R. Jones – Google

(More like 3.5 then 3). A languishing take on the classic novel, still likely best done by Minghella. Much more toned down and moody. Anchored by very nuanced and strong performance of the lead. Very, very, very unfortunate use of quick flashbacks (throwing away the scarf, re-visiting the man walking his dog) - a sign that the director must think his audience is stupid and needs reminders but they almost never do, that is - the ones that pay attention, which a long version like this requires. More Freddy should have been used in the beginning; not sure who that other guy was in the hotel. A build up, as in the Minghella version, of his being left out would have amped up the boat outing which seemed rushed. The boating scene itself, with the boat becoming unmoored was a nice twist. The Freddy death and messy aftermath was very well done and creepy; the investigation very sharp. Not sure the somewhat fey Freddie in this version would have been friends with the more staid Greenleaf. Marge seemed like an afer-thought. In many ways it made one miss the Minghella version for the most part; although glad they excised the whole gf angle played by Blanchett. And also glad they excised the whole gf drowning thing. Nevertheless, there could have been more opportunities to flesh out the dynamics between Ripley and Greenleaf that seemed lost in this translation. Enjoy this one for what it is and then re-rent Minghella. Figuratively this one was black and white in every regard whereas the former had more color in every way

There's a reason that this series, by the final tally of episodes, will have eclipsed the number of it's parent Breaking Bad. I'm sure there are many of us lovers of Breaking Bad who collectively groaned at the prospect of having it's stature diminished with what seemed at the time a lame prequel concept. Yet slow-burn that it is (deliciously so), and populated by many of our old villains, it managed to eclipse every expectation and develop a strong, reverent fanbase. Masterly. Sublime in it's approach, never rushed, always compelling. One of the finest. A validation and affirmation of Gilligan's brilliance in every way.

As broad entertainment it works on many levels, but there are also many inconsistencies and unanswered threads which stretch believability. For Onion, the gender issue is never plausibly explored, and his reveal at the end in the cell, where JB insinuates "he doesn't care what clothes he wears" papers over what obviously supersedes "clothing". Onion's embrace of the forced gender role never rang true, particularly since he kept it going from situation to situation throughout. Did he ever take a bath with the girls? Why wouldn't he have been forced to work upstairs in such a mercenary, exploitative place as that saloon? He would have, and he would have been torn up, as he would have been in a much less tolerable environment then portrayed and even though the writers try to explain it here and there to lend it a credibility, it never reaches any sustainability. It also would never have happened the way it did. Likeable actor though! E. Hawkes screeching at times teeters on overact. In fact the whole show seems a bit Tarantino-ish in it's over the top liberties taken here and there for situational effect. It asks a lot of an audience to go along and overlook these sub-constructs, and the more it asks, the less effective the story becomes. The shows most powerful moments are the scenes of naked racism and an awe at just how awful slaves were treated and spoken to. In these scenes, there isn't any need to embellish or hyperbolize - the simple dialogue displays an amazingly horrifying snapshot of the times. It's a wild ride, full of raunch and color, and in many ways sad and funny but as a straight up re-telling of events, it doesn't pass muster, that is, if one is to think that JB wasn't delusional. Moreover, the style of using over-the-top humor and broadsides with colorful characters dilutes the power of his story. R

There are some things written so exquisitely and personal on the page that it is impossible for any other medium to capture it. This is one such incidence. The powerful moments are so nakedly and masterfully written (in the book) as to render the reader that relates to it to a sudden and knowing well of tears. Few authors can master that craft! Maybe Franzen. However, adaptations such as this do their best and try to stay as close to the book as possible. They can capture the events and language, but still miss the internal moments. Which is ok, if one does not compare one to the other too closely. The use of the piano lady recurring in the series is a nice touch different from the book. Impeccably cast. Definitely worth the time. Could have been maybe a little more scenic in terms of sweeping vistas, etc? Looks like Santa Cruz.

Mike White (Chuck And Buck) comes through w this completely original often dark dramedy. Compelling, addictive, somewhat lurid (but not gratuitously so, importantly, and doesn't shy from gay themes or things that really happen). Isn't afraid to include nudity of any character or gender (so it's not just the female getting out of bed naked where the man is always clothed or heaping on bedding or cut-away, petty details maybe, but makes it feel all the more real) and an intimate look at things which really happen during long vacations. Well acted, with Zahn (underrated) and Sweeney personal favorites. And Coolidge is...Coolidge always additive and wacky. A satirical gem.

Not sure what this show wants to be about. Is it a coming of age story examining gender roles (albeit with a male virgin? "A Mean Girls" meets "The Wilds" without the latter's better focus? A soccer team that splinters with no real context? A ghost story? It meanders, littering every episode with red herrings, some compelling, others completely unfollowed. Would the Ricci young character really think no one else would find the black box she disabled? Full of fast forwards and unexplained concepts. Of tokens and uninteresting hints. Unlikable characters. Profane conversations which don't seem plausible. Mismatched couples. Gratuitous. It seems poorly written, and yet has compelling performances in parts. It pairs up people who wouldn't never really be paired, not in the universe it occupies. Is it about exorcism? And when one of the girls declares: "The power of Christ compels you!" without irony are we led to believe she is saying those words originally, or is that an exorcist pat phrase? One might need a bunch of priests - more then an old one and a young one - to figure it out. Could be it's about cannibalism (an opening tease scene in which one unfortunate is strung up and bled seems odd, and I've seen baby chickens who arguably gush more blood then they show for a fully formed upside down human). How many herrings and how deep into the episodes before answers appear? Would they really gut their catches inches from their doorway? What meanings do a freshly killed deer full of maggots portend? Or a spiderwebbed corpse in a rocking chair? How come they don't see it, when they sleep up there? How do the threads converge in an interestingly enough way? Are the wolves shape shifters? Most wolves would bolt miles away from the scent of humans, these seem super possessed. In short this seems a messy melange of disparate themes and genres, slapped together w slick marketing and held barely together with the (very) good performances of Ricci, hard chick Lewis (keep expecting her to break out the lighter fluid ala Cape Fear and spray it in all directions) and, most especially, and possibly the primary reason for giving it a look, the luminous performance of Melanie Lynskee. If you like your stories well formed, clear and well written with plausible narratives, might want to skip.

What started so promising (albeit with a potentially well-worn theme), and fortified with steady performances by the female leads took a sharp downward turn mid series, as if the B team writers came in and sabotaged the whole script. Which then wrested what was compelling into a bizarre, byzantine unfortunate waste of time. Discovering the answers was not worth the time once this sharp downward occurred. Good dramas can still be rendered from familiar plotlines without having to sacrifice them at the altar of escapism. Shame.

Stumbled across this gem - and a gem it is despite what may seem a contrived title (and by proxy an assumed contrived plot) - finely acted with nuance, nerve and intelligence. Hits all the bases. Have particular admiration for Schaap and her character arc and Lammers, the criminal one hates to love, or is it loves to hate? I wish we had more of these layered, delicious, thinking man's programs stateside. As always must see in original language, ala Babylon Berlin. Anything less is derivative.