Looks gorgeous but cliched. I'm assuming it'll grow into its own at some point, right now it's a more cuddly Untouchables. I guess they couldn't really do something radical with a massive budget, they're playing it safe, they wanted another Sopranos and they're sort of getting it (Sopranos was much more imaginative coming out of the gate though). That said the cast is awesome.
The Ford book seemed so disjointed coming in the middle of what should have been a gripping conversation about how to deal with betrayal. Why they decided to derail that with a weird historical detail is bizarre!
Please hire somebody who knows typefaces for the historical signage ... was going nuts noticing all the historical inaccuracies. When it counted (closeups) they usually got it right though.
― Brakhage, Monday, 20 September 2010 16:08 (2 years ago) Permalink
I enjoyed it a lot - like people say, not the most original thing ever but very watchable and funny, and I really like that period. The Al Capone reveal was well done.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Monday, 20 September 2010 17:13 (2 years ago) Permalink
Loving the dude who is playing Capone too
― Brakhage, Monday, 20 September 2010 17:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
Totally didn't clock that Rothstein was Shuberg from A Serious Man
― No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Monday, 20 September 2010 17:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
Michael Stuhlbarg is in this, eh
xp
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Monday, 20 September 2010 17:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
Whole lotta Michaels in this thing. I can already tell i'm going to enjoy this a lot more than Treme even if it is slightly generic.
― Number None, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 00:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
I'm willing to bet it'll become less generic. Also, Scorsese's sort of allowed to be generic, he's Scorsese and he does it very well.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Tuesday, 21 September 2010 00:26 (2 years ago) Permalink
renewed! after better than expected ratings.
― No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Tuesday, 21 September 2010 16:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
hmmm, that's pretty dicey after one episode.
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 21 September 2010 17:04 (2 years ago) Permalink
They were huge ratings. Even with the standard drop off it'll be sustainable. And the press has been huge; it already did its job for the network.
― She Got the Shakes, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 17:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
They renewed Treme after one episode iirc, and that seems a lot dicier.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 17:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
"Generic" or not, this blows Treme away.
― SourPatchCorpse, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 20:10 (2 years ago) Permalink
did scorsese have any involvement in this beyond directing the pilot? not that this would mean much either way.
― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, 21 September 2010 20:13 (2 years ago) Permalink
don't think so.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 21 September 2010 20:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
Dece pilot, amazing supporting cast makes it worth sticking around for.
scorsese's also an executive producer, just like marky mark
― da croupier, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 21:05 (2 years ago) Permalink
Terence Winter on the extent of Scorcese's involvement:
"He just directed the pilot, but he's also one of the executive producers of the show as well, so he is involved. He reads all the scripts, he weighs in on our casting decisions, he watches all the cuts of the show. Up until the time we wrapped a couple of months ago, he and I had a standing Sunday afternoon conversation where we would just review what went on during the week. He'd watch the dailies, he would have comments and suggestions along the way. So he is definitely involved in the show, but he has only directed the pilot, he got us launched and then went off to do another movie."
He also plans to direct more episodes apparently
― Number None, Tuesday, 21 September 2010 21:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
i really liked touches like this though. you really gotta inject some levity or oddness in there imo or like you mentioned it is gonna be an untouchables retread. which is why i think i really feel ok w/ buscemi as the lead
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 22 September 2010 02:52 (2 years ago) Permalink
this was fun! not totally sold on the guy who i really don't want to describe by referencing dicaprio, but can't help it and i'll def give him a chance. buscemi could work this well i think. i'm a sucker for stuff like the ford book and the little person boxing. so is omar gonna be a full-fledged character? it was about as weird seeing him in this as seeing don in "the town"
― a fucking knitted scarf (another al3x), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 03:34 (2 years ago) Permalink
i also like seeing lots of people dancing in 20s clothes
― a fucking knitted scarf (another al3x), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 03:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
Apparently Michael K. Williams is featured a lot more prominently in the second and third episodes.
― Number None, Wednesday, 22 September 2010 15:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
better than treme but i wasnt thrilled by this. then again, it's a pilot, and pilots often kinda suck, what with having to fit in every character and get everything going
felt bad for kelly macdonald and her terrible plotline. snivel, snivel, snivel, *gets beat up*
― the milagro-beanfield war criminal (s1ocki), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 16:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
I have a feeling she is going to be the Peggy Olsen of this show.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 16:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
Also would anyone from Ireland like to comment on her accent? Sounded weird off to me, but maybe that's what Irish immigrants sounded like at the time. She's generally pretty good at accents.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 16:31 (2 years ago) Permalink
Accent wasn't great no. The problem with a lot of actor's attempts at Irish is they go for a sort-of generic "Oirish" accent, rather than attempting a specific regional variation which would sound a lot more authentic. She's actually done one before in "Intermission" which was similarly unconvincing. In this case I don't see why they didn't just make the character Scottish.
― Number None, Wednesday, 22 September 2010 21:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
pretty tiresome tbh. more like boredwalk etc etc
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 21:57 (2 years ago) Permalink
"i bet the board is spelled b-o-r-e-d" -norm m.
― a fucking knitted scarf (another al3x), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 22:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
it's a pilot, and pilots often kinda suck, what with having to fit in every character and get everything going
yeah, exactly
im blatantly going to keep watching, there's a hell of a lot of promise, but im not sure what the point of using scorsese was, when it was mostly bam-bam-bam check out these amazing sets, meet all these characters
there were some real nice scenes, like pitt's meeting with the feds, but some bits which over-reached. there was no meaningful parallel between the two murders at the end, so why draw one? felt kinda random and there hadn't been enough time to explain the dynamics between the two chicago guys.
buscemi was fine, but physically not quite right for the part.
― l'avventura: pet detective (history mayne), Sunday, 26 September 2010 18:02 (2 years ago) Permalink
ending up liking the first one a lot, but man ep 02 was snoooooooze
― sean gramophone, Monday, 27 September 2010 05:19 (2 years ago) Permalink
Really liked the second ep. Putting pieces in place and developing character. Still don't think it has the potential to rank among the greats, but am enjoying it thus far.
― No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Monday, 27 September 2010 06:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
also lol at the midget's annoyed look after the joke.
― No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Monday, 27 September 2010 06:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
oh, and where the hell did Paz De La Huerta come from and why is she in things?
also, where is omar little?
― johnny crunch, Monday, 27 September 2010 11:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
looks prominent in the next ep based on the preview
― No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Monday, 27 September 2010 14:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
NumberNone otm above, it's as bad as it was in Intermission, seems she can't do Irish without adding simpering into the mix.
Enjoyed first ep...bit tedious in parts tho, not sure I am that into this period as a thing. It's a bit stuffy.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Monday, 27 September 2010 22:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
http://nymag.com/movies/profiles/66284/index3.htmlShe's a bit of a "character"
― Number None, Tuesday, 28 September 2010 02:02 (2 years ago) Permalink
― sean gramophone, Monday, September 27, 2010 1:19 AM (20 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
troo, feel like the series is gonna be amazing overall tho
― ice cr?m, Tuesday, 28 September 2010 02:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
Buscemi is an odd choice for a series lead.
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Monday, 20 September 2010 14:47 (1 week ago)
― l'avventura: pet detective (history mayne), Sunday, 26 September 2010 19:02 (3 days ago)
sfunny cuz the wiki page for the real new jersey crook enoch johnson says '6 foot one inch 250 pound', so u can imagine who turned them down first
thought the first two ep's were fine without suggesting it's going to set the world on fire, tho it'll surely be worth watching
― The Managing Director of Being (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 00:02 (2 years ago) Permalink
I'm perfectly happy with it being entertaining, quite funny and gorgeous-looking for the time being.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 00:13 (2 years ago) Permalink
Stuhlbarg is easily the highlight of the series. Too bad the rest (barring Shannon maybe) doesn't live up to him.
― avant-sarsgaard (litel), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 07:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
i saw gretchen mol in the end credits - who was she?
― just sayin, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 09:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
Jimmy's mother, no?
― Number None, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:46 (2 years ago) Permalink
yes
― chrisv2010, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
o
it was weird when she was jumping all over him
― just sayin, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
agreed, at first i thought he was having an affair.
― chrisv2010, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:51 (2 years ago) Permalink
and please tell me i never have to see another Buscemi cum face again
― chrisv2010, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:52 (2 years ago) Permalink
ha wait that was his mother, totally fast forwarded through that scene
― ice cr?m, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
yep moms
― chrisv2010, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 14:00 (2 years ago) Permalink
no way gretchen mol looks old enough to be his mum i mean
― just sayin, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 14:00 (2 years ago) Permalink
yeah i found that a little odd.
― chrisv2010, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 14:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
excited
― four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 21 May 2013 23:56 (4 weeks ago) Permalink