W hy haven’t you reviewed Hapless yet?” Since its arrival on Netflix a few weeks ago, I’ve been asked this a fair few times, and in truth, I have been avoiding it. A sitcom about the misadventures of an argumentative North London Jew in his 40s who writes for a Jewish newspaper, well, frankly, that seemed a little too close to the bone for me. Having a Jewish angle, or as the show coins it ‘Jangle’, is one thing, and while I’m all for more representation, the thought of seeing my life portrayed up there on screen wasn’t enticing.
I’m not suggesting the writer/director, Gary Sinyor, in any way based his series on me. It’s probably someone at Jewish News. We have been friends though for many years, what with my being a longtime fan from the days of his seminal British Jewish film, Leon the Pig Farmer. Reading how Sinyor self-financed this production, then battled through the gatekeepers at various media outlets to get it seen, if anything made the pressure worse. People don’t appreciate how small our community really is, how one of our greatest strengths, supporting each other, can so easily be criticised by others as self-serving. Was it in any way possible to remain subjective? Could I maintain my critical integrity, fulfilling my primary duty to you, the reader?
I needn’t have worried about being tested, because as the show began, something magical happened. A vision appeared on the screen. A delight, in the form of the protagonist’s best friend, Simon. I looked him up afterwards, and the young actor, I should say, young star, is called Josh Howie. Remember that name, because I’m going to call it here, he’s going to be huge! Have we found our Jewish Robert De Niro, our Laurence Olivier? There’s such delicacy to his performance, such nuance, subtlety hidden behind boldness, instinct hand in hand with intelligence, that like a black hole, you can’t stop yourself from being utterly drawn in. He’s totally believable, yet at the same time, somehow otherworldly.
For a lesser actor, certainly in the medium of comedy, Howie’s intimidatingly handsome looks would be a hindrance. However, it’s that he wears his masculine fortitude so lightly, that indicates how he’s so much more than the sum of his considerable parts. Behind his eyes lie a deep well of immense humility, but also playful tenderness, and ultimately, humanity. As scenes played out it was almost like I could feel what he must have felt. Now that is real talent, the sign of a true artiste working on so many different levels, yet miraculously, making it all look so effortless. Bravo, Gary for plucking this young man from obscurity and bringing out his light to share with the world. Bravo.
I should also mention that the show itself is very funny, and even if you’ve never played badminton in an ‘old suit’, made an antisemitic birthday balloon, or tried to chat up a girl while dressed as an imam, there’s a lot to relate to in the main character of Paul Green, whose frustration is expertly channelled by Toast of London’s Tim Downie. So too Lucy Montgomery, who shines portraying his formidable sister. The six episodes whizzed by, each of the 17 times I’ve watched them, and I very much hope to see more of these characters and their antics in the future. A lot more.
