I watched the BBC drama Filth, about Mary Whitehouse. It was sympathetic but funny (Mary wanted to call her campaign Clean Up National Television until her husband pointed out the acronym) and a total acting masterclass. Julie Walters making the old battleaxe warm and human, with a happy marriage and family life, Hugh Bonneville being suave and charming as the forward-looking director general, but the prize had to go to Alun Armstrong as her husband.
'Things you learn at these meetings' said Mary. 'Oral sex! Had you heard of it?'
Her husband pauses for a second, nods silently.
'Why would anyone want to...?' she says, looking troubled and faintly disgusted.
The expressions chasing across his face reacting (or non-reacting) to this was absolutely phenomenal acting.
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8 comments:
"Suave and charming?"
Did we watch the same drama, Annie?
Wyndham, you little tease. Where the hell are you now?
Yes, suave and charming in a rude bloody-minded obnoxious kind of way. Look, I fancy him, alright?
Wasn't Alun Armstrong great though?
Mary Whitehouse thought oral sex was pointless. Why would she eat something she couldn't cook?
Ironically Mary Whitehouse did this in the name of morality etc. Even (as far as I am aware) though religious scripture is silent on oral sex.
I loved it - I thought it was genuinely funny - a sort of grown up Enid Blyton in it's portrayal of 'keeping decency'. For some reason the 'keep fit' classes made me laugh - everyone's mother was doing 'keep fit' in the church hall in the 70's. I liked the attention to detail - the art direction and the costumes.
Alun Armstrong is one of the truly great under-actors, the anti-Blessed. When I was at university, we went on a study week in Stratford, saw six RSC productions, and had Q&As with some of the actors. Brian Cox and Fiona Shaw were rather actorrly, but AA (who was doing The Jew of Malta) came over as an honest craftsman, rather amused and slightly guilty that he was being paid to ponce around, just hoping he was doing the best job he could.
RoMo - my favourite bit was when she wrote a letter complaining about the violence in Pinky and Perky. I think she'd lost it at that point.
Tim - he's one of those actors who only gradually registers, but then you realise they're brilliant in everything they do.
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