4 comments

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  sean

  2 years ago

  I haven't seen it either, but if Haggis is involved I'll tread lightly. Thirtysomething never meant anything to me; the aspect of Million Dollar Baby worth saving is in Eastwood's handling of his actors; Crash was a disaster, and his Flags of Our Fathers screenplay was pretty pedantic. Maybe this is different.
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  Jason Chervokas

  2 years ago

  I refrained from writing a real review of the show off the first episode, because what does one episode tell you?
  
  After seeing a second episode I have to temper my enthusiam. I like the show, but the story and characters have already settled into a groove worn well by the sopranos as well as any number of working class family dramas.
  
  What I loved, adored even, about the first show was less the story than the story telling--- not only the visusal cues packed with information, not only the nonchalant manner with which the narrative handled momentous choices by the characters (realistic because, after all, the characters don't really know they're making momentous choices, they turn momentous after), but especially the way new information--sometimes in flashbacks, sometimes in real time--kept redefining the audience's perception of the characters.
  
  I heard Tom Stoppard on the radio last week talking about the ways in which drama works by changing up the way it shares information with the audience--I think what he said exactly was: sometimes it's a matter of speeding up the information coming to the audience, sometimes slowing it down, and sometimes it's a matter of the order in which the audience receives the info. On that last score episode 1 of TBDs was a masterpiece, esp. the final flashback moment which redefines our notion of Tommy Donnelly.
  
  The best parts of last nights episode were the way it presented the saintly catholic guilt that paradoxically droves Tommy into murder most foul, and of course any time Oliva Wilde was on screen.
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  Tony Alva

  2 years ago

  My wife and I have watched both episodes and are willing to give it another week. Too much time was spent last night with the body disposal part. We're hoping it moves along a little next week.
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  Tom Watson

  2 years ago

  Well, I finally saw the pilot vie free iTunes download. I enjoyed it - very Goodfellas updated to even quicker cuts. Mannion's right about the stereo types but hey, I don't seem to mind it when it's those danged eye-talians shooting each other up between pasta courses. The lead brother evolved a bit too quickly for my taste - from soft art student to mobster in one pilot, folks. But the dialogue was understated, which I liked. The dark, rainy shadows were great too - but where is there an el in Manhattan? This looked much more like Queens...
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