35 Diwrnod/35 Days

[hagios]

'My cup of tea'

[Show spoiler]A Review of S4C’s ’35 Diwrnod’

by Daf Wil

Arriving with the scent of Y Gwyll/Hinterland’s success still fresh, S4C’s latest offering, the mystery drama series 35 Diwrnod (35 Days) sees the channel attempting to capitalise on the recent appetite for Welsh drama.

The decision not to rest on its laurels and strike while the iron is hot could be a clever move. Timing is essential, but not the only component needed for guaranteed success. Today’s television audience has become a sophisticated, if not fevered consumer of plot, story and narrative. It demands that a television series show a commitment to archetype rather than stereotype.

So, is this new drama series simply riding the coat tails of the channel’s recent success or does it deserve its own set of stripes?

The opening episodes suggest that the Scandinavian influence still looms large, but this is not entirely a bad thing; despite its Norwegian-noir influenced imagery, creepy The Shining-eque moments and obvious nod to Twin Peaks, it’s clear that there is something deeper at work here, something more than just homage. The makers of 35 Diwrnod seem to be going that extra mile to forge their own path, to strive for three dimensional characters, to experiment with camerawork and lighting, and to attempt the full gamut of mise-en-scène.

If the first two episodes are any indication of what the audience can expect, as they stealthily move around the estate, part voyeur, part detective; then we may all need to dust off those rumpled raincoats, reach for that old cigar box and brush up on our Sherlock Holmesian powers of deduction.

35 Diwrnod is the fruit of collaboration between two Welsh heavyweights, BAFTA award winning script writer Siwan Jones and award winning writer and scriptwriter William Owen Roberts, both of whom have a solid track record in writing for television. And it shows.

The series focuses on 35 days in the lives of the inhabitants of Crud yr Awel Estate. The 35 days of the title refer to the period between the arrival of new resident Jan Richards onto the estate and her eventual murder. Her death is revealed at the very beginning of the first episode thereby commencing the countdown back through the preceding 35 days to reveal the events leading up to it.

With an ensemble cast comprising of some familiar faces, and some not so familiar, it does feel like we may actually make it through a Welsh drama series without having to suffer the usual talent, and I use the term very loosely, crawling out of the woodwork for that quick and easy pay day.


Lois Jones plays Jan Richards

There is no doubt that Crud yr Awel Estate is an ugly place; a morose cul-de-sac of large, faceless houses, neither heaven or hell. And maybe that’s the point; it’s anywhere, and nowhere at the same time. There are five main families living in this strange, isolated gated community; we have Beti and Gruff Morris, a retired couple, he, a sad, lonely man with a dirty on-line secret, she, the estate’s resident nosey parker, and their son, Ben Morris, back living with them following a messy divorce, and teetering on the edge.

There is the James family, Huw a prison guard with a side-line in drug dealing, and Caroline, a lazy, brash WAG –type creature and their two young children. The Jenkins family are the largest family; Richard the father, an insurance salesman, now working from home following a sexual harassment case, his insecure wife, Sali, his tearaway son, Jac and sensitive teenage daughter,Cerian.

Add to this the Morgans, Tony and Linda who have just returned from holiday, newly married, and their enigmatic lodger; the fantastic, and unrecognisable Matthew Gravelle, as the transsexual Patricia; tragic, comic and dangerous; whether dancing alone, drunk to the Cuban grooves of Ry Cooder, or stirring unease amongst the male inhabitants with her oozing sexuality, she demands our attention. This brings us to the main protagonist of the series, Jan Richards, played with a steely resolve by Lois Jones. Jan moves into the estate in the second episode, and is revealed to be a private woman, calculated, but seriously unhinged.

Most of the action is confined to the estate, and to the interiors of the various homes. It gives the series its sense of isolation, setting the scene for internal conspiracy, lies, secrets and murder, all circulating within the confines of the estate.

But, what of the murky forest located on the outskirts of Crud-yr-Awel? To me, the marriage of these two locations seemed dislocated and forced at best, as if the temptation to assert its presence with authority, and in typical Scandinavian form with the dark goings on in a murky forest was simply too much. The result was nothing more than showboating, and a warning of how easy it can be to fall into the trap of style over substance. It is a pity, as there is plenty to admire from the technical dexterity displayed in these first episodes, without having to sacrifice plot, or endangering the credibility of the world slowly being constructed. Don’t they know that an audience need to believe in this world, heart and soul, if it is to invest and return time and again?

This early in the series, its strongest foundations rest on it command of the visual. And herein lies its ultimate strength, well initially at least; it is a visual triumph, both rich and engaging; striving to fill each frame with meaning, to set the camera at imposing and sometimes precarious angles and positions, and most importantly striving to tell a story using images. (When did we forget that television is a visual medium?) The result is a powerful concoction of foreboding unease, ambiguity and impending doom that flows through the first episodes.

Despite the ever present rumblings regarding S4C’s uncertain future coupled with its (and let’s be honest here) total lack of relevance over the past decade, it’s been a dark time for anyone still hoping to see a contemporary Wales reflecting back at them from their TV screens. 35 Diwrnod may not be the answer, and it may be unfair to expect this of any single television series, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

http://dailywales.net/2014/04/12/a-r...cs-35-diwrnod/

Has anyone else watched this 'slow burn', quirky(for me) but likeable series!
If so, what are your thoughts?

However the proxy I'm using only allows 500 free MBs as I'm not willing as of yet to purchase it for $4.95 a month...so I've only got thru Episode 4...It seems like I can only watch about 1 & 1/2 Episodes per free viewing

I hope this will be available on bd/dvd for me to purchase real soon!!!