It takes a very brave actor to play a man as irredeemable as the late Jimmy Savile, but Steve Coogan is up to the task.
Steve Coogan has never been afraid to be unlikeable. His greatest comic creation, the radio and sometime-TV presenter Alan Partridge, is a classic study in pomposity and self-delusion, while his self-parody infilms and TV series, in which he stars and spars with Rob Brydon, is unsparing in its dissection of the inflated yet fragile male ego.But nothing he has done before comes close to the role of Jimmy Savile in terms of loathsomeness, even as there are echoes in it of those two other turns.
This four-part drama is from the BBC, and stands as a belated act of contrition and self-flagellation. It includes testimony from four of Savile’s real-life victims, and extensive clips from the archive of the real Savile on– a show on which for 19 years he used the promise of making kids’ dreams come true as cover for inflicting nightmares that will never end – alongside Coogan’s through-the-decades portrayal. It’s as fascinating to watch as it is horrific.
It’s as if Savile’s life was one long act of brinkmanship, with a mounting pile of victims providing the ever-taller precipice on which he dared himself to balance. There’s no plea for sympathy here, at least not for the devil. Savile is beyond the pale, beyond forgiveness, ultimately beyond any sort of humanity with which we might wish to identify. He is a creep, an abuser, a heartless hustler for whom good works were merely a passage to bad deeds..
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Steve Coogan goes where few actors would dare as sex predator Jimmy SavileIt takes a very brave actor to play a man as irredeemable as the late Jimmy Savile, but Steve Coogan is up to the task.
Read more »
Steve Smith and the unbridled joy of taking catches in Test cricketThe Australian now has claim to being one of the greatest in the game and shows the euphoria a catch safely taken can ignite
Read more »
Steve Price calls Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest a hypocrite over nuclear energy commentsSky News host Steve Price criticizes Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest for his comments on nuclear energy during his National Press Club address. Price accuses Forrest of hypocrisy for lecturing about green energy while being involved in China's carbon emissions.
Read more »
Steve Harley: 1970s Cockney Rebel who took risks and wrote hitsSinger-songwriter, while not quite managing to elbow David Bowie aside, produced well-crafted hits topped by Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
Read more »
British rocker Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel dead, aged 737NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Jimmy Barnes walks daughter down the aisle following health saga7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »