 Demob
Starring Martin Clunes and Griff Rhys Jones
WIN
a dvd set of Demob courtesy of Acorn Media, and Blunt Review!
Enter by sending your email here.
One entry per household please.
Demob - the name of the series which gets its name from the hep-cat
term for the post World War II demobilization - is a brilliant
mix of crisp comedy, and drama. The show follows the antics of
two British soldiers Captain Ian Deasey (Griff Rhys Jones) and
Lance Corporal Dick Dobson (Martin Clunes – circa 1993 “The
Macaulay Caulkin Uncle-look-alike years").
The two situational
chums served together, and entertained the troops together, having
what they call a “good war.”
Now at home,
Ian Deasey’s finding it hard to fall in with his civilian
life. His boss is less than kind, his son distant, and his skin
uncomfortable.
Dick on the
other hand is still as he was during the war; he cuts corners,
has no qualms with a few uncouth jobs, and is a tad flashy. Deasey,
who also accompanied Dickie on stage for a few barbs and banters,
faster than you can say, "That Jones is damn good at dram.."
becomes an unwitting accomplice on one such edge-of-the-lawful
adventure selling ‘dirty’ magazines underground –
out of a trunk in an alley at a posh London nightclub. Subtle.
Though the
rather timid Deasey would prefer to keep to his little desk, the
gregarious Dickie has other plans. In the short time since turning
in his uniform, Dick’s fallen in with a few fellow do-what-ever-for-cashers
and agrees to manage their The Blue Parrot nightclub. You get
the feeling that's just part of his duties...
The spot has
a cabaret, and Dick finagles his old partner to join him in bringing
their bawdy war-time stage routines to the London audience. The
result is Ian - and his suffering soul - are finally happy again.
Pip-pip cheerio, and the show series is afoot. The goings on I've
intimated are strictly the first episode – and sets up the
lives we are to spy.
Demob’s
drama is heart warming, the comedy smart. And the sets, clothes,
music and ambience transport the viewers directly into 1940s London.
Jones and Clunes are perfect in their roles, and each though early
in their careers here, showing why they’d each became world-wide
names. Jones playing a more dramatic chap with remarkable stage-presence
when the flood lights beam. Clunes relishing in being the semi-cad,
and that now-familiar mischievous twinkle in the eye shining like
a beacon even within a rather tiny screen.
Demob, though
nostalgic, is timely, as the humanness portrayed by one helluva
swell of a gaggle of British acting heavy talents (Clunes, Jones,
Amanda Redman, Simon Williams, Samantha Janus, James Faulkner
and the great Les Dawson in his final role – for example)
work delicious devilish marvelous scripts.
Win
a dvd set of Demob courtesy of Acorn Media, and Blunt Review!
Enter
by sending your email here. One entry per household please.
|
