Peter Luff

I was gripped - by tbe implausibility or the plot, the cliched writing , the weak characterisation of all the principal cast members and the total impossibility of the climax. The one last plot twist was clever, but not clever enough to redeem this real shocker. What ever persuaded the BBC to produce this shabby little piece?

Put off by the violence, I nearly gave up the journey through this epic story of crime, drugs and vengeance but persevered and I’m so glad I did. It is a rich diet of death and addiction but told with sparkling wit. Although it’s a desperately serious subject Ritchie never relents on the humour. Tongues are firmly in cheeks at every stage of this thoroughly entertaining series, brought to gloriously improbable life by a wonderful cast. It’s Peaky Blinders for the 2020s - and I wonder if Ritchie doesn’t know much more than he’s letting on? Perhaps it’s not that improbable….

One reviewer gets it right when, rather like Tom Lehrer abandoning satire when Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize, he says Trump’s America is beyond satire. This makes it necessary for Cohen to become even more tasteless to win increasingly cheap laughs, or genuinely unpleasant shocks. It’s brave but also cruel and unmerciful and adds nothing to our understanding.

Although the characters are largely unlovable and the dialogue seems very clunky in the subtitles, and although there are many subplots unresolved, this is still compelling television

This show got off to a slow start but it Is rewarding generously those who stick with it. It’s a plausible back story for someone who made a big break with his past, but who was always on the side of the wronged and the injured, even if his rough exterior could conceal this. I am now totally gripped, not just by the main story but also by the destinies of the other intriguing characters. Role on Monday and episode five!

A predictable and depressing film which offers no hope other than ending worry by ending life

Glorious nonsense brilliantly acted. A joy.

What a wasted opportunity. Four of the most compelling female actors of our time gathered together and they could have provided real insights into acting, theatre, television and cinema, but instead they are patronised by the director who throws random thoughts at them to which they respond with bemused amusement. Occasionally really interesting opportunities open up but are quickly closed down by the actors or the director. Contrived and trivial, this is not worth the 80+ minutes it takes for this empty vessel to reveal itself for what it is - a huge waste of great talent.