The End of the Year TV Awards 2013

It’s about that time of year the end of TV season is here! This year like with the movies I’m going all in on reminiscing on this year in TV. We start with the fun side of things with my random less serious awards, then bridge the gap with the shows that just missed the top 10 cut (as there were a ton of great shows this year) before finishing with the cream of the crop, the top 10 television shows of 2013. Of course as usual it’s time to start with some fun and thus we have my mini award show of sorts. I present to you the TV Awards of 2013:

Most Comical Revival or remake:

Winner: The Killing revived…. Again… Thanks Netflix?

Oh the Killing how the heck do you keep getting to come back? Why? Yes after being canceled twice the Killing has yet again been brought back to life this time through the magic of Netflix. Thanks Netflix now we get to enjoy 6 more episodes of red herrings, red herrings, and more red herrings. Sigh…

Runner up: Wait NBC is remaking Murder she Wrote?

Worst/Most Disappointing Finale:

Winner: The Newsroom

Oh The Newsroom I was just starting to like you maybe… How naïve I am as only a single episode after I had gotten decently on board with the season the show it reverted back to everything that I hated about it. All the stupid relationships and bad plotlines returned with a vengeance and zapped all the hope and faith I had acquired a few episodes earlier… Thanks Aaron Sorkin you’re the best!

Runner Up: The Killing

The Wait what?! Why?! Award:

Winner: How I met your Father

Why CBS why? Bad idea physics, take a show that’s been struggling creatively for a long stretch of time that many people have a particular distain for and announce a clearly money grubbing spin off that no one in their right mind wants. The result is How I met Your Father… Why?

Runner Up: The second return of the Killing

The this show should have ended a few seasons ago award:

Winner: Dexter

I’m just a lumberjack and I’m ok… Yup everyone was laughing at the terrible last season of Dexter this year a show that should have been a whole heck of a lot shorter and braver…

Runner Up: How I Met your Mother

Most Influential new player:

 

Winner: Netflix

 So Netflix joined the original series game and now they’re the big boys calling the shots. Releasing all episodes at once, and then being the first “online medium” to have a significant presence at the Emmys. They’ve also caused a bit of a revolution as now every major online player needs a series. Sadly for them no one really cares about them because Netflix is just doing it better.

Runner Up: Sundance Channel

Best Supporting Performance in a TV Show Female:

Winner: Ana Gunn (Breaking Bad)

There were a lot of great female supporting performances in 2013 but none was as horrifying or as captivating as that of Ana Gunn on this final stretch of Breaking Bad. The true winning moment of the performance comes when she portrays a horrified Skyler who collapses in the middle of the street after Walt takes Holly away from her. Truly haunting and amazing on every conceivable level.

Runner Up: Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)

Best Supporting Performance in a TV Show Male:

Winner: Dean Norris (Breaking Bad)

Dean Norris had always been great on Breaking Bad but he got to take it a step further this year as he became Walt’s main adversary in the final episodes. From his desperate hunt for Walt to his near perfect heroic death, Dean Norris player Hank the best he ever has and thus climbed the ladder and became the best actor in a supporting role this year.

Runner Up: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)

Best Leading Performance in a TV Show Female:

Winner: Elizabeth Moss (Top of the Lake)

This was a great year for women in TV but this category really came down to two Elizabeth Moss performances and Claire Danes. Probability would tell you to bet on Elizabeth Moss and in this case it would not be wrong. She may be great on Mad Men but she takes it to another level in Top of the Lake where she gets to play all angle of a detective desperate to find a lost pregnant girl before other potentially menacing people. It’s a great performance one filled with all kinds of subtlety and emotional depth.

Runner Up: Claire Danes (Homeland)

Best Leading Performance in a TV Show Male:

Winner: Brian Cranston

Is there really anything left to say about Cranston’s performance at this point? I mean really? It’s just so fantastic words cannot properly describe how great he has been over the course of this amazing show.

Runner Up: Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Biggest TV Story of the Year:

Winner: Dan Harmon returns to “save” Community 

Yes ladies and gentlemen after probably the biggest TV story of last year being that Dan Harmon was fired from Community it feels almost like poetic justice that just one bad season of Community without him later that he is reinstated to help steer the ship of the show back into the realm of quality. What makes the story so interesting is that it’s pretty much the first of its kind and that we’ll get to see on January 2^nd whether Dan Harmon can bring back the Community we knew and loved (which from really early critical response on Twitter seems to be the case).

Runner Up: Scott Gimple got to so far stay showrunner on the Walking Dead!!

Homeland “Big Man in Tehran” Review: Back in the saddle again

 Quin and Saul call the shots on Homeland

A review of tonight’s Homeland as soon as I talk trash about America on TV…

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had the chance to review Homeland (things came up apologies) which is too bad because for the last few episodes I haven’t been minding the show, all ridiculousness included. The show has felt more focused and that it led to an actual goal instead of hopping around for episodes upon episode. I especially enjoyed last week’s episode, one that focused entirely on Brody’s move towards the Iranian border as it had both, focus and energy. “Big Man in Tehran” is less successful than last week’s outing, but still managed to engage and entertain, as it, all issues aside, managed to stay largely on target in terms of cutting out what hadn’t been working in the early episodes, and provided a decently tense ride through a key point of the operation.

Probably the biggest problem with “Big Man in Tehran” was the pacing. It seemed like what went down in this episode should have at least been stretched over the course of two episodes, sans time jump in the middle. It would have been better to draw out the tension of both, the initial meet up plan and the transition towards the final play especially the latter as it felt we didn’t have enough build up, and thus the episode felt a tad rushed. It would have been nicer to have the time to examine Brody’s extended time to Tehran as we didn’t get to see either his refusal to be extracted or his rise to stardom in the circles of Tehran. All we get is a brief glimpse of him immediately after meeting with Nazir’s widow, and then we cut ahead 6 days later in order to cram everything that was needed to make this final hour work. It feels at this point that there should have been a reduced amount of time put on Saul and Carrie’s master ruse at the beginning of the season, most of which after the stupid twist felt meaningless (actually it might have made the twist more bearable just cut out all the shots of Carrie trying to act insane towards no one but the audience, and end up cutting out one of the episodes, maybe in the Carrie/Brody parallel episode instead of making us think that both can’t escape their predicaments get Carrie out of there during that episode make it counter parallel and cut out the episode after and we’d have more time here and maybe I could feel better about the twist as a whole) and place the emphasis on what’s working here which is drawing out the Brody mission in the name of good suspense. The result we get ultimately is a little rushed and as a result both tension and logic at times follow by the wayside in “Big Man in Tehran” something that could have been ratified with more time.

Most of the logic that goes by the wayside involve Brody’s plan at the end of the episode, and Carrie as an active player in this plot. Brody’s plan didn’t seem ridiculous (unlike every other plan on this show) per say ultimately but it felt a little less sensible then it could have been with more patience and time devoted to it. It all felt like the plan came off way to quickly for such a grand idea. It makes little sense to me within the given time that Brody could look desperate enough, or is ultimately trusted enough, to get in to see Akbari, who we’re told time and time again is a super private man. With a little more time though this could be established and that it would ultimately feel more organic than it appears in this episode. I certainly wouldn’t mind talking time away from things that didn’t work in the beginning of the season (like less time with Dana and her murderer boyfriend) to make the things that actually have me engaged in the show a little better.

The last thing that could ultimately be clarified is how Carrie actually works on this show any way shape or form. At this time she seems so shrill, and so disobedient that I’m surprised that the CIA hasn’t pulled the plug on her entirely. She just seems to get in the way of the operation all in the name of hunches that while right, are by no means probable in any way shape or form. She’s been doing this all along and we’re suppose to accept her still as the heroine of this show. It makes very little sense and, at this point I would rather live without Carrie than Brody, and that’s saying something because I’m still in the belief that Brody needs to die at the end of this season.

That being said I did like this episode as I’m much more invested in how this turns out than I was with anything at the beginning of this season. With all this talk of redemption this episode maybe the Homeland finale can keep pushing us towards an ending that can partially redeem all the bad things the show has tried throughout the season. It may not be perfect by any stretch of the imagination but at least it’s a decent step in the right direction.

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

May the odds be ever in your favor in Catching Fire

Photo Credit: Lionsgate Films

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

A

A review by Frederick Cholowski

The duty of a second film in a franchise is often times the toughest to conceive. Usually the filmmakers must both bridge the gap between the first and the next film in the franchise, but it also must be a satisfying film on its own right. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the latest in the wildly successful Hunger Games franchise, does both with a great deal of success, while managing to improve on the first film in every way. Catching Fire enters the realm of the great sequel as it’s a film that goes, deeper, darker, and ultimately better than the film it follows.

Catching Fire opens only a little bit after The Hunger Games with our Hero Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) having a serious case of PTSD after the completion of The Hunger Games. She’s also unwillingly caught into a political game of cat and mouse with the dictator President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who fears that she will ultimately cause an uprising that will bring him down and his ultimate reign down with him. The real challenge begins when Katniss and her fellow victor and for show boyfriend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) have to go tour the districts, as it brings out the fear in Katniss as she sees what her win has ultimately caused. Things are made worse when in an effort to control the potential uprising President Snow and newly appointed gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) announce that for the seventy fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games that they are going to change up the formula by making the new tributes that enter the arena former victors, in the vein of a “Hunger Games: All Stars.” This forces Katniss and Peeta back into the games one more time with the odds not so much in their favor.

Catching Fire takes the premise of The Hunger Games and deepens and darkens it. The first place it starts is with the characters, as every character gets to go to much more interesting places all around, especially our protagonist Katniss. Katniss gets much needed additional character development due to the PTSD that she’s acquired. Catching Fire does a good job at showing the pain and suffering that Katniss experiences from having to kill so many people just to stay alive herself, and thus also manages to make all the deaths in the first film feel more real and less like red coats as they were presented in the last film. Also getting some much needed development are the characters around Katniss. Peeta and Katniss’ best friend and sometimes lover Gale (Liam Hemsworth) no longer feel like two hunky caricatures vying for her attention, but instead come closer to feeling like real characters each with their own agenda and set of values. It’s also great to see development in regards to President Snow and Katniss and Peeta’s mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) who helps make the world around Katniss and Peeta much more interesting then at face value.

This also allows for the cast to explore better territory. As great as Jennifer Lawrence was in The Hunger Games she is ten times better here as the material she is given is so much better. We ultimately get to see Lawrence at her full potential here (it’s not like we haven’t gotten to see this before in her smaller and more acclaimed roles but she didn’t quite get the material in The Hunger Games) and as usual she manages to pull it off brilliantly. The power she is able to deliver without even uttering words is often brilliant and emotional. Sadly even if they are given better things to it’s still hard to find both Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson anything more than passable or above average as they don’t have the range or ability of most of the rest of the cast. Sutherland gets to be big and evil which is always fun to watch and he gets much more to do in this one. Harrelson is fun as usual adding a splash of humor and energy into the film. Heck even Elizabeth Banks gets something to do in this one as the not so shallow as she seemed Eve Trinket.

Also surrounding them is an all star line up of character actor newcomers. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the biggest name of the newcomers, and surprisingly isn’t phoning it in at all. For the limited role he’s given he plays it fantastically, always managing to be a commanding presence whenever he’s on the screen.  The other character actors are to be found in the form of all star tributes Jena Malone, Jeffery Wright, and Sam Clafin who are all great here. Also, special shout out to Patrick St. Esprit who is commanding and freighting as a hardcore peacekeeper general found briefly at the beginning of the film.

Another part of Catching Fire that is improved in every way is the direction and cinematography. As much as Gary Ross is a very good director, he isn’t often associated as a visual or action director and it showed at times in the Hunger Games as the direction at times took away from the action and world building. Francis Lawrence, while not having all that impressive of a resume to date (which is mostly the problem with the scripts he films and not the direction itself mind you) knows how to be a visual director and it shows here. The world of the Capitol and the districts give off more of a sense of atmosphere and are much more clearly depicted as a result. Also the action isn’t all shaky cam this time allowing for some more fluid and impressive action set pieces than in the first film. The actual Hunger Games part of the film is also shot in digital IMAX which does enhance the action a little bit, but as a minor complaint does not fill the screen entirely like if it was shot with IMAX film.

Finally the most impressive improvement to Catching Fire as a whole is the political intrigue that is able to develop due to both the development in visuals and character. The inner workings of the game that is the capital are fascinating and watching the cat and mouse game between Snow and Katniss play out is the single best part of the film. They play there moves like a well played game of chess and it often makes certain situations much more interesting and complex then they appear at first. As a result the actual Hunger Games action part of the film feels a little bit less interesting, but it’s a small complaint as they still manage to hold their own quite well and despite being slightly less involving.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the rare sequel that improves on the original in every way. The film grows deeper and darker, allowing for the characters, world, and political message of the film to grow immensely making the experience as a whole, much more interesting. The film’s two and a half running time is a breeze of tension and political intrigue that manages to feel almost nothing like an adaptation of a young adult novel (well except for the love triangle thing). The Hunger Games: Catching Fire flames on to becoming a huge surprise and one of the best films of the year.

12 Years a Slave Review

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejoford in 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave

A+

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

Slavery has not been a topic that has been covered often in American cinema. It’s a subject that has often been shied away from and when it is talked about it’s often never given a brutally realistic treatment. 12 Years a Slave, from director Steve McQueen, aims to rectify that by taking an uncompromisingly real look at the horrors of slavery. The result is a film that is equal parts devastating and powerful, a tour de force of a film that will stick in the minds of many well after the end credits role.

12 Years a Slave follows the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejioford) an African American musician who lives in pre-Civil War New York with his young and loving family. One night though, after getting drunk with two employers, he’s dumped, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in the south. The rest of the film follows Solomon’s time being a slave from initially being sold to a nicer plantation owner Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) with a nasty plantation manager (Paul Dano) to being moved to the plantation of a nasty and psychotic Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

12 Years a Slave is an uncompromising and unflinching look at what slavery was. Steve McQueen doesn’t hold back, nor does he sympathize in his portrayal of slavery and the plantation owners. There are no plantation heroes or idealized characters or anything that could be considered “holywoodized.”  There’s no glorification or glossiness to it, slavery tore apart the lives of so many people and that’s exactly what Steve McQueen is going for.

McQueen emphasizes the horrifying nature of slavery with the way he shoots the film. Like in Shame McQueen relies on long takes, this time though instead of them being shots of Michael Fassbender jogging, they are focused on acts of brutality. McQueen holds certain shots much longer than is naturally comfortable, making brutal sequences even more brutal and effective. One sequence in particular near the tail end of the film is absolutely terrifyingly brutal as McQueen holds a single shot for a long time during a traumatic event; the scene is brutal and tough to watch, but brilliantly executed and powerfully impactful. Add on a surprisingly restrained score from Hans Zimmer to go along and this is one devastating and brutal package.

The performances in 12 Years a Slave are equally if not more remarkable. Chiwetel Ejioford delivers the best performance of the year so far and one of the best performances I’ve seen in a while (it’s on Daniel Day Lewis Lincoln levels from last year). Ejioford dives into the character and plays the hardening of the character beautifully selling the arc of his character in the best way possible. It truly is a remarkable performance filled with big emotional beats and lots of bits of tortured suffering. Fassbender is probably the next most used actor and he’s also fantastic, providing a truly unpredictable and frightening presence. The rest of the supporting cast does their respective jobs well, providing different plot points and textures to the film when needed.

12 Years a Salve is one of the most devastating and powerful films I’ve seen in a long time. From the surprisingly real depiction to the fantastic direction and performances, everything in 12 Years a Slave is near perfect. 12 Years a Slave is most certainly one of the best of the best in 2013.

Homeland “A Red Wheelbarrow” Review: Would the real bomber please stand up?

Super assassin lawyer man and Carrie discuss business on Homeland

Photo Credit: Showtime 

A quick review of tonight’s Homeland right after I change my routine TODAY…

It’s been two weeks since I’ve gotten the chance to write about this show, and boy, how far we’ve dropped. There’s just nothing on Homeland that I genuinely care about anymore and “A Red Wheelbarrow” has only made it worse. The writers seem so oblivious to what once made this show a fantastic thriller and thus they’ve degraded the show to all the worst things about it. It’s just simply a mess and “A Red Wheelbarrow” only confirms it.

The main problem with the show at the moment is that it’s trying to be surprising way too much, and thus none of the reveals feel surprising or worth caring about. The fact that we find out who the bomber is and then he’s killed by super evil lawyer man all in the course of ten minutes is absurd. We get a tiny glimpse of the bomber who is no more than a meddling plot devise and then just like that he’s capped by the lawyer assistant turned expert assassin.

The worst part is that none of this seems to mean anything at all. This season seems to have no idea where it is going at this point. There’s no clear villain, no clear plot thread, and no clear character arcs. The season doesn’t seem to be building to anything definite, something that a thriller type show like Homeland absolutely needs to do. There is nothing here but superfluous character reveals and way to many surprises that don’t seem to go anywhere other than just existing.

I mean the show spent a lot of time this week on both Saul’s marriage and Carrie’s pregnancy, none of which seem important or interesting. They’re just kind of there to be filler to an already short episode (running at just over 46 minutes) and neither plotline has any gravitas or character importance. They feel like arbitrary character stories added in over some need to give these characters some sort of emotional development. The problem is that, so far they don’t fit in with anything that this season has been doing and feels really tacked on and unnecessary.

Then, finally we get Brody back at the end of this one… It’s hard to swallow this since I’ve been waiting for this to just happen already for about three weeks or so and now it has.

Hey the good news is we get Damian Lewis back…

The bad news is that I couldn’t care less…

I’m going to try to be consistently week to week with these reviews until the end of the season. After the end of this season I might not be able to put myself through this show any longer.

That’s just me though. What did everyone think about this episode and the two that came before it?