The SMALL AXE MANGROVE

 Article first published as TV Review: SMALL AXE MANGROVE on Seat42F.

Amazon Prime recently premiered a new series of films directed and co-written by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) entitled SMALL AXE. The first of these, MANGROVE, is available now. It follows the true story of The Mangrove Nine, a group of Black people arrested during demonstrations against the Metropolitan Police in Notting Hill, Kensington. So you’ll get a history lesson, a look at immigrant life, and hopefully think a bit about the racial injustice still prevalent in today’s society.

Shaun Parkes (The River) stars as Frank Crichlow, a man from Trinidad who has moved to London. Frustrated in dealing with the police, Frank opens a totally legitimate restaurant called the Mangrove, selling the cuisine of his native land, a.k.a. “spicy food.” But the local constable, PC Pulley (Sam Spruell, The Bastard Executioner), is deeply prejudiced, and decides that the Mangrove must be a place for unsavory characters, raiding it repeatedly for no legitimate reason. This only drives the community to embrace the Mangrove more, the local Black Panthers and others considering the place “theirs,” and things spiral far from Frank’s control. It all culminates during a march against the police in which Frank and eight others are arrested for rioting and affray. Off-screen the case is dismissed, and then tried again at the Old Bailey, a venue for only the most heinous crimes, as the police hope to make examples of the defendants.

SMALL AXE MANGROVE begins as one thing, a story focused on Frank and his restaurant, and halfway though, becomes a courtroom drama with varied protagonists. In lesser hands, this disjointed style and lack of strong focus might feel like a weakness. Instead, through flawless directing and performances, it feels like a complete piece, albeit one with two distinct halves. Yet, it’s also more than that. Frank’s story becomes the story of all these people, and the film enlarges to encapsulate that, minimizing Frank the way he becomes pushed to the background of his own fate. It’s actually a pretty cool move.

Parkes is great, full stop. He is not alone, however, and some of the best moments in SMALL AXE MANGROVE come from others. At the trial, one of the co-defendants, Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby, Devils) decides he should represent himself. The stuffier lawyers protest, but Ian MacDonald (Jack Lowden, The Tunnel) thinks it’s a brilliant idea. Altheia Jones (Letitia Wright, Black Panther), another person on trial, agrees and decides to do the same. Altheia and Darcus speaking up for themselves is powerful, especially when Darcus plays the legal game better than some of the fully-trained lawyers, winning through logic, not just emotion.

The system is broken, the no one exhibits that better than Judge Clarke (Alex Jennings, The Crown), showing his prejudice right off the bat. But the cause is righteous enough, even he is eventually forced to admit wrongdoing on both sides, which unfortunately echoes remarks by own American president not too long.

That’s what’s so powerful about SMALL AXE MANGROVE, though: it isn’t just a history story. It is relevant today, shining light on the continued issues. This was written and filmed prior to this year’s Black Lives Matter marches, but they make it even more timely. The trial of The Mangrove Nine was fifty years ago, and yet, the problems remain, maybe not in quite the same way, but still very serious. The ending text on the screen reveal Frank’s troubles didn’t end after the trial, as he continued to be harassed for the next two decades. It wouldn’t have been surprising to learn he was still being harassed today, if he were alive. The police were not punished. And though his kids have a better life (you may know of his daughter, actress Lenora Crichlow), that doesn’t mean the problems are solved.

SMALL AXE MANGROVE is an excellent film with compelling characters and a true story that hits home. Even were it not applicable to current circumstances, it would land. The fact that the fight lives on only helps boost its impact. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the SMALL AXE series has in store.

SMALL AXE MANGROVE is available now on Amazon Prime.

HUMANS 2.0

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Humans 2.0' on Blogcritics.

The American-British, AMC-Channel 4 co-production, Humans, based on the award-winning Swedish series, is back for a second season. The show takes place in a world where ‘synths,’ essentially advanced androids, are prevalent and used for a variety of business and household needs. In season one, the Hawkins family, an average, middle-class clan in England, stumbles into a quartet of more developed synths. These synths have their own consciousness. In season two, more synths begin ‘waking up,’ and the only thing that’s certain is that the effects will be far-reaching.

Catching Up With the Characters

The Hawkins family has relocated as Humans 2.0 begins, starting over in a new city. Father Joe (Tom Goodman-Hill) is soon made redundant at work by an artificial life form. Son Toby (Theo Stevenson) is interested in a girl (Letitia Wright, Black Panther) who is pretending to be a synth. Toby’s younger sister, Sophie (Pixie Davies), seeks to emulate this newcomer. Other sister Mattie (Lucy Carless) begins working on a code that will give all synths consciousness, using the discarded Odi (Will Tudor) to test it on. Mom Laura Hawkins (Katherine Parkinson) is approached by synth murderess Niska (Emily Berrington). Niska wants to turn herself in, but only if she will be tried as a human.

Our lead synths are also facing complications. Mia (Gemma Chan) has gone back to living as her non-conscious alter-ego, Anita, and falls in love with a human (Sam Palladio). Karen (Ruth Bradley) continues her relationship with the accepting Pete (Neil Maskell), though worries her secret will come out to others. Max (Ivanno Jeremiah) and Leo (Colin Morgan) concern themselves with finding ‘awake’ synths and saving them. Milo Khoury (Marshall Allman, True Blood) and his evil corporation is their competition, trying to snatch up the woken synths.

The Issues

The issues with what defines sentience and how mankind will deal with artificial intelligence of their own creation are explored in these eight episodes, as indicated in outlining the activities of our leads above. Humans is beloved for its complex take on such matters, and 2.0 continues that trend. Whether Niska has rights in the judicial system is at the forefront early on. Her case will set a precedent for other synths, one the humans are reluctant to allow. But it’s not like the genie can be put back in the bottle; Mattie isn’t the only one trying to let it out. So while people may want to put off changing the way they think about androids, they don’t really have much choice in the timeline.

A good chunk of Humans 2.0 takes place within Milo’s company. Specifically, the focus is on Dr. Athena Morrow (Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Jones, The Matrix), who lost her daughter and seeks to create an A.I. version of her. Can the human soul be transferred to a machine, as Athena and other characters might like to have happen? Or, as Karen would like, can a machine’s mind be put into a human? Both are on the table in this series as possibilities, and it certainly makes one think. Especially when children, who are not currently allowed to be built as synths in this world, enter into the mix.

Primarily, it’s these plots, these notions that are raised but not necessarily answered, that are the reason to watch Humans 2.0. This is solid sci-fi, well-produced and well-acted, that explores both technology and the human condition. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, this series will give you something to think about.

Extras

Humans 2.0 is not strong on bonus features. There are six short featurettes, all on the second disc, most, five minutes or fewer. A couple of these are promotional, and would be more valuable to watch before viewing episodes, slightly awkward since the material is placed on the second disc and not at the start of the first. There’s a worthwhile 10-minute feature that gets into some of the meat of the season and 30 minutes of B-roll, behind the scenes footage, played without commentary. Something only fans and film nerds might appreciate.

Conclusion

Even without a lot of extras, I highly recommend Humans 2.0 because of the content, characters, and quality of the production. It is enjoyable and a fascinating, relevant series.
Humans 2.0 is available now from Acorn.