Genres

Visitors Review

OutsideHollywoodLand 2012-05-24 22:49:21

HBO's Gangster Stinker

The bally-hoo surrounding Boardwalk Empire can't hide that this HBOstinker - well - stinks. HBO, the cable giant that is usually so goodat historically-driven mini series, falls flat with this over-blown andover-done gangster mish-mash - all thanks to its director - MartinScorsese.His gangster treatment lacks the fire-in-the-belly that's needed forsustained action and character development, despite the ginned-updialog and melodramatic violence. Boardwalk Empire is a feature filmthat is scaled down for the small screen, and Mr. Scorsese's big screenreputation just doesn't translate well in the smaller medium.Don't get me wrong - I love Steve Buscemi and Michael Pitt - but if Imiss an episode I don't care. And that's the real problem - Buscemi'srole is the only well-developed of the cast - all the others smack ofcardboard characters – including Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, SheaWhigham, Stephen Graham, and Michael Kenneth Williams. They woodenlydeliver their lines and send meaningful glances that go nowhere andit's frustrating to see Michael Pitt of Indie fame boxed intoScorsese's narrow viewfinder. The exceptions are Gretchen Mol asJimmy's mother, Gillian and Jack Huston as Jimmy's sharp-shooting palRichard, who both manage to command attention when on screen.

Ali_Mandi 2012-05-24 12:07:47

Best Pilot I've Ever Seen! A New Milestone for TV?

A couple of days a go, I saw the pilot of Boardwalk Empire, directed byMaestro Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter, one of the mainwriters of the Sopranos. This is by far the best pilot I've ever seen.Impeccably directed; pure Scorsese, brilliantly written, perfectlycasted, amazingly acted and just visually stunning! The look Mr.Scorsese established for the show is a joy to watch and hopefully theother directors will be able to emulate it, but I guess since we haveTim Van Patten, Allen Coulter and Alan Taylor directing most of theepisodes, we're safe! From the first episode, Boardwalk Empire shows agreat promise. It's about time Steve Buscemi got a leading role, a fineactor and a show stealer, and he's nothing short of great here, with agreat supporting show to carry the show with him.If the show continues like the pilot, and keeps using great soundtrackslike the ones Mr. Scorsese used for the pilot. Then we have a thirdshow to join the Sopranos and the Wire. And the fact that HBO renewedthe show for a second season two days after it's premiere sayssomething.Will be watching.

Graham Rust 2012-05-22 14:30:38

I give in!

After six episodes, I give in. So many great factors (Buscemi, most of the cast, sets, styling,cinematography, characters, relationships... the subject and thehistorical context... the little ideas, like the weird, devout FBIagent...the whole idea...) but it's just so slow and boring. At first Ifigured it was important to establish the scenario, and clearly theywant to create complex characters and relationships, so they need alittle time. But even after six episodes, almost nothing has happened.Such a pity it's such a waste of time. And the IMDb rating must be the result of manipulation. You simplycannot compare this with the Sopranos. Sorry IMDb, you have to find away to protect your credibility and figure out how this has been done.This series is not rubbish, but no way has it earned a nine-staraverage rating.

Paul Conway 2012-05-22 07:37:17

Hands Down Simply the best show since The Wire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow what can say, I heard about this show due to the hype around MartinScorsese's involvement so I decided to give it a go since anything theman touches turns to gold! After falling in love with "The Wire" due toits brilliant story lines, excellent character development and itssevere addictive qualities etc, I watched the Pilot of "BoardwalkEmpire" with high hopes and lo and behold I got that exact samesatisfying feeling "The Wire" gave me, meaning I knew there and thenthis is a show that I'll be sticking with. The show has paid so muchattention to every tiny to large detail you feel immersed intoAmerica's-Atlantic City 1920's Poor/Rich Criminal/Law-EnforcerPolitician/Gangster way of life. With juicy 60 min episodes Season 1and 2 truly feeds anyone's hunger for fantastic and genius t.v. A truecontender for that top spot in the HBO's long list of legendaryproductions...Roll on season 3!!!

Andrew Lim 2012-05-20 05:32:53

A bit lame really

To be honest I wasn't really motivated to watch this series but Ithought I'd give the pilot a go. And as I write I have the secondepisode on. I can forgive series for taking it's time to get going withearly episodes setting up for later and I can only go on what I've seen(the same way all the useless 10 star reviewers can as well). And fromwhat I've seen, this doesn't have the finesse of other successfuldramas on HBO, Showtime etc. It's not as grand as it thinks it is andthus actually plays out quite boring. Also technically this is afrustrating and lazy piece of work, bad editing, terrible audio,horrible inconsistent grading. Along with that some of the acting andaccents are so bad they're surreal. Anyway it may turn out to be goodbut in all honesty I don't have the energy based on what I've seen togive it time.

mike_brunton 2012-05-19 11:32:38

Prohibition drama roars ahead of all rivals

The only reason I didn't give this new drama series a 10 was afluttering belief that as each artfully written and directed episodeunfolds the viewer will become more and more hooked. Therefore, Ibelieve without a doubt by the end of series 1 ,I would give the show a10 without a doubt. Right from the onset the characters have been drawnperfectly. Although numbering around 10, by episode 4, you are alreadyfeeling their trials and tribulations. Nuchy Thompson unfortunatelynamed 'Eunuch' at birth is a corrupt degraded politician with a smallheart of gold, helping out an unfortunate widow, whose husband waskilled on Nuchy's orders. The other supporting actors are are superb,the story itself insinuates itself into your mind, rarely have I beenso quickly drawn in to a drama. I have to admit that HBO are reallydoing a great job these days. Sex, violence, debauchery, dreams, power,aren't these the stuff of human history from the outset? I recentlyreviewed another new drama series The Event, oh boy could those writerslearn a lot from this story.This reminds me of Deadwood for obviousreasons, both quite simply sublime. Great to see Claire Macdonald in agood role, she still gives me goosebumps when I think of her role inTrainspotting, and she is still an exceptionally attractive lady. Can'twait for Seasons 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,. It is the year 1920, we got a lot ofyears to document !

stuart_osborn 2012-05-17 09:19:31

Great pilot for a show that may run for many years.

Boardwalk Empire is a period piece set in Atlantic City at the start ofprohibition. The pilot is directed by Martin Scorsese in what looks tobe a very large budget, with locations and costumes all looking superb.It focuses on Enoch 'Lucky' Thomson, played by Steve Buscemi, just asprohibition kicks in, and the start of bootlegging. Some would say acurious cast for the lead role as he is often best as a supportingcharacter or just an out and out strange dude, but he glides throughthe first episode, with Scorsese choosing to show him as aman/potential gangster with a soft side, hinting at a meaner streak tocome. The inevitable comparisons to Tony Soprano cannot be justified asit is just one episode and really a different kettle of fishaltogether, although it is written by one of the Sopranos writers.The supporting cast roles are all filled with established actors butwith some great roles going to the younger set, notably Michael Pitt(Funny games), Stephen graham (This Is England) and Kelly MacDonald(Trainspotting) it gives a sense that it is going to run for many yearsas these characters develop.As with all new series, it takes time to get the nitty gritty and givethe audience a sense of belief and love for the characters. Some havesaid on here that the pilot is too slow, but in my opinion it movesalong at a nice even pace with a great set up. The music throughout isalso first class.Time will tell if it can eclipse the dizzy heights of The Sopranos orThe Wire, but judging by intent of everyone involved, it may just makethe top 3!

greekmuse 2012-05-17 04:51:30

Another great HBO series

Why is it that all the best shows are on HBO? Apart from Mad Men, Ican't recall a recent drama worthwhile watching on the networks or thenon-premium cable channels. In my mind, it mostly comes down toviewers' perceived realness of the show. In other words, could thishave happened in real life? Is the dialogue honest? Are the charactersreal? 99% of the shows out there today feel phony. I don't know if it'sbecause of FCC guidelines (no swearing, violence OK, sex not OK) or theneed to interject irrelevant political and societal proclamations orsimply a lack of talent--whatever it is (I suspect it's all three), Iavoid them even more than 'pop music'.Boardwalk Empire, like The Wire and Sopranos, feels genuine. Greatscript, casting, acting, production... all of it. At the end of eachepisode, I can't wait to see the next one and for me that's the bestbarometer of a show's success.P.S. The last two episodes of the second season, particularly thenext-to-last one, blew me away. WOW!

wwe7961 2012-05-16 07:39:01

A brilliant crime story filled with flare, emotion, and memorable characters.

I am not a big TV lover. Mostly I watch South Park, but this show hasgotten me interested in more live-action shows. It tells its storieswith the same quality as a normal theater film for each episode makingit feel like a massive crime drama experience. I have been waiting fora while now to review it, and now that the first season is over I canmake my honest opinion clear. I live on a barrier island in New Jerseynamed Long Beach Island. It is about an hour drive away from AtlanticCity so as you can guess I've been there a few times. My favorite partabout Atlantic City is the boardwalk. Since this show is namedBoardwalk Empire it should do a good job at showing what it looked likeback in the 20's. Simply put it captures the 20's perfectly. The showis directed so well I felt like I was transported back to those days.They also capture the feel of the 20's in other ways by showinghistoric events such as the World Series scam. In the end though itbest captures the spirit of the 20's on the boardwalk. As for the plotit is set in the 1920's. Prohabition has begun starting a whole decadeof illegal alcohol smuggling. The Treasurer of Atlantic City NuckyThompson is starting a smuggling business that results in some bloodyconsequences. Along the way he meets a woman named Mrs. Schroeder,deals with an oncoming election, and more. It is a very well toldstory. It manages to tell several different stories throughout theshow, but none of them feel underdone. They all are extremely well puttogether story lines. You have the main alcohol smuggling story, thestory of Nucky and Margaret, the story of Jimmy, the story of Capone,the story of Lucky, the story of Eli Thompson, the story of AgentNelson Van Alden, and many more. All these different stories keepthings fresh. The emotions that are shown in the episodes are powerful.As the episodes go on emotions get stronger like layers of an onion.Something that is also present in this show is flare. Every gangsterflick needs that style to it. It needs to have that gangster feel.While this show doesn't have a lot of that when it happens it is reallycool. Now I end this review on the acting. Everybody does a swell job.Buscemi is great as usual, and everyone else is great. The person whoI'm most interested in is Michael Pitt who is a relatively unknownactor, but here is great and I would like to see him other things. Hecould make it real big. Overall I love this show. I will be a viewer ofthe next season for sure.

Big Wheel 2012-05-15 15:40:17

Fantastic Series!

This is a fantastic series; its the kind of outstanding, must-seeprogramming that drives new subscribers to HBO. The series has superbproduction values and masterful direction by Scorsese. The acting isfirst-rate all around, especially the portrayal of Rothstein.Nucky's girlfriend (played by Paz de la Heurta) spices the show up withwonderful flashes of her beautiful nude body. The dressing room scenein episode #3 where she strips naked is magnificent to behold! The ladyis a work of art...There is also a subtle complexity to the character of Nucky. He is notjust a "bad" villain; a simple,one-dimensional caricature. Instead, heshows loving emotions, such as his desire to have children and hisattraction to the good-hearted, honest immigrant girl. (who on thesurface appears to be his antithesis) He doesn't just commit crimes orviolence for enjoyment of evil, but its often part of a Machiavellianpurpose.He doesn't just take from the community, but he gives back aswell. Perhaps he is the benevolent dictator or Philosopher King thatPlato imagined. In many cases he redistributes wealth to those who needit most. Even if he is primarily doing it to serve his own interests,he is providing a critical function and service to the community andtime in which he lives.The series also makes stinging criticisms of how the road to hell ispaved with good intentions, and how powerful political and economicinterests often manipulate naive, well-intentioned fools. Even today,soft drugs like marijuana are illegal, while far more addictive andsocially harmful products (such as tobacco and alcohol) are legal.Marijuanna has been kept illegal because the powerful alcohol andtobacco lobby groups don't want competition to cut into their profits.But dumb people still believe the politicians who outlaw soft drugslike this are doing it to "protect" society.In any case, this series is highly entertaining and will help people tounderstand the futility of prohibition policies and start to thinkabout the real political and economic interests that are operatingbehind the scenes. The show is fun and addictive. (hopefully thegovernment won't outlaw it) Watch it; you'll be glad you did.

James Hillier 2012-05-11 12:17:46

Good and bad!!

Started out with high hopes for this one, how could you go wrong withSteve Buscemi in the lead role? First couple of episodes held theinterest and I was looking forward to more of the same, unfortunatelyit all went down hill from there.The Good: Excellent cast and fantastic 30's ambiance created byoutstanding sets, costumes and props.The Bad: Bland scripts, lack of action/intrigue, in short....Boring!!!Seems to me those behind Boardwalk Empire have assembled a stellar castworking in a truly realistic 30's environment and overlooked one of themost important ingredients needed to hold viewers' interest.

ladiesbane 2012-05-11 09:33:57

A slow start.

Based only on the first episode, I gave it 5/10 stars. The characterswere not gripping, though I see potential for future involvement. Therewas a bit too much attention paid to soundtrack and environmentalelements, which were gorgeous, but which seemed unconnected to thestory. In a strong piece they would be intrusive, but here they arejust distracting. Economy of exposition is different for a series, butthat doesn't mean the characters should be weaker, or the plot looser.There were unintentionally comic moments, particularly on the part ofSteve Buscemi (whom I love, but who comes across as the ghost of JohnWaters at some points) and there were bloodless scenes that should havebeen very dramatic. There are too many cutaway shots, and not enoughsingle-shot interactions between the characters. They all act as ifthey just met a couple of days ago. I blame the writer(s) for the weakdialogue, but was there no time to rehearse? Even the lighting lookslast minute, I'm sorry to say. My fingers are crossed for futureepisodes, but this did not join the pantheon of HBO pilots (Rome,Deadwood, Band of Brothers, and the Sopranos.)

intelearts 2012-05-09 21:12:07

My 347th Review: ...this is as good as TV gets....

With production values that are mind-boggling, cast, and a budget todie for HBO is now what film studios were in the 1930s, they have theclout and the ability to go way further than most films can - and youget episode after episode.the detailing is beyond accurate and lavish - every stitch, everyfurnishing, every telegraph wire looks and feels authentic and it isall shot and lit to the highest standards of film not TV. The story of prohibition and Atlantic City is fully detailed, complex,with Steve Buscemi heading up a great cast. I have a gripe that theF-word was not ubiquitous at the time and strikes a jarring note in anotherwise near perfect production. Where this shines is in the details - I just hope the story lines andacting live up to the promise - they certainly have so far.

johnpoplawski 2012-05-09 15:42:07

Boring, rehash you've seen before. No refreshment here!!

The Untouchables smokes this slow moving, poorly acted tripe. I wasanticipating something a lot better for $50 million. Don't get mewrong, it was all shiny and polished up with a coat of paint. But it'sgot nothing to show. First of all, Buschemi is NO LEADING MAN. I lovehis previous roles, but he can't carry this dinosaur. All of the othercharacters have no depth whatsoever. Is his butler comic relief? Morelike a stupid cartoon character. Don't even mention Sopranos in thesame breath as this blunder. It was a refreshing take on an overworkedsubject, that really allowed the viewer to pick a character toempathize with and thus truly enjoy "the ride". All I saw was Nuckyanswer the phone, look upset, get dressed and go to the scene to solvethe problem. It happens over and over.YAWN!!! It does make you wish fora drink though, just to numb the boredom.

lesburton 2012-05-07 20:46:11

Another amazing addition to Mobster works

So I started this show last year after finding out about all the awardsit had won. I'm usually not somebody who likes TV shows but this showstopped me in my tracks. The aspect of the show that I most appreciateis the fact that Steve Buscemi is finally put into a role that he ismade to do. No more stupid Adam Sandler type casting for this guy. Therest of the cast is top of the line and do fabulous jobs, not a singleweak character for me. From Michael Pitt to Michael Kenneth Williams doamazing jobs. The story that is being told is one of the best that I'veever seen. Mobsters have always been subject that is incrediblyinteresting to me and I believe that this show not only revives thisdying genre but I think it pushes it to a whole new level.Check it out whenever you can because it is really worth it.

Danny Blankenship 2012-05-07 16:16:53

TV's best drama that's compelling and informative it shows the early days of America's Playground as it ran with politics, corruption, greed and power struggle!

HBO has once again done it, they are simply the best at putting outprovocative, and compelling interesting original series and this timeperiod piece drama "Boardwalk Empire" is clearly a big knockout winner.It's filled with enough drama, intrigue, suspense and complex emotionsto make a viewer hooked and addicted to me it's like an early versionof "The Sopranos" as producer and creator Terence Winter does a craftyand great job with this new work just the way he did when he wrote for"The Sopranos".As long before the days of slot machines, Donald Trump, Chinese massageplaces, street walking hookers, and rundown buildings this period pieceshows the real and early days of Atlantic City. Set in 1920's AtlanticCity, NJ when Prohibition has just gone into effect this series showshow the city's kings became outlaws. Dealing with the real life NuckyJohnson, yet the series changes the name to Nucky Thompson(playedbrilliant by veteran Steve Buscemi)who is A.C.'s treasurer and as withany central character Nucky is a complex man. He's a good politicianstanding for what he believes in, still he's quickly amoral by doingfavors and bribes overseeing criminal enterprises and money from boozethat's imported with the help of his brother the sheriff. Still Nuckyhas a soft heart for people in need especially for that of a local ladyMargaret Schroeder(played wonderful by Kelly MacDonald)who capturesNucky's fancy with her loving care, a big difference from the hotsteamy passion that Nucky has with hot spirited flame Lucy(Paz De laHuerta).Aside from that a good supporting turn for the series and Nucky is thatof hot young buck sidekick and want to be leader Jimmy Darmody(MichaelPitt)who's an aggressive loose cannon kick butt kind of guy. As heskates in the business of battling rivals while trying to impress Nuckywith scores and he even brushes in business for Nucky in Chicago andNew York as this series even shows the early start of legends Al Caponeand Lucky Luciano. As Jimmy's the great wild card of the series a hotheaded war war I vet who couldn't be tamed at home by his sexy wifeAngela(Aleksa Palladino)as this boy is just a little complex fromhaving a showgirl for a mom Gillian(Gretchen Mol).And with any early mob drama it's only fitting to have a good guytrying to sort out the mess and bring corruption down well enterfederal agent Nelson Van Alden(played with toughness and zeal fromMichael Shannon)an intense by the book lawman who's determined as it'salways interesting to watch him follow Nucky's dealings and travels.Overall this now is the best show on TV and only the best in thebusiness HBO could have done it. "Boardwalk Empire" shows the roaringtwenties as vibrant and classic meanwhile the life of this place is aviolent underworld that had to be in a time of social prosperity andprogress that was upstaged by corruption and booze debauchery in theProhibition era. It's such a historical drama that it's educationalreally as it shows with it's central character Nucky Thompson life iscomplex and always temptation will override playing by the book as easymoney is the way to live, still when dealing with money, booze, and sexit's tough and violent. Still "Boardwalk Empire" does all of this insuch a classic way that's exciting and exhilarating as it's dazzlingmake it a must see for yourself and toast up and drink up to this itshould last a little bit.

BeretsR 2012-05-05 07:01:23

What a waste of talent and money

So many rave reviews, yet such a bland portrait. I've seen it allbefore, although maybe not in quite such a lush setting, with suchstylish costumes and decor. Many of the actors are miscast and the plotis hardly engaging, because it is much too episodic. The BBC series TheStreet is so much more engaging because it truly probes the charactersand develops the neighborhood. Boardwalk Empire merely wets theappetite and titillates the viewer into anticipating more nudes andmore violence, neither of which are viable substitutes for plot andcharacter development. Here we just play the same tune over and overand over again. Very disappointing.

sa731 2012-05-04 23:11:05

Yes, the writers needed to go there!

Well, this certainly explains a lot about Jimmy's personality. Hismother F&%ked him up! she's been controlling him since he was a baby.Remember when she told Angela, that when he was little she used to kisshis penis? So, now we have the backdrop as to why he is the way he is.Can't help it, she's the character that we love to hate. Now, aboutMargaret, I'm just about over her. Now all of a sudden she's sopious...give me a break! and who is this actor that plays Charlie, andwhy don't I have his phone number? I sincerely hope that the writers donot take Jimmy out. If they do, I'm done. The show just gets better,and better.

Aleksandar Ratkovic 2012-05-03 11:12:26

Layered story, perfect camera work, truly masterpiece

You know, I am not very found of USA 1920's, prohibition years andwhole that age feel. So, I didn't watch this one because I like thetime-frame this series are put in. To be honest, Steve Buscemi's namegot me interested in it, because I do appreciate and like most of thestuff I saw he did. And this one, perhaps, got me more than any other!There are so many details that truly capture the time, the atmosphere,and contribute to the storyline that was masterly written. There are noweek points to this series. All the actors did fantastic jobs. I mean, ALL the actors. Flawless.Directing - You get smooth transitions between cadres, fantastic rhythmof the picture that guides You through the story with great confidence.Listen to the sounds, from cabinet doors closing to the sounds ofpulling the cigarette smoke in lungs, it is all so well blended and so- needed there, and the best part is: You just are not aware of it,until You think about why this series feels this good, this true.It is actually not TV series, it is one long, beautiful movie.Immediately after watching it - it became one of my top 10's of alltime (and I don't even have a top 10 list, - I am not kidding here!)Therefore, 10 stars from me, a-must-see one, a-must-have one (justbecause it demands at least second watching for those details that Youdidn't notice on the first view).

xibox_16 2012-05-03 00:53:28

Amazing Series

This series is best one I've seen ever.It shows us 1920s greatly and how the prohibition affects mafia,politicians and Atlantic City. This series also have a fantastic director MArtin Scorsese as one ofthe producers.Micheal Pitt really does his best. He is excellent.I recommend this series everyone that likes crime and gangster movies.Also, it has great musics.Cars, clothes and music reflect that period beautifully.I look forward to second season. Has anybody heard about that??If someone knows when it release, please inform me.You absolutely should this series.