Baron Nathan Rothschild has been quoted as saying "When there's blood in the streets, buy real estate." This sentiment, beyond the obvious reference to financial opportunities, also expresses the idea that division and chaos create opportunities for political revision. And as history has so often demonstrated that revision can manifest in negative ways.
A single, close-knit family celebrates an anniversary, every toast invokes love, but over the course of five years the story moves inextricably toward the antithesis. The close-knit weave is unravelled. A political evolution is occurring, sparked by a book written by the girlfriend of the young son in the family. The result is a family divided and increasing at odds and edgy.
Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Zoey Deutch and the rest of the cast excel. The screenplay itself attempts to be a cautionary tale, a psychological thriller, and a study in the corrupting nature of power. It only partially succeeds, because it touches too lightly on the subject matter--we never learn anything about political movement itself, the ideology behind it. The story should have been told through a limited series of three episodes.
It does however remind us quite clearly how what often appears as a simple grassroots movement, and appeals to the masses, can be saturated with malfeasance. We need to be cautious, and history should be studied. Prevent those who want to control it.
