Getting to grips with the Mobs
Pick of the day
MCMAFIA
BBC1, 9pm
JAMES Norton, handsome in a tuxedo, looks a bit like James Bond, which is more than enough to lure us in to this thrilling drama about organised crime.
But let’s just first clear up the title – this is not about Scottish gangsters. Mcmafia, based on a non-fiction book by journalist Misha Glenny, is a nod to a brutal mob which followed a franchise model similar to fast-food chain Mcdonald’s.
Spread the fear everywhere, and to the same standards, seems to be key. And everywhere is right. This eight-part series has been filmed in exotic locations around the world, including India, Israel, France, Russia and Croatia, and has an international cast to boot.
Norton plays Alex Godman, the English-raised son of some ousted Russian mafia types. A successful hedge fund manager in London, he’s always tried to distance himself from his dodgy family, but a false rumour sees him drawn into the mobster world.
The “Meryl Streep of Russia”, Maria Shukshina, plays his mother, with Juliet Rylance as his girlfriend and Faye Marsay as his sister.
It’s a complicated thriller with lots of Russian names and polite exchanges at the beginning, but stick with it.
Within 20 minutes, Norton has taken his shirt off and by some coincidence, this is when the drama will grab your attention.