Government Cheese

Is this an alternate reality? If so, then I'll stop objecting to banks being open until 6:00pm in the 1960s. Or French Canadian gangsters, which cracks me up. And I'm not seeing any overt racism or objections to Hamilton being an x-con. Astoria is having a hard time because she's a woman with children, not because she's a Black woman. In general, I like this alternate universe, faults and all, and I'm guessing there's going to be a happy ending, because happily ever after is how dramatic narratives end in America. I want it to have a tragic ending, but it probably won't. It is a fun watch, so I'll watch until the not too bitter end.

This is the trend these days; since Hollywood has been around a while so they have apprenticeships and schools for all things production, and with the addition of $$ you can make a "decently-looking" show. But writers just show up, usually being chosen for values other than skill (skin color, age, sexual orientation, etc.), without much background or experience...especially lacking life experience. Add those two and Hollywood hopes you'll come for the description and stay for the production.

This is the case for Government Cheese: lackluster humor, pedantic storytelling, unexplained circumstances, actors not given any depth to work with. Black family good, white family bad. White family...French?? We all know at the least it would have been Latino (French "mafia" family in LA in the 60s or 70s? Nope.). That last choice will indicate how this writing will go, btw: it will pay more attention to hit all the "right" messages along the way than focusing on dialogue, plot, consistency, etc.=too many speed bumps in the storytelling.

The main character is somehow a genius mechanic who can make a drill in his backyard, but was kiting checks? Huh? Ambivalent wife and kids. Inane prison setup w/ a "surprise!" killing? Couldn't stomach it.

This is really good and has a lot of opportunity for character development. There will be many lessons to be learned here. I'm excited 😁 TV and entertainment with DEPTH and many layers.

I don't recognize any of the actors, meaning that the writing is spectacular. I like the cinematography, too, because the topics are HEAVY and quite sad, but they manage to keep it light and manageable and not laden and depressing. There are definitely some Wes Anderson vibes, but it doesn't seem like a ripoff.

These unfamiliar actors make it more interesting, too. And, the music isn't bad. The opening credits are cool, and I like how they nerd out.

I really did not expect to like this show based on the premise/aesthetic: surprised myself by watching all four episodes in one day. David Oyelowo's characters often come across as self-righteous, and it's interesting to see him in an edgier role where that attitude is not yet fully earned.

Comparisons to Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers will abound, but it most reminds me of Lodge 49. It's never really clear how much the religious/magical realist elements reflect reality vs. The characters' own sometimes questionable judgment. The whole cast is great: Simone Missick is always appealing, and Sunita Mani almost steals the whole show in what may be a one-off appearance.

Between Aeysha Carr's wicked sense of humour, and director Paul Hunter's zany music clip background, the two creators and writers have got this absolute hilarious series covered. It is a blend between the Coen brothers and Wes Anderson, with David Lynch in the mix, creating what could have been a basic story and embellishing it with magical creative flare. To top it all off is David Oyelowo, playing the main role of Hampton Chambers to near perfection, entertaining us with the wild antics of an ex-con attempting to make it straight in an unforgiving world. Oyelowo is backed by a brilliant cast who play it right, giving this outrageous story an extra edge with the quirky characters and surreal moments...