40/40
Tale
It spans four tumultuous decades during the Troubles in Northern Ireland
The real Dolours Price was married for two decades (1983-2003) to Irish actor Stephen Rea. During that period, Rea appeared in the film for which he is arguably best known in the US: 1992’s romantic thriller The Crying Game. In that film, Rea plays Fergus, a very reluctant and ambivalent member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the same organisation Price has been associated with for years. (UK release 2024; 9 episodes, each running 41-50 minutes), this is “Belfast 1972” – and we are reminded that this is “Based on a True Story”.
We are currently 10 minutes into episode 1
A woman is taken from her home, leaving her children behind. We don’t know why or who took her. We then go to “Dublin, Ireland, 29 years later”; and we meet Dolours Price. She will soon be interviewed as part of an oral history of the Troubles.
3 decades into the Troubles, it gives it a fresh look
Some comments: There have been many films, TV series and documentaries about the Troubles in the past, but I don’t recall ever seeing anything quite like Don’t Tell. The series follows multiple events and jumps back and forth in time, but somehow the underlying themes of the Troubles are put into clearer perspective than ever before. While the differences and struggles between Protestant/British and Catholic/Irish viewpoints get a lot of attention, less obvious issues like the demise of the IRA are also included. There are plenty of solid acting performances besides Lola Petticrew as Dolours.
I read it
Beware: this miniseries is not for the faint of heart. By the end of it all, I felt like I had been emotionally punched in the gut. This miniseries is captivating from start to finish, even if some moments are awkward. (Also, within a few minutes of watching episode 1, I realized I needed English subtitles because I was missing about half of what I was hearing (Northern Irish accent and all…) Don’t Say Anything started streaming on Hulu.
I watched it for 3 episodes in the evening and was just thrilled
A week ago it got a positive review in the New York Times, and then I found out that it currently has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. If you’re in the mood for some top-tier drama or are just curious about the themes, we suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusions.
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