True Detective “The Long Bright Dark” Review (1×01)

13 Jan

o-TRUE-DETECTIVE-TRAILER-facebookTelevision these days is overrun with generic cop shows, shows that send out a buddy cop team each week to solve a crime in 60 minutes. We also have a bunch of serial killer shows, shows that attempt to explore the depths of the criminals, but end up reveling in grotesque violence and shocking twists. True Detective seems to just be a mash-up of those two genres, but it really isn’t.

The show is all about attention to detail, whether it be through the character interactions or the general atmosphere. It’s a world that draws you in, and the directorial touches and cinematography create an intoxicating, compelling environment. Of course, the most intriguing aspect of the show is the central Hart-Cohle relationship, played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, respectively. The great thing about it is that, while both are fantastic in their own right, they’re both as intriguing as they are because of the other person. McConaughey and Harrelson play off each other very well, whether it be in the car discussions where Hart’s playing the role of a disapproving dad of sorts or when Cohle shows up drunk at the dinner, where we can see the sympathy–without much knowledge of his past–extended toward him by Hart.

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Shameless “Simple Pleasures” Review (4×01)

12 Jan

Episode 401The Gallaghers are finally back.

Shameless is a show that I’ve loved from the beginning, but season 3 helped it evolve from a great show into a fantastic show, showcasing William H. Macy’s Frank Gallagher in ways that we never saw before. It was a much more focused season with a brilliant finale, and it had me salivating for season 4.

Now, season 4 is here. The show’s much more mature now, delivering its storylines without the usual Gallagher shenanigans; I said a similar thing last week about Community’s premiere, and I think both of the shows are going down some intriguing paths. For Shameless, it seems as if we’ve reached a key turning point in its run; whereas season 1 consisted of myriad entertaining, yet almost childish, storylines, we’re now seeing an increasingly melancholy, toned down take on the Gallaghers. Sure, part of the charm lies in the wacky antics of the early days, but I’m fully invested in these characters now, and I want to see how the writers take the show in a new direction.

A common theme in “Simple Pleasures” is solitary. Frank’s beaten down and teetering on the edge of death, and he’s someone who’s lost pretty much everything; going off on a tangent, this is very similar to Sheila, who’s now sitting at her table alone. Getting back to Frank, the only person who bothers to interact with him is Carl, which is very understandable considering he needs a father figure to help him through puberty. In fact, the two are in a shared situation of solitary; Carl’s trying to navigate the tricky waters between childhood and adulthood, and Frank’s essentially ruined his adulthood.

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Banshee “Little Fish” Review (2×01)

11 Jan

banshee-s2-e1-tThe first season of Banshee stumbled right out of the gate, but it slowly grew into one of the most entertaining shows on television; the plot was absolutely ludicrous, but there was a manic energy that injected life into the proceedings, whether it be the brutal violence or the steamy sex scenes. Surprisingly, the show tones it down for the season 2 premiere, and it still delivers a great, more contemplative start to the season.

The big change in season 2 is the introduction of the fantastic Zeljko Ivanek’s Agent Racine, a chain-smoking, cancer-ridden, no nonsense guy whose main purpose is to find Rabbit; to do this, he’s willing to use the people of Banshee as bait. Right off the bat, his character is an intriguing antagonist, a guy hellbent on revenge who’s still a bit bound by the constraints of the law. Yet, there’s something simmering there, and Ivanek brilliantly portrays a man just about ready to crack. In fact, he also succeeds in sticking his nose into the Banshee police department, raising questions about what exactly they’re doing; why are they following the will of a few people? Why hasn’t everything tumbled down yet? Those look to be intriguing questions heading into the rest of the season.

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Parks and Recreation “Second Chunce” Review (6×10)

9 Jan

Parks-and-Recreation-9-550x365Moving on in life is a difficult thing to do, especially so for the people of Pawnee, the small town that’s been the one constant in all these characters’ recent adventures. Parks and Recreation‘s 100th episode deals with this idea in a funny, touching manner that serves as both a conclusion and a new beginning.

In fact, it seems like a lot of storylines have run their course, and we’re getting closer to the series’ inevitable end. For one, we definitely wouldn’t have needed to see Leslie running for city council again; that would’ve frustrated me beyond belief. Thankfully, the writers take a step back and zero in on Leslie and Ben, highlighting exactly what’s great about their relationship. It’s understandable that Leslie wouldn’t want to let go of her past, but Ben is a smart guy; he realizes that she’s destined for greater things, a greater future that elevates her beyond Pawnee’s borders. So, he brings in Kathryn Hahn’s Jen Barclay for a little motivational speech, so to speak. The “I don’t care enough about you to lie to you” line is very telling; Leslie’s often bogged down by her emotions and her interpersonal relationships, and she not only needs her husband to motivate her, but also someone with little emotional ties to the situation.

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Community “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics” Review (5×03)

9 Jan

3-5Going the route of a concept episode after the brilliant, toned down character work of the premiere is certainly an interesting choice, and it results in a deeply flawed, yet highly watchable, 21 minutes.

The thing that separates “concept” from “gimmick” is character, and this episode walks a thin line between the two. On the one hand, the show does a nice job of paying homage to shows like Hannibal and directors like David Fincher, and the very idea of an Ass-Crack Bandit is hilarious. On the other, the character work falters a bit here; for one, although I do like the Jeff-Annie dynamic, their plot in Numismatics feels shoe-horned in. The waxing and waning of a relationship is realistic, but we’re past the point where I’m completely invested in their flirtation; now, I want to see them interacting like they did in the premiere. Jeff brings out a stronger spirit in Annie, and it’d be interesting to get down to who they are and why they’re friends, not to dance around a romance that should’ve either 1) happened a long time ago, or 2) not been over-teased as a reality.

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Person of Interest “Aletheia” Review (3×12)

8 Jan

AletheiaJust a few quick bullets…

-Man, how great is Saul Rubinek in this episode? He goes through the full range of emotions–wonder, curiosity, fear, sadness, you name it–in the span of 42 minutes, and it all culminates in a truly heartbreaking scene in which the Machine acts as the gateway Finch wanted to be to his father. This whole storyline raises intriguing questions about the relationship between humanity and technology, and in Finch and Arthur’s conversation in the bank vault, we see the Samaritan tech being referred to almost as a child, a fully fleshed out being worth protecting and destroying.

-It’s really an addition to Root’s ongoing storyline with the Machine, and once again, Amy Acker blows it out of the park here. Her interactions with Control are absolute dynamite in “Aletheia”, and it’s chilling to watch her not only endure torture, but to slowly turn the tables on her torturer.

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Justified “A Murder of Crowes” Review (5×01)

8 Jan

jus3It’s been a long wait, but we’re finally back in Harlan.

Well, not exactly; in fact, the episode takes us to places like Florida and Detroit, expanding the show’s universe a bit and introducing new sides to the Crowe family and the mob. It’s really impressive how the show manages to remain as entertaining as ever while it’s spending its time place-setting for the remainder of the season. In fact, each character, however peripheral he or she is, is utilized magnificently in this fantastic premiere.

A Murder of Crowes is fundamentally about family, whether it be through Boyd’s vendetta against pretty much everyone or the crazy relations of the Florida Crowes. Michael Rapaport is introduced as Darryl Crowe, and accent aside, he fits into the role well as the man who’s had huge weights on his back, but is only just breaking now. The premiere has a fairly engaging storyline involving Elvis and Wendy, and the murder of Dilly Crowe illustrates the various messed up shit people will do in the name of “family”.

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The Wolf of Wall Street Review

4 Jan

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Jordan Belfort, high out of his mind on Quaaludes, crawls out of a country club; he’s foaming at the mouth, flopping around like a dying fish, and mumbling incoherently. He lives less than a mile away, but he can barely get the door of his Lamborghini open. Yet, he somehow makes it home perfectly fine. The thing is, the trip home plays out very differently in his mind; it’s later revealed that not only is his car busted up, but he’s caused a large amount of property damage.

That right there is the essence of the film. On the one hand, it’s a hilarious, brilliantly acted setpiece that we can laugh at. On the other hand, it emphasizes the delusions of a man high off drugs, women, money, and power. We can’t forget that this story is told through Belfort’s point of view, and Jordan Belfort isn’t a good guy at all. He has no regard for the law, he destroys all his relationships, and he manipulates those around him, whether he calls them “friends” or not. He can spew out a seemingly deep, emotional tale about the “rags to riches” backstory of one of his brokers, but in reality, she’s just an investment. He can try and save his buddy’s skin with a message on a napkin, but he’ll be the one ratted out at the end; he has no friends.

Of course, that brings us to the questions: Why did Scorsese and Winter essentially just remake the book? Why not explore the victims of Belfort’s heinous crimes, the innocent people swindled out of a hell of a lot of cash by a callous maniac? Why not come right out and condemn this behavior? What’s with all the collaboration with the actual Belfort?

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Community “Repilot/Introduction to Teaching” Review (5×01/5×02)

2 Jan

NUP_157951_0694-550x366Guys, I need help reacting to something.

And what a great “something” it was. After a tumultuous fourth season, Community is back to being the show we’ve always loved. It’s always hard to clean something up once someone else has made a mess of it, but Harmon does it efficiently, hilariously, and brilliantly in these first two episodes.

“Repilot” is impressive because it not only is able to reference season 4, but it’s also able to strip these characters down to their bare bones. It unites the characters both physically and emotionally, and it’s a surprisingly dark opening to the season. Of course, there’s evidence of actual character growth. These are human beings who’ve endured similar types of problems, and this “Repilot” is now bringing them all full circle; yet, they’re wiser, more appreciative, and even sadder.

Obviously, any premiere has to navigate some tricky waters, and “Repilot” is no different. For one, the whole “Jeff returns to save Greendale” plot is entirely predictable and a bit contrived, but then again, the important thing is what we get at the end. Adding on to the episode’s problems, it could sometimes get lost in the shuffle of being a premiere, much less one after such a season as season 4 of Community. It has to juggle 50 different things at once, and that’s a hard task.

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Her Review

30 Dec

her9-blog480Her is the best movie of 2013.

On the surface, it all may seem like nothing more than a gimmick, merely a clever twist on a generic love story that should, say, criticize the modern world’s reliance on technology or wow us with a futuristic comedy.  Yet, Jonze presents a world that is very much grounded in reality; it’s more of an evolved present than an imagined future.

The film is fundamentally about evolution, whether it be that of the humans or of the operating systems. One of the great things about Her is the balance struck between the two “species”, if you will; the OSes don’t inhabit any type of body, but it seems as if they’re human; in fact, Samantha (Johansson) endures similar types of problems as Theo (Phoenix) does: a perpetual sense of loneliness, a longing to connect, a longing to enjoy and understand life. You could say Samantha is simultaneously a naive child and a mature, perceptive woman who is able to help Theo open his eyes one more time.

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