Joy Demetriou

Montana is clearly the star of this epic-tedious neo-Western re-hash! And the breathtaking backdrop is what kept me hooked. Key characters are one dimensional, and (4 series in), the temptation to switch off as Beth sashays yet again, across the screen posturing the 1870's whore house, alcoholic with serious daddy issues, is wearing thin by series 5. Why the script for Dutton's son Jamie is so sparse and lame is deeply frustrating and he rarely gets to work with anything solid and captivating. We want him to defend himself... Beth gets to display every inch of her hostility, sexual availability, cruelty, and complex personality disorders which are never really addressed. Having said that, the sheer beauty of watching wild horses running against the mountain backdrop, the details of a cowboy life is fascinating. Interestingly and disturbing is how Costner slips on the Trump mantle once he becomes governor of Montana, firing people left right & centre as soon as he's up against anything and anyone he fails to understand - uneducated and anti-progressive, holding on to his domain and his vast acreage which only he and his offspring and workers can enjoy - devoid of the realisation of his own autocratic utter selfish. It's compelling stuff and certainly sheds light on the side of America and many of its inhabitants that have chosen an insular and backward approach to their worldview (or lack of one). Deeply flawed but addictive.

Heavy like cloth of gold... reverant and irreverent in equal measure. Nostalgic, sentimental, punctuated by vituperous humour. Sorrentino is captivated by Rome, and showcases the city in all its glory; his fascination with the theatre and hypocrisy of religion, preemptive self parody and ascerbic wit of the main character, Jep, flaneur and social commentator of culture and 'society' in Rome, is a masterpiece. Magnificent, visually and technically superlative. Demands multiple viewings.