It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to update on the TV and movie front, so here’s a collection of a few I’ve had the chance to watch of late:
Boardwalk Empire: I went in really wanting to love this. Great cast, excellent production values, quality performances across the board and a gangster saga with politics, sex, violence and macabre humor. I’m in.
And yet while I enjoyed Boardwalk Empire … I didn’t quite love it. There’s a certain episode-to-episode intensity that wasn’t quite there. Don’t get me wrong. Quality show, and I’ll keep watching. But for all the expense and hoopla surrounding it, I was hoping for a little bit more. Overall, I’d give it a B/B+. Maybe season 2 will bring it up to an A.
Moon: There aren’t too many “indie” sci-fi movies, but Moon certainly qualifies. Part 2001, part Solaris, this slow burn of a movie offers a terrific, multi-layered performance from Sam Rockwell. The first half of Moon is really creepy, while the second resolves the conflict.
Again, I went in with high expectations and came away a little disappointed. But for a debut movie from director Duncan Jones (who recently directed Source Code), he shows that he definitely knows what he’s doing. Moon is not for everyone, but worth a look.
The Killing: Yikes. The title says it all. If you’re looking for fun and laughs, you are so totally in the wrong place. I’ve only seen the 2-hour pilot so far, but if the rest of the series is the same, it’s going to be a long, intense run. Brilliant on almost every level, this series will rip your heart out, especially if you’re a parent. Not easy viewing by any stretch of the imagination, but after 2 hours it has established itself already as one of the best shows on TV.
Next up … The Office, Community, Modern Family
