National Treasure

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In his heyday, Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltraine) was one half of a comedy double act with his partner Karl (Tim McInnery) who were adored throughout the land, but today rests in the side lines, dealing with his troubled addict daughter Dee (Andrea Riseborough) and emotionally distant wife Marie (Julie Walters.) But this all changes when he finds himself arrested over an historical allegation of sexual abuse by a former baby sitter of his daughter, and sinks further and further into an ever wider hole when more women come forward and the allegations mount up. As the stress of the impending trial takes over, and his private life slips further into turmoil, Paul is forced to examine himself over the years, and the actions and behaviours that may have led to his predicament.

In the immediate aftermath of the revelations about Jimmy Savile, Operation Yewtree was launched by the Metropolitan police, in an attempt to save face by investigating historical allegations about other, still living former big name stars from the 70s/80s, some of which resulted in convictions. National Treasure, however, seems to be modelling itself on cases such as that of comedian Jim Davidson, who was arrested at an airport upon return from a holiday on the basis of one allegation, which escalated into a witch-hunt where many more women came forward, only for no charges to be brought, in spite of what many could already have claimed was a trial by media. If you follow the news, it's certainly not hard to see the foundations from which this drama drew inspiration, and it certainly comes off in a believable and thought provoking way.

The first episode certainly dispenses with its fair share of celebrity cameos, from stars including Alan Carr and Frank Skinner, but it never feels tacky or gratuitous. The most important star is the main one, in the shape of Coltraine, a performer who seems to have been out the limelight for a little bit now, but who makes a revelatory return to form here. As the former icon turned pariah, he fits the skin and bones of the role down to a tee, and it's tough to think of anyone who could have been better suited. The always reliable Walters compliments him perfectly as his understanding, extremely forgiving wife. More than being a riveting courtroom thriller, it works more as a character study and examination of the past and present and how they may have shaped each other.

It works on pretty much all the levels it sets out to, and it's an inspired piece in terms of everything that tears a subject from recent headlines and does it proud. ****

National Treasure goes deep into the routes of sexual abuse and rape. Everything from the fighting to a simple tear that was shed had detail. Senses were focused on, the anxiety, the suspense, the craziness can all be felt in this show. The acting was well staged, it felt real and you could feel the pain of each actor. It's also before it's time. This was before the #MeToo movement but it gave insight to what life is like when elite men are accused of sexual misbehavior.

Newspaper reviewers have predictably commented on the parallels between Jack Thorne's drama and the so-called "Operation Yewtree," in which major celebrities - the "national treasures" suggested by the title - were found to be serial abusers, or used their fame to exploit the vulnerable. The two central performances of Robbie Coltrane as Paul Finchley and Julie Walters as his wife have also received due recognition.

Yet Marc Munden's drama contains so many other brilliant aspects, that don't necessarily focus on the more salacious material but try to explore how and why Fınchley should behave as he did. What we understand from the celebrity and his wife is how narcissistic they are; despite their frequent protestations of love for one another, as well as for their daughter Dee (Andrea Riseborough), they are pathologically incapable of listening. Riseborough's characterization is profound; she does not speak much, but she has a way of looking at the ground, almost as if she cannot face the ordeal of communication, especially with her parents. There is one sequence in particular involving Marie and Dee that sums up the emotional disconnect between them; taking place in a bedroom during Dee's birthday party, Marie emphasizes quite vehemently that she wants her daughter to get better, without understanding in the least how she and her husband are the root cause of Dee's problems.

Munden's production is distinguished by memorable cinematography from Ole Bratt Birkeland. Birkeland is fond of long tracking shots, with the camera moving down lengthy corridors to discover the characters. As viewers, we feel we are eavesdropping on their private secrets - just like Peter and Marie, as they seek to find out what's "wrong" with Dee. Birkeland also uses lighting to reinforce the theme: during the birthday party Peter gives one of his windy speeches. As he does so, the camera tracks slowly to the left, revealing candles at the front of the frame, and after a few seconds settles on Dee, looking once again at the ground in embarrassment, her face obscured by yet more candled. Material things seem to matter more to Finchley - they can be easily controlled, and do not require him to empathize. The fact that Dee appears at the end of the shot emphasizes her insignificance.

Much of the action unfolds in a dream-like world of psychedelic greens, reds, and blues, drawing attention once more to the fantasy-world that Peter and Marie inhabit. Alternatively several sequences take place in darkened rooms, illumined by miserable spotlights; the perfect ambiance for anyone to behave inappropriately without fear of discovery.

Despite its pertinent subject-matter, NATIONAL TREASURE is not really about the abusive celebrity, but looks instead at the destructive ways in which parents - especially those who profess a blameless way of life - destroy their siblings, as well as others, through neglect, or by assuming that people will behave in certain preordained ways. The action unfolds slowly in a series of lengthy exchanges punctuated by occasional musical interludes (by Christobal Tapis de Veer, but remains compelling. This is one of the best dramas I have seen on any medium in the entire year.

Watching Andrea Riseborough's character in this film is the real treasure. Fantastic job from years gone past. It's hard to tell who(m) this story is based on but it doesn't matter. The seediness, manipulation and deceit is true enough. This is a very dark film that is not for everyone. The method of slowly unraveling or diving into the depths of sick and/or greedy or self-absorbed humans is disturbing and will stay with you. I felt there were a few holes. Some stuff purposely left to your imagination, but some unresolved. It was well made, and again, worth watching Riseborough's performance as a younger actor.

"National Treasure" is about a famous and much loved British comic actor, one half of a double act, a Morecambe or a Wise, a Cannon or a Ball perhaps, who is accused of the rape of an underage girl. It handles a deeply contentious subject very sensitively and it allays any fears in the first episode that it might be exploitative or in poor taste. It's beautifully acted; Robbie Coltrane is the accused man, the 'National Treasure' of the title, (this may be the best thing he's done since the TV series "Cracker"), but the real 'national treasure' here, of course, is Julie Walters, recipient of more BAFTA's than most of us have had hot dinners. As Coltrane's long-suffering wife she is simply magnificent. As a comic actress Walters can sometimes go off at the deep end but she underplays superbly here. Her grief and her rage are tangible and I fully expect her to pick up another BAFTA, and perhaps an Emmy, for her collection. This is a drama I approached with caution; now I am very glad I approached it at all.