alexdelliott

Mad Dogs is about 4 former friends who go to Belize to reunite with another friend who has taken early retirement. However they are inadvertently thrown into a hilariously dire situation involving drugs, money, a boat, police, criminals, corruption, the US government, smallpox, and a cat. This sounds like the sort of comedy that we've all seen before but it is very far from it and, without spoilers, I'll tell you why.

The drama. In most of these kinds of shows/movies the main characters are very shallow, with their main characteristics serving to make us laugh. Here, though, each character is completely three dimensional and fleshed out over the 10 episodes with back-stories (without flashbacks thankfully) and real traits and flaws. This is a drama first and foremost and the show never forgets that, effectively building up tension in every episode. We quickly learn that these friends perhaps don't like each other as much as they appear to and we get to watch the relationships evolve so organically over a long period - thanks in part to this being a 10 episode show rather than a 2 hour film. Even the aforementioned cat is given enough story for the viewer to care about his character. The acting from the main cast is flawless and convincing and managed to hold my attention throughout the entire season.

The comedy. I believe this is why opinions on the show are divided. This isn't a typical American comedy show about funny characters making witty comments at each other to make us giggle our way through 10 episodes. The characters play everything out with straight faces and, in fact, comedy is used pretty sparingly throughout the season. However, when it is used it is used to great effect and made me laugh out loud and rewind several scenes to see them again. One notable early example is the cat's first appearance in episode 1 (you'll know what I mean when you watch it). The comedy is extremely dark but also extremely entertaining and managed to surprise me and give me a welcome break from the tension that builds up throughout the show.

The style. The benefit of this show being available to stream is that episodes don't have to be cut to a specific time. This is used and the camera lingers on the characters faces to convey their emotions without them needing to talk and to build the suspense whilst also allowing the viewer to gaze on the beautiful, vibrant scenery. The style really complements the mood of the show, elevating it higher than many other shows that may try the same thing.

Overall, Mad Dogs is a show that delivers emotion, suspense, comedy and originality within a genre we have all seen before. It kept my interest from start to finish and now all I want to do is experience it over again. My only hope is that they don't try to drag it out with more seasons and just let it exist as the self-contained work of art that it is. This is my first new show of 2016 and it has already set a new benchmark for other shows of its kind. It is excellent and I fully recommend it.

This show was a real hidden gem for me. I live in the UK and just happened to stumble across it whilst channel-hopping. Now I own the blu ray and would highly recommend this show.

The first season follows a number of characters in an Italian crime family: Don Pietro Savastano, the head of the most dominant clan in Naples and a man who has earned the power and respect he has through a combination of respect and brutality. His wife Imma who is clever and manipulative and would probably make a better leader than Don Pietro. Their son Genny is a typical spoiled kid who, at the start of the show, clearly does not have what it takes to walk in his dad's footsteps. Finally, and perhaps the most interesting character, is Ciro di Marzio, a soldier for the Savastanos who finds himself increasingly disillusioned with the clan and his position on the sidelines.

These richly developed characters all undergo change throughout this first season, when a war against a rival factions causes a chain reaction giving rise to an internal conflict which divides the clan. I found this show to be surprising (I guess I'm too used to more predictable US shows) as nothing turns out in a way which I expected. The biggest surprise was the realism of the show. You can tell that this was, to some degree, based around real experiences, it's incredibly dark and has no typical good guy to root for. It also chooses not to shy away from events such as the ruthless gunning down of unarmed innocents as to avoid them would be to sacrifice an element of realism.

In terms of the acting, it all seemed top notch to me though I can't speak with much authority as I (sadly) cannot understand the language and was therefore more focused on reading the subtitles. I really feel sorry for those many people who cannot enjoy a quality show due to subtitles, they really are missing out on a lot of great films (such as the Raid 2 which I also loved). There are the occasional phrases which do not translate so well but in no way was it detrimental to my enjoyment of the show.

My biggest criticism of the show is that it felt a little underdeveloped in some areas of character development. I would have liked to have seen the process of Genny's change from child to gangster as it is never really shown to us. Similarly, I would have liked to have seen more of Ciro as I feel we only really see one side of him as the show progresses.

Overall, this show is of exceptional quality and a real surprise as it seemed to come out of nowhere. If you're a fan of crime shows in general or if you're interested in seeing a very raw depiction of organised crime then this comes with my highest recommendation. I advise you not to let the subtitles stop you watching this show. You won't be disappointed. I look forward to season 2.

Remember the 90's? That was a fantastic decade for neo noir thrillers such as the usual suspects and seven. It saddens me now that the label of thriller is usually given to films such as Taken which involve high speed chases, gunfights, fist fights and explosions. This film reminds me of those brilliant 90's thrillers with its slow burning character focus and I am happy to see Hollywood take risks and deviate from their tried and tested formula. On that basis I certainly recommend picking up this film.

The story is simple, involving a lawyer becoming involved in a drug smuggling operation when things go wrong and he finds himself in way over his head. We've seen it before. But this film distinguishes itself by focusing on the characters rather than the story. Fassbender plays the role perfectly as the arrogant lawyer who gradually finds his spirits crushed and his perfect life crumbling around him. Along the way he meets some very interesting characters and I have to tip my hat to Brad Pitt who plays the pragmatic middleman in the drugs business. He is cool and intelligent and it comes off with such charm. However the main theme of the film is choice and consequence. We've all been there, made a seemingly harmless choice for selfish reasons which backfires in a way we could not anticipate, leading to consequences far beyond our control. This theme is played out in a mature and very tense way. There is very little action so don't see it looking for shooting and high speed chases, there are so many films I could recommend for that. But this is pretty unique by today's standards.

The film isn't without its flaws which seem to mainly come from the writing. McCarthy wrote the film as if it were straight from one of his novels with philosophical dialogues which speak to the audience and heavy symbolism. In a book, this writing would have made this an instant classic but unfortunately it comes off as rather pretentious, lacking in subtlety. Due to its rather unnatural flow, it becomes clear at times that the actors are struggling with it at times.

Overall, this film is good. It is a dark and somewhat powerful look into the theme of choice and consequence, grief, death and hopelessness. There are many people on this site who really hate the film and I understand that given the writing. But I urge you to watch it and judge for yourself as it is a thought provoking and solid film that certainly deserves the label of thriller.