Trust

It's 1973. John Paul Getty (Donald Sutherland) rules his family and oil business empire with an iron fist. His guests have to use the payphone inside his home. When his son George kills himself in Hollywood, he squashes any suggestions of a suicide in the family. Every one of his children is a disappointment to him. He pits his family and his live-in mistresses against each other. His free-spirited 16 year old grandson J. Paul Getty III shows up at the family English compound for George's funeral. The grandfather is taken with his relatively smart grandson and installs him as his heir apparent. While they clash over his need for cash, they do bond over their womanizing ways. The boy's estranged father outs his hard partying ways and the grandfather disowns him. Back in Rome, the grandson is kidnapped by criminals for ransom. Gail Getty (Hilary Swank) is the kid's desperate mother. James Fletcher Chace (Brendan Fraser) is the Getty cowboy investigator.

Sutherland is superb. This is fun. It's rich people dysfunction and it's a kidnapping caper. It's a lot of great stuff. There was supposed to be a second season but I don't think we're getting it at this point. That's fine. This show is half acting and half story. I'm sure they could come up with a similar level of story but it was going to be hard to do this without Sutherland. As a limited series, this is a solid ten episodes.

So, I want to start by saying this series was fricken awesome! This was my first time hearing of this kidnapping, and it felt like I was in the 70's. Great cast as well, this is hands down a good show to binge with a friend or close loved one.

Every episode reminds you that the dialogue is well, pretty much fact - but I have a hard time not believing the show took extreme liberties with the facts. That said, I definitely enjoyed the series very much. It's one of those, "OK just one more...OK just one more then I'm going to bed. OK just one more..." things that keeps you up too late. Donald Sutherland is GREAT as J. Paul Getty and even resembles the original JPG. I'm going to give Donald a .362 score as related in baseball batting averages for the entire season. The next heavy hitter is Brendan Fraser as the likable Fletcher Chace, with a BA of .340 and a lot of dingers. Luca Marinelli as Primo is a SOLID 3rd baseman with a strong arm hitting .309 with zeero errors. Fine actor. Silas Carson as the butler is impeccable, a .325 hitter and an errorless season. Harris Dickinenson as JPG III was a touted first round pick but ended up hitting .234 with too many strikeouts. Much of the show takes place in Italy, where they speak Italian - so I read what they were saying. I'd say the whole Italian cast did a fantastic job, most outstanding - Primo - see above. Beautifully filmed, most scenes take place at The Mansion or in Italy. Watch it, you will like.

The first episode was a very well balanced blend of action, character development, humor, unpredictability and intensity. Also great scenery, and a nice incorporation of the culture of the 1970's.

I have absolutely no idea where this series is going, but it's easy to get invested in the characters - something that is often overlooked in new series.

I recently saw the Ridley Scott version of this story (you know, the one that does not have Kevin Spacey in it any more) and I just had to post and say, this just totally blows that out of the water.

That was a mediocre movie, not even beautiful, which is the least I'd expect from Ridley, but this is just fantastic, on every level.

The sheer charisma of this film-making is an utter joy to behold and evident across the direction, the performances, thumps out of the soundtrack, every part of this production is innovative, dazzling, fizzing.

My only slight, slight criticism is that the 4th wall breaking stuff from Brendan Fraser is too inconsistent and should have either been ditched or made much more of, more often. I guess they thought it was gonna be a big 'feature' when they were writing it and filming it, but then in the cutting room found they just had so much gold, they just didn't know what to do with it all!

Jump on the ride here, its fab and you wont regret it.