From “Aladdin” to “Fountain of Youth,” Guy Ritchie has spread his wings in recent years and traveled far and wide to build fantasy worlds for the audiences to lose themselves in. The British director returns to his London street-level crime drama roots as he teams up with “Top Boy” writer Ronan Bennett for “MobLand.”
The Tom Hardy-led series follows Harry de Souza, a fixer for the Harrigan crime family, who is put in the middle of a dangerous situation when the son of rival crime boss Ritchie Stevenson goes missing — last seen alive with the grandson of the Harrigan crime boss. Tensions rise between the two families as it eventually bubbles and “war” is threatened.
From the first scene, the series delivers high-octane action and puts the audience on the edge of their seats as the “Irish gangster and English gentleman” Conrad Harrigan, played by Pierce Brosnan, stakes claim to be the kingpin of London by any means necessary.
Carrying out these ruthless acts for Harrigan is Harry de Souza — brilliantly played by Hardy. The “Venom” and “Dark Knight Rises” actor previously worked with Ritchie in the 2008 crime drama, “RocknRolla” and it seems such a natural fit that it’s a surprise it took 17 years for the pair to reunite.
The genius of a director like Ritchie is that he creates an environment for actors, whether they’re veterans or newcomers, to thrive and showcase their best qualities and that’s exactly what we see with Tom Hardy as the lead in ‘MobLand.’
Hardy was the perfect casting for a ‘fixer’ as he commands an intimidating presence on screen but can just as easily add a lighter touch. He’s not just an action hero with muscles, he also brings a subtleness to his characters, which is an underrated quality for actors in this genre.
Whether it’s Vinnie Jones as Big Chris in “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” Brad Pitt as Mickey O’Neil in “Snatch” or Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid in “RocknRolla,” Ritchie has a unique ability to create big personalities and bring humanity to his fictional criminal underworld. Despite their questionable actions, these are memorable characters that create a lasting impression on the audience as we even start to root for them.
Similarly, with “Top Boy,” Bennett was able to paint a rich tapestry of the struggles, motivations and desires that drove various characters in his award-winning British series. Meanwhile, with “Mobland,” with a couple of notable exceptions, it feels like the audience is bombarded with too many characters that don’t have the same relatability or likeability, at least so far. It feels as though the first two episodes sent for review were spent developing a big storyline rather than underlining why the audience should be invested in these characters and their struggles in the first place.
However, likely to join the pantheon of memorable Ritchie characters is Brosnan’s Conrad Harrigan. Brosnan portrays a power-hungry mob boss who is being manipulated by his Lady Macbeth-esque wife (Helen Mirren) and gradually starts to lose his clarity and sanity as we see the unraveling of this powerful man. The James Bond actor has such an incredible stage presence that the attention gravitates towards him in every scene that he’s in. Brosnan’s versatility as an actor shines through as Conrad Harrigan. The head of the crime family has a distinct sense of humour but a ruthless nature and won’t hesitate to assert power and control.
One of the most memorable scenes early in the series is when Conrad calls for a meeting of his inner circle at the family’s home in The Cotswolds. Before unveiling his master plan, he is told by his wife that there is a traitor in the room who has been plotting behind his back.
This was where the brilliance of Ritchie’s directing and Brosnan’s stage presence merged perfectly to create something magical. The pacing for this scene was expertly done as it drags slowly enough to make the audience feel the palpable anticipation for the inevitable unfolding situation. The tension verges on uncomfortable viewing as we feel the weight of the decision that Harrigan must make on what to do with the traitor.
There was also something nostalgic about Geoff Bell’s portrayal of the rival crime boss Ritchie Stevenson that elevated “MobLand.” With much of the series taking place in the middle-class world of London and The Cotswolds, it was refreshing to see an old school Cockney crime boss as it is reminiscent of what put Guy Ritchie on the map in the first place.
“Mobland” feels like a combination of “Top Boy” and “The Gentlemen.” It has the tone, pacing and plot similarities of the former but also the middle-class crime family vibes of the latter, with the webs of deceit and deep-rooted corruption.
After seeing how both writers / directors took the complex plots of their respective series and wove TV gold, it’s a sure bet that upcoming episodes of ‘MobLand’ will develop into a memorable action-packed series that will capture the audience’s imaginations with twists and turns along the way.
“MobLand” premieres Sunday, March 30, on Paramount+.