Martin_Pyramid

A sophisticated adaptation to The Talented Mr. Ripley. I haven't read the book but I loved each of the adaptations since Plein Soleil, so I should probably give it a chance.

Ripley finds a good balance between being intellectual and entertaining; the music, the acting, the visuals, and the story are all proof of it. To do so, it takes full advantage of 50s Italy using everything wonderful about this time and place and even playing with the cinema code of the era, black and white is a bold choice but pays beautifully.

Andrew Scott is brilliant in this role. His character is a mastermind but still feels the nervousness of his mistakes or unexpected obstacles. He is a plain villain but you wish for him to fail as much as to win. I felt like some of his mistakes were a little too huge. I understand that he has his failures but sometimes you feel like he could have easily put himself out of trouble If he was giving more thought.

Compared to other adaptations, Ripley is funny. It's a sober humour but it is constant and very well integrated in what could have been a way darker show.

A viciously dark show with maybe one of the most despicable main characters I've ever seen on screen. The Penguin is amoral and grotesque but he will keep you hooked with every of his actions.

The show is cynical, unfair, and with some twisted moments but The Penguin is a masterpiece. It works around profoundly developed characters, some of them being endearing enough to root for them all along. Thanks to the actors playing these larger-than-life crimelords, Sofia and Oz steal every scene they are in. When both of them are in the same scene, it always promises some captivating and layered confrontations.

I was doubtful first, I love Reeve's The Batman but I hate this trend to have a cinematic universe divided into films and shows, I didn't want to feel forced to watch 8 hours of the show just to be ready for The Batman 2. That said, the amazing reviews convinced me and I'm glad they did! This show is worth the hype.

Fellow Travelers starts very strong with a sense of hidden truths, risks, and the necessity behind betrayals. The 50s area gives an exciting and fresh take on the gay drama.

The show found a perfect balance between political-social statements and storytelling until the 4th episode. As Fellow Travellers tries to go through the decades, the show loses steam between storylines that feel unnecessary (and too melodramatic) and less organic political statements. Sharing gay history is the right thing to do but after three episodes that put you in the mood for a complicated romance story between two men, it's hard to switch to a socio-political essay.

The two main actors are talented and their chemistry is without fail. The show is also incredibly erotic, the intimate scenes never feel like exposition despite their explicit nature, it really feels part of the story which it's not something current in shows.