1983

I have watched 4 episodes and so far I find it a good grim show. It's dark, disturbing and unpredictable. Worth giving a shot at least;)

Strong good sides:

• scenography and pictures. Nicely done. Fictional communistic Poland in 2003 looks great. Grey and gloomy remains of old times with monumental new sceneties, that look like from the Blade Runner. I like that.

Bad sides:

• plot - some storylines are... dispensable, just making unnecessary mess,
• dialogues - full of pathos, not natural, idiotic sometimes. It is visible that even actors have problems with playing that, and some of then sound like a speech synthetiser,
• bonds between particular characters is not understandable. It is not sketched properly, so it is hard to 'feel' them, and immerse in the world.

Still, it is really interesting and one of the best Netflix production this year. I hope for more in the next season.

My review is based on just the first episode of this series which I felt totally immersed in from the very start. Do not follow others opinions, not even myself. But surely don't take that review (from the guy who found it unbearable") too serius. Series has a great photography and dinamism. I found it quite entertaining and beautiful. Also very much Orwelian, and there are a few hints to the work too, not only from the title but also in some scenes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"1983" is a look to the alternate timeline of the world's most recent history - it answers a question - What if the Iron Curtain was still in place? To get to this point Joshua Long created a world in which a terrorist attack in Poland, in 1983 had united a Polish Nation, taking away the "Solidarity" movement - the first domino of the Fall of Communism.

There is much to say about this production - from the captivating world to it's chaotic and often redundant storylines. The acting leaves a somewhat lot to be desired - besides few roles (a small role of Sandra Korzeniak as a custodian of the Villa or Zofia Wichlacz as a daughter of a government minister) the acting is a bit stiff and dialogues seem unnatural (but it may be just a problem of the Polish version).

However, all the problems mentioned above didn't spoil the entertainment of experiencing the alternative history of '1983'. Overall it's a solid political fiction with, a nice noir vibe to it. Worth a watch.

This is a confounding series, sometimes puzzling, other times enthralling, but with tight pacing that makes the show rarely boring. I will admit to being lost at different times - the going and forth between modern times with the 80's can get one confused about where you're at. But you learn to just go with the flow. Most of the credit goes to Robert Wieckiewicz, whose tough exterior and tougher interior are wonderfully conveyed and keep you watching him. It's an extraordinary performance. The rest of the cast is top notch, too. There are also nice touches in the dialog, some unexpected twists and turns, and moment or two of levity to keep you off balance before the next grungy bit of ultraviolence gets your heart beating again. Of special note is the obvious tip of the hat to Blade Runner, especially in the rainy, neon-lit Asian alley way with bike riders where the lead character is interrupted from eating his noodles while two cops stand on either side of him. Sound familiar? Yeah, I loved it and I like this series quite a bit. It's inscrutable at times, silly at others but always fascinating.