A Gentleman in Moscow

I am a huge fan of the novel, A Gentlman in Moscow and Amor Towles other novels. It is an instant classic. I have been waiting for a year or more for the television series but I am reserving judgement until I can see all the episodes. To write a review before based on a couple of episodes is ridiculous. The book is a work of art and reads like a fable. It is not intended to be a history of the Russian revolution. It is about the triumph of the human spirit against authoritarianism, ignited by the spirit of a unique young girl. It is charming, profound and beautifully written.

The author is on record saying he is very happy with the adaptation so I am eagerly waiting to see it in its entirety before passing judgement. Any video adaptation of a book has to leave out a lot of nuance and rarely works well. To me the book is inevitably better as it can accommodate much more detail but, given the author's enthusiasm, I am optimistic and await the full series with great anticipation.

This is a well-written and well-acted series. It's nice when a show or movie does not have to depend on special effects and action to be good.

As others have mentioned, I just have trouble believing some of the casting. It's bad enough that most of the actors have English accents. Having more Russian actors, or at least actors that look and sound Russian would have been preferable.

The most unbelievable aspect of the casting is the number of actors of African descent. I have a hard time believing there were that many (if any) people of African origin in Moscow at that time, and I'm sure none that would hold a position like Minister of Culture. Very unbelievable. I know when I visited Russia (including Moscow) around the year 2000, the only African people I saw were young, male African exchange students going to a university, and I saw less in all my travels around Russian than I see in one episode of this TV series.

Whoever came up with such a brilliant idea as casting black/brown or clearly "Mediterranean" people as ethnic Russians deserves the order of the Soviet Union's labor champion.

For someone who saw the USSR as it was before its fall, this series is some kind of black comedy. And it's a shame - because there is potential in the script and execution.

Unfortunately, such good material fell victim to contemporary politics which perfectly resembles the communist Soviet madness. It's a bit like irony made a big circle and kicked the creators in their bare buttocks.

There is also a lack of "Russian soul", in both positive and negative sense. You can feel that this is a Western vision of the East created without "physical" knowledge of the issue "Russia is a state of mind" - this is a saying that requires a deeper understanding to properly convey it.

I really enjoyed the first episode, and look forward to the next.

Here's the deal: if you don't know the book, and you're looking for action, this won't be the show for you.

If you do know the book, you'll likely love it.

If, however, you don't know the book, and you enjoy a slow burn with great acting, you may be in luck.

Taking place shortly after the revolution, the plot revolves around the life of one of the last aristocrats of Russia. He's been imprisoned for life in a hotel, if he ever leaves, he'll be killed on the spot. Ejected out of his posh suites, he's forced to live in old servants quarters in the attic.

Episode one shows us a glimpse of his past, and gives us a sampling of his character. The Red Guard are everywhere, and have filled some of the hotel positions with spies, looking for traitors. Anyone deemed a threat is taken out of view and summarily executed by a bullet to the head.

It's a nice balance of whimsy and darkness, with a creature of politics and privilege navigating the murky waters of a revolution in progress. Will he survive? Will he be able to use his connections and intelligence to escape?

For myself, I can't wait to see where the story leads....

Not read the book, so based on the drama alone. Very enjoyable yarn with an unusual plot. Generally well cast and well acted. McGregor is excellent and carries the Count's breeding, eruditeness and whimsy well. The supporting cast also work well. I love Johnny Harris's performance - his Osip is scary. I don't mind the varied accents (I don't want cod Russian accents). Unfortunately, I cannot get over the (African) elephant in the room. The black actors are good actors and their performances are good, and in any modern or unspecified setting i am happy with "colour blind" casting. But, even though the story is fiction, it is a historical drama and so has a "mise en place" - it must reflect the historical setting and have some realism (a black minister of culture in 1930's Soviet Union?).