Decided to give it a go after seeing the documentary being uploaded on Netflix. Sicily has always come across as an interesting place to visit, so was looking forward to learn more about the culture and country. From the offset and Winstone's " translations" of cockney slang and a convoluted monologue about the Odyssey, it became apparent this was not Sicily's moment to shine, but Winstone's vanity attempt to have a leading moment .
There were a few shining moments in the first few episodes; an interesting insight into the anti-mafioso activist group, a family who produce olive oil and a journey to a well-known resort but it became increasingly odd that in a few of these interviews with locals, there were no subtitles or translations given. Whether this was intentional or overlooked I am not certain, but it almost reaffirmed the necessity for the focus to be on Winstone's own words than the language of the country he's visiting .
Winstone's attitude towards local culture and people was arguably one of the biggest turn-offs in this show. His " chemistry" with his two co-hosts was a bit off at the best of times and often resulted in them talking muffled , looking a bit uncomfortable into the camera , or being talked over the top of by him. ( It seemed convenient that Bruno ended up " visiting family" at one point in filming.)
Then there's the actual attitude towards the actual place he's visiting. In the first episode, Winstone visits a contemporary ballet only to " fall asleep " with one of his co-hosts in a low-hanging attempt at comic relief . Understandable it might not have been his cup of tea, but when you are trying to appeal to a wide audience then you can at least be nuanced enough to be constructive and give credit to the performers and production team who have given you permission to film. A lot of the further interactions resulted in Winstone barging in places with an overly insular attitude which came across as slightly anglicised arrogancy at the best of times. For example, early on in the second episode, he begins to swear at some people while in a queue for train tickets. On the train he begins to whine about spending money on the tickets if they haven't been checked, only for an episode earlier to have done a boastful display about spending hundred of euros on knives .
When the poor ticket attendant passes on camera he literally waves them in her face and attempts to make small talk. It was evident by the attendant's curt answers she was uncomfortable and quickly walked off after processing them. By this point, I
decided to grit my teeth and get through the episode. I opted to skip the next few to get to the end and in between getting facts wrong and a lack of historical knowledge provided by Winstone, his commentary towards Sicily in the final episode was arguably one of the most culturally insensitive things I have ever heard in a travel documentary. He brought up the Godfatber and the mafia not being all there is to Sicily. Not the fact that Sicily has suffered under the terror of the mafioso for decades , or the richness of the culture, people and cuisine, nope, the Godfather. That's truly what Winstone believes the viewers should care about: Sicily not being the Godfather. In between some tacky performances by Winstone and his hosts acting like wannabe gangsters , I have to say this show felt like one
major vanity project and holiday for Winstone and host hosts with little actual interest into exploring Sicilian culture and the people.
