When I watched the McCann documentary on its release day in two feverish sittings, I had wanted to talk about it immediately. The topic, however, made me momentarily refrain from publishing as soon as I’d finished. I wasn’t about to write a review of something that is tackling a real, ongoing and desperately heartbreaking issue. So, to respect all those involved this will not be a review of what I have seen but merely my thoughts on what has been presented. I’ll certainly comment on the production, the direction and of course how the facts have been presented, but I’ll leave them as just that: comments.
Okay, so I’ll be honest and say that, when the Madeleine McCann incident dropped in May 2007 I was young. So young, in fact, that as the incident unfolded I paid only minor attention to the facts. Sure, I knew a little girl had been taken in Portugal; I knew that the parents had left her alone while they ate dinner, and I knew that there was something fishy about how the parents acted following the disappearance, but that was about all. Now though, almost twelve years later, I’ve become more aware of the facts. Or at least what was being presented as the facts. And I must say, prior to going in to this I felt certain that Kate and Gerry McCann had something to do with what happened. Now, I’m not so sure.
The Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann, so far as I can tell, offers us no new information. But whether everybody knows all of this information, or has hitherto bothered to research the case is entirely another matter. Bringing an ongoing case to such a powerhouse like Netflix will undoubtedly breathe new life into a case that has clearly gone cold. And that can be no bad thing. I had feared that it would entertain the conspiracy theories far too much, pointing the finger squarely at the parents, but by the end of it I was satisfied that all parties had been presented fairly. But only by the end of it. There is an episode or two partially through this eight-part series that seems to relentlessly attack Kate and Gerry, pulling no punches in their efforts to present the “facts”, but this is swiftly countered in later episodes.
Eight episodes does seem to be a bit much, however. The facts of the case are stretched thin over the course of the documentary, leaving in its wake a lot of wasted time. But that isn’t to say the time feels wasted; not since Making A Murderer (another of Netflix’s enormous success’) have I been so hooked on a documentary. Everything is presented professionally and informatively, with input from former suspects, friends of the McCann’s and even the Portuguese police chief who’d been investigating the case at the time. It was the second half, particularly the last few episodes, where the show really seems to gain steam and we see what is, in my opinion, the most likely reason for Madeleine’s disappearance.
Overall, The Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann brings together all of the case’s facts and presents them to a huge audience in a coherent and informative manner. Yes, it is bloated with impertinent information and it does entertain the conspiracy theories a little too much, but when seen in its entirety I believe it is a fair account. If any good comes out of this – anything at all – then this was worth it. If not, then we finally have a well-produced account of what happened on the third of May, 2007.
If you have any information on Madeleine McCann, please contact:
The METROPOLITAN POLICE in the UK
T. +44 (0) 207 321 9251
E. operation.grange@met.pnn.police.uk
The POLICIA JUDICIARIA in Portugal
T. + 351 282 405 400
E. dic.portimao@pj.pt
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