My Review- The Last of Panthers 2015/2016
Streaming on ABC IView
My Rating 7/10
I must be honest and say I really only watched this very interesting 6 part series because I'm catching up on the early projects of Tahar Rahim but I'm glad I did .
My only criticism is that the complex plot like so many series jumps back and forth in flashback which I find a bit confusing.
The Last Panthers is a Franco-British crime drama television series created by Jack Thorne and directed by Johan Renck. It is a fictional story inspired by the notorious Balkan jewel thieves the Pink Panthers. The profits from the sales of stolen diamonds was laundered to supply guns and ammunition to be used in the cruel and destructive War in Bosnia
Independent Claims Specialist Naomi (Samantha Morton) is given the job by her boss, Tom (Sir John Hurt), of recovering stolen diamonds, no matter what it takes. Also on the trail of the diamonds, from a different direction, is Police Officer Khalil (Tahar Rahim). The investigation takes them across Europe and into a world where shadowy figures control events.
The series is almost monochrome in parts with just a hint of colour in the flashback sequences. It's a very effective technique also in depicting the Bosnian War which was characterised by bitter fighting, indiscriminate shelling of cities and towns mainly perpetrated by Serb, and to a lesser extent, Croat and Bosniak forces.
Filming took place mainly in London, Marseille, Montenegro and Belgrade, and the story will be in English, French and Serbian.
There are many key roles in this series beside Tahar Ramin who is excellent.
It's an ensemble piece and one of Sir John Hurts last great performances he died 2 years later. Samantha Morton as the Claims specialist is also excellent as is Goran Bogdan as Milan Celik one of the fugitive brothers .
I would have preferred episode 6 to earlier in the series because it flashbacks to Naomi Franckom's (Samantha Morton ) involvement in the Bosnian conflict and her association with Milan's father.
However I'm very glad I watched this if only to remind me of the State of the World and how little we really know of what goes on behind the scenes of World events and what roles some of the people and Nations we place our trust in.
