Posted at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28

.

BRITZ
7 p.m. Sunday and Monday, BBC America

The scoop: Two British-born Muslim siblings react differently to the Tube bombings of July 7, 2005, when Islamic suicide bombers hit the London transit system. Law student Sohail (Riz Ahmed) secretly joins the spy agency MI5 to protect Britain from “extremists,” while his sister, Nasima (Manjinder Virk), works against the British “police state.”

Sunday’s debut follows Sohail as his MI5 investigation leads him back to some old friends in his hometown of Bradford, which is near Leeds—where the bombs used in the 7/7 attacks were made. Monday’s installment rewinds back to the beginning, telling Nasima’s story from the same time period as Sunday’s episode.

What works: This unflinching mini-series by Peter Kosminsky makes an international problem more personal and asks viewers, “Do anti-terrorism laws that suspend our civil liberties make us safer, or less so?” It’s a tough question, and one that can’t be answered in a four-hour movie. Kosminsky and his tremendous leads—Ahmed and Virk—show that two extreme sides can be moved to action by basically the same motivations. Ahmed and Virk also show the ambiguities in their characters. They don’t view anything as completely black and white, with Sohail questioning police tactics while Nasima questions her own culture.

What doesn’t: I was a troubled by the series of title cards at the end of the second night, which appear to offer up Kosminsky’s views on the topic. I’d much rather see viewers form their own opinions, and start their own vigorous debate.

Tune in or out? out of 4. “Britz” is powerful, challenging and terrifying, but make sure to record it. Its conclusion will stun you—at least it did me—and you’ll want to watch again.

RIZ AHMED IN CHICAGO

“Britz” star Riz Ahmed also is a rapper, under the name Riz MC. He’s performing as part of a showcase of Taqwacore (Islamic punk) artists at Chicago’s Homeroom. Here are the deets:
When: 6 p.m. Dec. 3
Where: Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St.
Tickets: $5 suggested donation
Also on the bill: Al Thawra, All Natural; Toronto-based filmmaker Omar Majeed will open the program with remarks and clips from his forthcoming documentary “TAQWACORE.”

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451600969e2010536211bb9970b

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Powerful 'Britz' brings terror to life on BBC America:

I was spell bound by this show. I still have not gotten it out of my head nor my heart. The actors were "spot on" in every way. I just wanted to scoop them up and give them a big hug. The message really does force us to look at our stand on justice, not just for us Americans, but for anyone, visitor, alian or citizen to be inclusive for all. Are we doing enough?
We need more films like this so that we do not remain complacent!
a2brutus

Curt's reply: Thanks for your comment, Elena.

I liked the movie, however I am still horrified by the final message- not the title cards at the end, but Nasima's vidoe- thats jihad and terrorism are justified, and we need to get ready and die???

Post a comment