The Last Tycoon

Saw this great pilot on Amazon. I'm a Fitzgerald fan and I was curious how they would treat this show, given that the author never got a chance to complete and expand on the book. I'm impressed with the way this show gave life to so many things only alluded to in the book. Nazis during that time must have definitely had a lot of influence on the Hollywood politics in those days, just as some other power groups have it today. Glad the show is addressing that angle. Monroe Stahr, the protagonist, played amazingly well by Matt Bomer is a fascinating character. He is kind of a prodigy when it comes to the movie making business, a self made man, yet emotionally tortured, and of a weak heart due to congenital heart disease. The other characters, such as Kelsy Grammar as Pat Brady, Lily Collins as Cecilia Brady were great in their roles. The show has quite a few interesting characters. Really hope it gets picked up and we get to see more of this interesting story.

Nothing has changed. We can believe that corporations have taken over Tinsel Town, but in this version of "The Last Tycoon" creativity has always been controlled by committee. So the filmmakers out there that think they are autonomous, without using your own money, it 'aint happening.

That aside, the story is of wunderkind Monroe Stahr (Matt Bomer) a ambitious young studio executive who is known to fix movies within the walls of Brady-American International, a fictional movie studio run by Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer). During the depression, they both attempt to save the studio from outside forces including the rise of stars and divas, and dark secrets of actors, the dynamics of writers and producers and so forth. Coming into the story, we also have Brady's daughter Celia Brady (Lily Collins) who is at the edge of adulthood and fixated on making her own way into Hollywood, and also Brady's wife Rose Brady (Rosemarie DeWitt) who has a history with Monroe whilst Celia holds a burning crush on him.

Admittedly, I know very little about the book, which was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But I've seen the late 70's version, and they both do really good things. The issue with the 70's version is that it gets TOO melancholic. This skates a very tragic line since Bomer's Monroe plays a little more buoyant and hopeful than DeNiro's Monroe, who plays it brooding and bullish.

The series has some great moments (somewhat predictable but still satisfying) and makes nods to Hollywood lore. Louis B. Mayer's (Saul Rubinek) close to making "Wizard Of Oz" a Shirley Temple reference, and also a curious one with Margo Taft (Jennifer Beals) whom I can only assume is suppose to be Merle Oberon. Any way, this does suck you in. And I loved the production design. The characters have their intentions known and fascinating when they cut between the stories. You can keep up.

IF you are interested in old Hollywood, this is a great series to remind you that movie worlds were once made by people who really cared about the content.

Those who complain that this series was canceled don't understand that it wasn't supposed to be a continuing series. It was supposed to be Fitzgerald's greatest but unfinished novel, finished appropriately.

What they wound up adding to finish it was some typical Hollywood junk that Fitzgerald would never have written, that Stahr (or Thalberg) would never have produced. But it's pretty good junk, as Hollywood junk goes. The production is beautiful, the plot isn't too silly, and Kelsey Grammer's performance is great fun to watch. So I give it a 7, a good effort and well worth watching.

But it still should not have gone beyond its nine episodes. That wrapped up the plot and was the end. To go further would mean adding real Hollywood junk. The greatest skill is knowing when to stop.

Once again, a series I have really enjoyed has been canceled by the powers that be! I will admit the first few episodes of the first season were a little slow (perhaps there was room for improvement in the dialogue), but as the series progressed, I was fully engrossed in the story. The physical details of the hairstyles and clothing were absolutely believable and the filming itself was gorgeous. I was particularly impressed by Kelsey Grammar's performance.

For anyone who has not yet seen the mere two seasons that exist, allow me to inform you there is an extremely interesting twist in the plot! I don't think this will disappoint. How it was canceled with such a high IMDb rating remains a mystery.

Add The Last Tycoon to the likes of Firefly and The Tonight Show for shows that should never have been canceled. This show is on par with Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, and Downton Abbey. It has a great core, with the ability to be a classic, but sadly it only got one season.

The Last Tycoon gives a look into a time and world completely missed by modern movies. Pre WWII Hollywood and the nuanced issues that comes with a world on the brink of war. Unbelievably talented cast, great writing, amazing costumes, and just the right amount of twist and drama. I'm incredibly disappointed that it was canceled. Each actor was made to play their character.

It's amazing how after one season Matt Bomer will forever be Monroe Star, Lilly Collins will forever be Cecilia Brady, and Dominique McElligot will always be Kathleen Moore. Amazon really screwed up with the decision to cancel.