Summary : Not exotic but decent fun
and even a little inspiring
Score : 6/10
When I read a New Zealand series had been remade my curiosity was
intrigued. A dramedy about a family of criminals trying to play it
straight sounded both entertaining and interesting. Moreover the
original is often better than its remakes and in fact I generally
disapprove the idea of adaptating foreign productions. Instead let's
open our mind and appreciate their unique flavors and educative
differences !
A creative title sequence is always an exciting way to dive into a
fictional universe. Characters turning into sketches ? Let's get
ready for some serious comedy ! In that department the pilot didn't
kill me but delivered a few funny scenes. As the production is cheap
they're more reminiscent of sitcoms but when it ended my heart was
already asking for more. She has what it takes ! It's what you should
think of Cheryl West after the energetic and inspiring speech she
gave her family. Taking the decision to respect the law when you had
always done the opposite wasn't easy and overall Robyn Malcolm's
performance was good. I also sensed a feminist vibe after what her
husband, Wolfgang West, said. What's next ? That women can't buy
drinks ? The character is played by Grant Bowler and I was quite
surprised to see him as these days he's Joshua Nolan in Defiance.
As for the other characters they can be seen as ultimate clichés
and if I was Shrek I would point out their onions don't have enough
layers. The hot blonde with the brain of a bird ? The yin-yang twins
? The smart daughter skipping school ? In an other context I would
probably hate them but their respective arcs made Happy TV™ and I
enjoyed how they all fueled the main story. Moreover the goofy
brother made so many dumb moves that you can only laugh.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Sopranos season 1 episode 1 : The Sopranos
Summary : Decent premiere and
promising psychological arc
Score : 6/10
Despite its cult status The Godfather is definitely not in my favorites list. I'm just not stimulated by these gangster-driven productions. That's why it took me so long to finally check out The Sopranos. Now that I have seen its pilot despite a few interesting elements I'm convinced that I could have spent the hour doing something more important.
If conventional mob stories bore you to death, move on. The pilot featured everything you can expect from the genre : Murders, explosions… So it's probably entertaining to many people, otherwise the show wouldn't have been so successful, but it lacked the creativity and boldness some premieres have been remembered for. The production is good, it's immersive, but not a single scene wowed me. Only a surprising lighting in an outdoor scene caught my attention. The rest felt like déjà vu and it also applies to the characters.
The story is really about Tony Soprano's struggle as a criminal, husband and father. James Gandolfini's performance was convincing but his part wasn't demanding. However I'm sure he was hired for a reason and that some of the upcoming episodes put him in a whole new light. In fact this first installment also portrayed him as a normal man, the nice neighbor next door. The psychotherapy sessions were specially enlightening to comprehend what's going on behind the curtain and at times it was hilarious. They also served to joint the different sequences and delivered an interesting way to introduce the protagonist. Lorraine Bracco made a decent shrink as Doctor Jennifer Melfi and her dynamic with the patient was quite good actually. The ducks metaphora was thoughtful and well exploited all along the episode. So even if her seduction factor makes her less believable their relationship is by far the most intriguing element.
Beside their arc I was also moved by a discussion Tony had with his daughter in a church about two of their ancestors who had built it. She mocked his words but he explained that they were among a crew and she realized how proud they must have been. It opened the Soprano family history book and revealed a certain potential behind the action and neverending manipulations. Even his wife mentioned something about spirituality so maybe the series deserve a second look.
Score : 6/10
Despite its cult status The Godfather is definitely not in my favorites list. I'm just not stimulated by these gangster-driven productions. That's why it took me so long to finally check out The Sopranos. Now that I have seen its pilot despite a few interesting elements I'm convinced that I could have spent the hour doing something more important.
If conventional mob stories bore you to death, move on. The pilot featured everything you can expect from the genre : Murders, explosions… So it's probably entertaining to many people, otherwise the show wouldn't have been so successful, but it lacked the creativity and boldness some premieres have been remembered for. The production is good, it's immersive, but not a single scene wowed me. Only a surprising lighting in an outdoor scene caught my attention. The rest felt like déjà vu and it also applies to the characters.
The story is really about Tony Soprano's struggle as a criminal, husband and father. James Gandolfini's performance was convincing but his part wasn't demanding. However I'm sure he was hired for a reason and that some of the upcoming episodes put him in a whole new light. In fact this first installment also portrayed him as a normal man, the nice neighbor next door. The psychotherapy sessions were specially enlightening to comprehend what's going on behind the curtain and at times it was hilarious. They also served to joint the different sequences and delivered an interesting way to introduce the protagonist. Lorraine Bracco made a decent shrink as Doctor Jennifer Melfi and her dynamic with the patient was quite good actually. The ducks metaphora was thoughtful and well exploited all along the episode. So even if her seduction factor makes her less believable their relationship is by far the most intriguing element.
Beside their arc I was also moved by a discussion Tony had with his daughter in a church about two of their ancestors who had built it. She mocked his words but he explained that they were among a crew and she realized how proud they must have been. It opened the Soprano family history book and revealed a certain potential behind the action and neverending manipulations. Even his wife mentioned something about spirituality so maybe the series deserve a second look.
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