Ben Mistry Mint follows the story of Shannon (Emma Laird), a daughter of a crime boss, as her search for love takes her to the gaze of Arran, a member of her father’s rival gang. I managed to catch a special preview of Charlotte Regan’s new series Mint at BFI Southbank followed by a director and cast Q&A hosted by BBC Film and TV journalist Ellen E. Jones; here are my first impressions:
The first thing that struck me in these fascinating opening episodes was the inclusion of what debut actor Benjamin Coyle-Larner (AKA musician Loyle-Carner), who plays Arran, called ‘magical realism’. For a series that finds itself based in the small industrial town of Grangemouth in Scotland, the first two episodes lean into a realm of subjective experience that doesn’t detract from its setting but enhances the relationships that happen within it. In doing so, Regan relies on a distinctive aesthetic that transcends her narrative, layering an extra level of intrigue and detail on her already multifaceted script. What drew my attention most though is Regan’s use of a handheld camera in momentary flashback scenes alongside glimpses of the present, denoting a beautiful layer of nostalgia but also exploring the present experience of capturing intimate moments. This results in a stunning exploration of subjective experience but also the importance of film and TV as a personal medium as well as a wider cultural one. Both episodes find themselves gently contemplating their action at the familial level; action sequences are by no means the focal point, and although Regan teased one that is upcoming in episode three, episodes one and two create a quiet tension rooted in its characters’ relationships that don’t require a large action crescendo. Because of this, both episodes have the ability to jump from scene to scene and place to place with a bubbling undercurrent of pressure but the viewer finds themselves rooting for these two Romeo and Juliet coded characters.
What is most apparent, besides its encapsulating visuals, is that Regan has assembled a cast with undeniable chemistry who clearly enjoyed their time on set. A lot of the post-screening Q&A seemed focused on how the cast enjoyed this particular filming experience with Emma Laird noting that she hopes that she can take how she felt on this set and take it with her on all her other shoots in the future. Having come off the back of two major films in 28 Years Later and its sequel Bone Temple, this is quite the complement to the environment created by Regan and her crew. The relationships that have clearly been created off screen produces some truly comedic moments of dialogue, most notably between Shannon and her Mum, Cat (played by Laura Fraser) as they converse whilst sharing a joint of marijuana. Despite this, it is Ben Coyle-Larner who certainly left an impression. Although only spectral presence in both episodes, he is entrancing as he traverses his desire for Shannon but also his familial duty. His restrained mannerisms depict a young-man trying to fit in and impress, but leaves much to be figured out, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in his story.
Mint is bound to be a favourite and can be binged as all eight-episodes of this limited series drop at once on April 20th on BBC iPlayer.
