortune teller and Tommy's provocateur.

The essential war here is explained in one scene: It's a battle between the Nazis and the Gypsies. The Nazis have always hated the Gypsies.

So what's the problem?

Cliche. The dialogue and action are shallow and predictable. The depth of story in the series is not present. It looks the same, but the drama tiptoes through the muck. The fancy suits get muddy yet the tale remains story- lite.

This is surprising, given that creator/writer Steven Knight and director Tom Harper authored the original series.

As one who got hooked on the Peaky Blinders series, I had a difficult time taking the bait of the movie. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, because the treacherous mood was there and Murphy's charisma carried sufficient protein. Yet I left unsatisfied. The presentation overshadowed the meal. No meat on the bone. Rating: C. 

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