Summary : Se7en reasons to avenge your TV remote and bury competitors like Ringer
Score : 9/10
R like redrum. The show is not Shining but the pilot revealed that someone will die and Amanda told us that collateral damages are inevitable. Innocent people will get hurt.
E like Emily. If it wasn't for her father's diary and her childhood memories we wouldn't know anything about her true identity. I hope the flashbacks featuring the little girl will keep illuminating the episodes because they're probably my favorite moments.
V like Victoria. Madeleine Stowe's vicious and gorgeous character surely drives the audience wild. I both love and hate her. Usually I dislike one dimensional profiles but here it's well balanced by Amanda's one even if they're both playing a dangerous game. In fact the most interesting thing about them is that they're challenging players. They're both beautiful and smart women To Die For.
E like eclecticism. From the heterogeneous characters to the diverse sets it seems all episodes will look different. Jack's family should grow on you even more after what happened. Nolan Ross is also an other individual to count on and what an enigmatic one !
N like need. The pilot already hooked me but this second installment made me crave the upcoming episode. I'm as intrigued as Victoria is suspicious. Moreover the episodic format is almost impalpable as all stories serve the same purpose, leading us to the tragic event covered in the pilot.
8 like ∞. The clock is ticking and it's as hypnotic to watch as looking at a rotating hourglass. The main story is also supported by numerous minor arcs that make things way more entertaining and unpredictable. Even a simple pawn could checkmate the Queens in this game !
E like exoticism. Forget the diary, they should have tattooed Amanda's photo on Emily VanCamp's body. She's no Michael Scofield but her goal is similar to his as she has to break a puzzle into pieces. Her dark motives are also mirrored by wonderful visuals like the one on the beach. ABC's budget is high and it shows every single second !
Friday, September 30, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Revenge season 1 episode 1 : Pilot
Summary : Irresistible payback-driven story, ravishing female leads, stereotypeproof wicked characters, high-end refreshing production, creative flashbacks
Score : 9/10
Buffyholics like me were expecting Ringer like the new Messiah but despite some undeniable qualities it's still not the thriller I had hoped it would be. That's when Revenge entered the stage because nothing had prepared me for such a pilot ! What drove me to the show is Madeleine Stowe because her role in 12 Monkeys had a certain impact on me. Okay the truth is that like millions of teenage boys and young men I - my libido - just had a crush on her. Sadly after 1995 she sort of vanished into thin air and I never really heard about her until Revenge. Of course she's still ravishing and a fifty years old lady couldn't be more beautiful, even if actresses shouldn't dye their hair in my humble opinion, but it's really her character that won my vote. Indeed her villainous role as Victoria Grayson is refreshing considering I always saw her as a pure and innocent white dove, like Andie MacDowell and all these wonderful brunettes mere mortals can only dream of but that's an other story… Her performance was both seductive and deadly. A woman to die for ? Definitely, if you're masochist. And to balance her attractive darkness we have Emily VanCamp as Emily Throne. She's new to me so I had no prejudice. She was quite convincing, stunning in her white dress and a great mirror match for Stowe. I also found their age difference interesting because it makes the challenge far much more exciting. This is not Gossip Girl. This is not Harper's Island. Most people are rich and beautiful but Revenge isn't a guilty pleasure nor a silly Scream-like series.
Around Emily and Victoria revolves a palette of versatile and unpredictable characters. From the rich kids to the adults in trouble for once I don't have a single complain to make. I didn't find them stereotyped nor annoying when you would expect profiles like the annoying and arrogant prom queen or the hot guy who gets the girls. Here they all serve a purpose and seemed like pieces on a chessboard. What will be their next move ? Is Emily the master or the puppet ? Among them I noticed Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter. I hadn't seen him since Roswell as he played Kyle Valenti in the teen drama. Mister nice guy, again ? We'll see if he gets burnt but he should grow on you if you can relate to his story and issues. Moreover his personality contrasts with Emily manipulative and obsessed profile. Is he off limits ? Will she be able to protect the people she cares about or is her heart blinded by her incapacity to forgive ?
All these elements already make the show an instant hit and the pilot won't just convince you to watch the upcoming episode, you will die to watch the whole season ! You might also consider reading the Alexandre Dumas novel it's based upon, The Count of Monte Cristo. I wish I had already read it because I'm sure there're plenty of literate references to it. Beside the lavalike character development and hypnotic story Revenge has numerous other qualities that make it stand above its peers. The first of them would be its top notch production. It's Dawson's Creek in 2011 ! Wild beach, boats for a romantic escape or macabre cruise, wooden houses full of ambivalent memories… All the settings are so well polished, filmed and refreshing ! If it was aired on The CW our immersion would be broken by subliminal ads and poop music but on ABC from beginning to end it's a journey I'm not ready to forget. In fact once it was over I already wanted to watch it all over again ! An other appealing element are the flashbacks. Nothing special ? Of course they're enlightening, like in Ringer, but here they're filmed in first person view ! You'll feel like the cute and joyful little girl Emily used to be. Last but not least some people may find the infinity sign anecdotic but I found it inspiring because it materially and spiritually binded her to the show's fictional universe. Is it a vicious eight ? Will she ever transform the twisted circle into a virtuous one or is her Dark Passenger doomed for all eternity ? Don't resist. Once you will have seen the pilot your desire to know more will be too strong.
Score : 9/10
Buffyholics like me were expecting Ringer like the new Messiah but despite some undeniable qualities it's still not the thriller I had hoped it would be. That's when Revenge entered the stage because nothing had prepared me for such a pilot ! What drove me to the show is Madeleine Stowe because her role in 12 Monkeys had a certain impact on me. Okay the truth is that like millions of teenage boys and young men I - my libido - just had a crush on her. Sadly after 1995 she sort of vanished into thin air and I never really heard about her until Revenge. Of course she's still ravishing and a fifty years old lady couldn't be more beautiful, even if actresses shouldn't dye their hair in my humble opinion, but it's really her character that won my vote. Indeed her villainous role as Victoria Grayson is refreshing considering I always saw her as a pure and innocent white dove, like Andie MacDowell and all these wonderful brunettes mere mortals can only dream of but that's an other story… Her performance was both seductive and deadly. A woman to die for ? Definitely, if you're masochist. And to balance her attractive darkness we have Emily VanCamp as Emily Throne. She's new to me so I had no prejudice. She was quite convincing, stunning in her white dress and a great mirror match for Stowe. I also found their age difference interesting because it makes the challenge far much more exciting. This is not Gossip Girl. This is not Harper's Island. Most people are rich and beautiful but Revenge isn't a guilty pleasure nor a silly Scream-like series.
Around Emily and Victoria revolves a palette of versatile and unpredictable characters. From the rich kids to the adults in trouble for once I don't have a single complain to make. I didn't find them stereotyped nor annoying when you would expect profiles like the annoying and arrogant prom queen or the hot guy who gets the girls. Here they all serve a purpose and seemed like pieces on a chessboard. What will be their next move ? Is Emily the master or the puppet ? Among them I noticed Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter. I hadn't seen him since Roswell as he played Kyle Valenti in the teen drama. Mister nice guy, again ? We'll see if he gets burnt but he should grow on you if you can relate to his story and issues. Moreover his personality contrasts with Emily manipulative and obsessed profile. Is he off limits ? Will she be able to protect the people she cares about or is her heart blinded by her incapacity to forgive ?
All these elements already make the show an instant hit and the pilot won't just convince you to watch the upcoming episode, you will die to watch the whole season ! You might also consider reading the Alexandre Dumas novel it's based upon, The Count of Monte Cristo. I wish I had already read it because I'm sure there're plenty of literate references to it. Beside the lavalike character development and hypnotic story Revenge has numerous other qualities that make it stand above its peers. The first of them would be its top notch production. It's Dawson's Creek in 2011 ! Wild beach, boats for a romantic escape or macabre cruise, wooden houses full of ambivalent memories… All the settings are so well polished, filmed and refreshing ! If it was aired on The CW our immersion would be broken by subliminal ads and poop music but on ABC from beginning to end it's a journey I'm not ready to forget. In fact once it was over I already wanted to watch it all over again ! An other appealing element are the flashbacks. Nothing special ? Of course they're enlightening, like in Ringer, but here they're filmed in first person view ! You'll feel like the cute and joyful little girl Emily used to be. Last but not least some people may find the infinity sign anecdotic but I found it inspiring because it materially and spiritually binded her to the show's fictional universe. Is it a vicious eight ? Will she ever transform the twisted circle into a virtuous one or is her Dark Passenger doomed for all eternity ? Don't resist. Once you will have seen the pilot your desire to know more will be too strong.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Person of Interest season 1 episode 1 : Pilot
Summary : Smashing Caviezel,
complementary team mates, conventional but twisted story, welcomed
guest, promising Big Brother concept, geek candy, giggling humor
Score : 8/10
As a geek and self-proclaimed multibrokenaire I was instantly driven to the show because of its concept and protagonist. At least before watching the pilot I thought Michael Emerson would play this role but as the enigmatic Mr. Finch his character is minor compared to James Caviezel's one. The last plays a former special agent John Reese, how original, who is hired by Finch. So at the beginning as I was expecting that it would be mostly about the software engineer Emerson portrays I was slightly disappointed. Indeed the actor marked TV forever considering how much his performance as Benjamin Linus was both dazzling and puzzling on Lost. However when I had never seen Caviezel before his charm and bold performance quickly made Reese grow on me. I also appreciate the fact that he has strong moral values, if shooting bad guys in the leg can be considered one. I worried about the inevitable procedural approach of the show, a crime to prevent per episodes, but the pilot was such a great surprise that I have instantly signed up for a second session.
Beside the convincing acting, and the fact that you can't help smiling when Finch calls his partner John (Locke), it's really the story that impressed me the most. Indeed like in Asimov's Foundation the Machine built by Finch can't predict everything so all he's left with are numeric breadcrumbs. At first what tasted like an old recipe and cold meal quickly became exciting and captivating. The lines are blurred, twisted and wicked ! In the upcoming episodes it should make the crimes even less predictable because the characters aren't just black and white. Here the guest was Natalie Zea and as her performance on Hung was bittersweet she definitely contributed to make the pilot a success even we could have used extra minutes featuring her character. The eternal battle of time management. An other element that will even appeal the demanding viewer are the cultural references. From Big Brother to 9/11 the way fiction is connected to reality is quite interesting. Still I'm not sure about the whole surveillance camera approach because it's far too limited considering the device isn't plugged everywhere in the world. So I hope they'll soon inject some irrational elements to make it fascinating or at least more believable. Otherwise as the end was reminiscent of The X-Files I'm almost certain they have plenty of strange ideas to fuel the season.
That's for the substance. In its entertainment department the series has some delightful elements. First even if they definitely abused the camera mosaics and surveillance footages it made the editing smoother and more dynamic. Second Caviezel makes a believable action man with a brain. The action scenes count is decent and well balance the investigation. Third don't expect a Minory Report occuring in 2011 but he used a few interesting gadgets like one to quickly break a window and an other to listen cellphone conversations. He's not Angus MacGyver but him and the lame leg Mr. Finch (A reference to The Usual Suspects ?) makes a team to root for. Last but not least between two shots or serious dialogs there're a few humorous scenes that can only make you laugh considering how well they're subtly mixed with the main story. I even spotted a running gag and already anticipate how much fun it's going to be in the next episode !
Score : 8/10
As a geek and self-proclaimed multibrokenaire I was instantly driven to the show because of its concept and protagonist. At least before watching the pilot I thought Michael Emerson would play this role but as the enigmatic Mr. Finch his character is minor compared to James Caviezel's one. The last plays a former special agent John Reese, how original, who is hired by Finch. So at the beginning as I was expecting that it would be mostly about the software engineer Emerson portrays I was slightly disappointed. Indeed the actor marked TV forever considering how much his performance as Benjamin Linus was both dazzling and puzzling on Lost. However when I had never seen Caviezel before his charm and bold performance quickly made Reese grow on me. I also appreciate the fact that he has strong moral values, if shooting bad guys in the leg can be considered one. I worried about the inevitable procedural approach of the show, a crime to prevent per episodes, but the pilot was such a great surprise that I have instantly signed up for a second session.
Beside the convincing acting, and the fact that you can't help smiling when Finch calls his partner John (Locke), it's really the story that impressed me the most. Indeed like in Asimov's Foundation the Machine built by Finch can't predict everything so all he's left with are numeric breadcrumbs. At first what tasted like an old recipe and cold meal quickly became exciting and captivating. The lines are blurred, twisted and wicked ! In the upcoming episodes it should make the crimes even less predictable because the characters aren't just black and white. Here the guest was Natalie Zea and as her performance on Hung was bittersweet she definitely contributed to make the pilot a success even we could have used extra minutes featuring her character. The eternal battle of time management. An other element that will even appeal the demanding viewer are the cultural references. From Big Brother to 9/11 the way fiction is connected to reality is quite interesting. Still I'm not sure about the whole surveillance camera approach because it's far too limited considering the device isn't plugged everywhere in the world. So I hope they'll soon inject some irrational elements to make it fascinating or at least more believable. Otherwise as the end was reminiscent of The X-Files I'm almost certain they have plenty of strange ideas to fuel the season.
That's for the substance. In its entertainment department the series has some delightful elements. First even if they definitely abused the camera mosaics and surveillance footages it made the editing smoother and more dynamic. Second Caviezel makes a believable action man with a brain. The action scenes count is decent and well balance the investigation. Third don't expect a Minory Report occuring in 2011 but he used a few interesting gadgets like one to quickly break a window and an other to listen cellphone conversations. He's not Angus MacGyver but him and the lame leg Mr. Finch (A reference to The Usual Suspects ?) makes a team to root for. Last but not least between two shots or serious dialogs there're a few humorous scenes that can only make you laugh considering how well they're subtly mixed with the main story. I even spotted a running gag and already anticipate how much fun it's going to be in the next episode !
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
True Blood season 4 episode 11 : Soul of Fire
Summary : Strange Writing Case of Dr Dumb
and Mr Witty
Score : 7/10
Spoilers
I don't know how the writing team behind the show works but there's clearly a weak link that prevented this episode from rocketing. The baby arc ? The messy cemetary part ? I suspect they all came from the same brain because I can't help noticing how much they jar with the overall good quality of season 4. It becomes even more obvious when you compare some parts side by side.
Round I : On the left we have the moronic Billeric, sorry I couldn't help, and on the right Lafayette & his boyfriend sneaking in the bathroom. Bill & Eric ready to kill each other for Sookie didn't make any sense because the first should know better than trusting the evil Marnie. They're hundreds years old but at times they're as clever as a zombie in luv. And while Sookie was crying like a fairy who just lost her virginity to a farting ogre Lafayette's boyfriend managed to play Marnie and turned into a demon. I'm really starting to like him and mixing Spanish with wicked magic was really exciting.
Round II : Eric² versus Sookie "the crying b* that should have been put down". How are viewers supposed to endure the endless magic fire circle sequence featuring the worst visual effects ever seen on the show ? It never felt a single second that she was in danger and about to burn her fairy bu… dust. However it was so ridiculous, specially Anna Paquin's acting, that I couldn't help laughing. Moreover it didn't prevent me from clapping my hands when Eric killed Marnie's annoying sidekick in a snap by clawing out his heart and then drinking its blood using an artery as a straw. It was both shocking and entertaining. Instantly cult and definitely a 2011 topplistÃ¥ contestant !
I could also point out some minor flaws but they were shadowed by far too many entertaining elements. First I slightly changed my mind about Lafayette because his medium gift was well used, as it allowed him to see Marnie battling Antonia, and what's coming could be thrilling because season 4 would have been nothing without Fiona Shaw ! Second crazy Pam waking up everyone in town by firing a rocket was fangtastic. She's really a weapon of mass seduction ! She could have killed Sookie… A blessing ? At least it would have opened the eyes of Billeric ! I can't believe his second half, Eric if you're not following my miserable joke, dared to threaten her when she was the one who actually saved the day. As for Jason he did what all real men would do in such a dangerous situation, he almost died. The perfect excuse to drink Jessica's super blood and get closer to the woman he loves. Deborah Ann Woll couldn't have been more charming while she was talking to him. A hotpink vampire lost in Daisyworld ! The only thing missing was Hoyt so I really hope Jim Parrack will be back next time because the show needs his talent. In fact I really hope he'll have a more important role in the next season.
To go back to my enumeration the third element I enjoyed was Andy's unexpected encounter with a ravishing fairy. Lucky guy ! He deserves it after what he has gone through but I can't help thinking that the worst is yet to come. Did she turn him into some sort of alien bulb ? A.B. : The Extra-Terrestrial ! I knew Steven Spielberg was pulling strings in reality. As for the best duo since The Dukes of Hazzard, Sam & Alcide, the fight was dynamic and its ending couldn't have been more brutal ! Last but not least Fiona Shaw lunatic acting was impressive, and freaky Sookie would say, and Marnie's vengeance interesting because the bully and the victim is a sad but real tale. Some people rejected her, she became an outcast and when she was strong enough to reclaim her place in society as her true enemies were nowhere to be found she just decided to unleash her fury upon vampires, who deserved it in a way, and innocent individuals close to her. May Antonia's soul rest in peace because in the end she proved her heart was good.
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