McMafia: Intelligent entertainment or glossy melodrama?

Television’s latest big-budget crime drama, McMafia, recently came to its conclusion on BBC One – but did the journey into contemporary organized crime leave viewers eager for more of the sexy thriller, or unrewarded for their patience?

Alex Godman (James Norton) is the London Banker, confident he is free of his family’s dirty dealings with the Russian criminal underworld, but after the murder of his Uncle at the order of Vadim (Merab Ninidze), McMafia documents his inevitable descent into the corruption, deceit and violence.

The focus on modern aspects of crime: the boardroom politics, government corruption and financial misconduct exercised by bankers, lawyers and officials is what ensures McMafia is distinct in the conveyor belt of television dramas in recent years. Essentially, McMafia endeavours to demonstrate that the criminal underworld isn’t really an underworld at all, and in this sense, it is successful. The lengthy title sequence perhaps best-illustrates the numeric nature of this global criminality and the
‘computers are the best weapon’ theme of the narrative remains consistent throughout the eight hour-long episodes, culminating in a relatively unconventional crime drama that contains few shootouts and little bloodshed – visible bloodshed, at least. In being so, McMafia deserves credit for its recognition of the global infrastructure of criminal activity, highlighting the links between money laundering, human and drug trafficking, and counterfeit manufacturing. The show is not afraid to pose uncomfortable questions of accountability, legitimacy and our own everyday complicity in the crime happening right under our noses.

McMafia is distinct in the conveyor belt of television dramas in recent years

McMafia is executively-produced by Misha Glenny, author of McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime (1998), the non-fiction book upon which the show is based. In an interview with GQ, Kenny spoke of researching for the book. “London,” he said, “welcomes money from all over the world without scrutinising it.”

As such, producers were committed to accurately presenting the international scale of the subject matter, and the production value of McMafia is plain to see. Although most filming took place in Croatia, McMafia takes viewers on a globe-trotting tour of the world, including the South of France, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Istanbul, Moscow, Prague, Pakistan, London and Mumbai. There is no denying that the show is visually pleasing. Careful attention is paid to the cinematography, resulting in the choice of stunning locales and set-pieces that serve as a contrast to the shady characters that reside in such locations. The soundtrack, too, is deserving of similar praise. Every scene, even those tranquil and innocent, possesses an underlying hostility that keeps viewers intrigued to see where the tension will lead.

Where McMafia suffers, however, is in its convoluted plot. The aesthetic appeal of the production goes some way to masking the confusing narrative, but there is only so much basic understanding of financial conduct and transnational expansion to be had by the Sunday-night television audience. While Alex’s economic wrongdoing is evident, it is difficult to fully comprehend his role amongst the more stereotypical criminals of the Mafia. And though it was important for the writers to attempt to capture the modern approach to financial crime, which they certainly do, a problem arises in that money transfers and stock indices are just not all that enthralling to watch.

Where McMafia suffers, however, is in its convoluted plot

In some ways, we find ourselves in a similar predicament to Alex’s girlfriend, Rebecca (Juliet Rylance), who remains relatively in the dark on the details of his criminal activity. It is not that this aspect of the plot that is outright confusing, but it certainly takes a brief recollection of a number of events to understand Alex’s motives. Throughout most episodes, I was left unsure whether characters were acting out of revenge or self-promotion, and the sheer number of contributing factors to each action meant that it was frequently unclear which plot-points linked to the other.

The performances are strong across the board, although strong in the sense that the material given is performed well. The Eastern-European actors are perhaps the most impressive in their roles, particularly Alex’s parents (Aleksey Serebryakov and Maria Shukshina), who often find themselves battling their own emotions while struggling to maintain familial responsibility. As the lead role, James Norton is competent, but there are few moments where he is given the opportunity to flex his acting muscles. As such, it is difficult to see McMafia as a successful Bond imitation, as was hotly discussed prior to the show’s debut in January.

Norton’s lines are often brief and cold, fitting for his banker-turned-criminal character, but changes in tone and facial expression are few and far between. Without wishing to speak to the detriment of his ability, Norton handles what he is given confidently, but without the distinctive portrayal of, say, Daniel Craig’s Bond. The same is true of most of the other cast members, including big-name actor David Strathairn; intelligent dialogue is sacrificed in place of eerie periods of silence and sustained eye-contact, which sometimes does lend itself well to the overall feel of McMafia.

 It is difficult to see McMafia as a successful Bond imitation

After a confident start, McMafia teeters between what it is and what it thinks it should be but ultimately finishes strongly by raising the stakes and showing the brutal consequences of characters’ actions. Dinner suits and tunnel chases remind us of the spy films of Hollywood, but the multi-faceted burdens of economics and corporate management give rise to intelligent drama and intrigue that establishes McMafia as ultimately worthy of your time and investment. Though the dialogue often leads to cliché moments of melodrama, and the complex and long-winded plot leaves a little more gunfire to be desired, the presentation and narrative premise of BBC One’s new flagship production is deserving of the interest it has garnered – even if we have to pretend we understand it completely.