Rent Boardwalk Empire: Series 1 (2010)

Evocative and slightly disturbing - Boardwalk Empire: Series 1 review by RT

Boardwalk empire (I am only two episodes in) provides an interesting view of “the slippery slope” - “honest” graft that goes bad with the participants being dragged deeper and deeper into the mire. Fine performances, wonderful sets and (CGI generated) background. Highly recommended - so far.

This lives up to the hype - Boardwalk Empire: Series 1 review by Tommy

As i was watching the opening scenes of the first episode i felt unsure, i heard of the hype surrounding this and i read about it online. It was by Scorsese. That was enough for me, to be fair. It had me with his name. So i was excited and maybe that's why maybe i felt unsure of it's quality. There was obvious CGI and maybe it was a little too what i expected, bottles of liquor being smuggled during prohibition into Atlantic City - maybe a little reason i was unsure, i wanted New York or Chicago perhaps. Steve Buscemi as the main character was an appeal for me, he wasn't the problem, Michael Pitt maybe?. But anyway i was wrong, it just took me a little time to get into the rhythm. I should have watched the episode again but after 10 minutes i was hooked and didn't look back.

The Boardwalk of Atlantic City has a fair bit of CGI but only where it needs. Regardless it is consistent in it's design and looks awesome. It's glossy and stylish but realistic and provocative too. The whole production matches perfectly, music, costume, the lot, seriously cool and means business. It doesn't rush anything, the story follows the characters who drive the plot.

Steve Buscemi is an amazing actor and this role as Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson is written for him (not sure if it was literally was). Boardwalk Empire doesn't hide the fact that he is fairly complicated. It shows all the sides to him which is able to show Buscemi's wit and ability to be nasty too, to turn with in seconds in the corrupted world where greed drives most, with varying degrees of success. Kelly McDonald as Margaret Schroeder is there to give us a moral center, to be along side us as we into the murky, gritty duel world of violence and lavish 20s luxuries. But even with the down to earth Margaret, she gets drawn in and is shown to have more to her, albeit with a desire to give herself and children a better life. Michael Pitt is the co-lead to be fair as James 'Jimmy' Darmody. He is someone who starts at the bottom, working for Nucky. With a young family, he wants to provide. Pitt took a little time to realise that he is crucial to this series success. Through the episodes it becomes somewhat disappointing when he isn't on screen. Jimmy isn't unlike Leo DiCaprio in 'Gangs of New York'. The writing keeps up it's high standard as it progresses. And Michael Shannon ... need i say more. He is playing a type of character he is known for but this was 10+ years ago now. Such intensity but shows duality, again. Oh, and Stephan Graham is another who's name should be a reason to watch. Awesome as a younger Al Capone starting out just like Jimmy.

This genre is common, particularly of this period, some great, other not so much. Films and TV series. A reason, for me, is they can begin focused on characters but lose that perspective as it progresses. Some try to fit too much in and try too hard to be fast and cool. The balance of style and grittiness isn't always on point. They skip across years which in a film is probably a reason it loses the edge. Boardwalk Empire is sometimes slow but in a focused, thoughtful way. It knows what it wants, is aiming for. It doesn't rush to make it's point and yet it doesn't get bogged down. The characters are set in an interesting story with a perspective and motivation, but that gets twisted later on. The continuation is amazing for a series of 12 episodes. This is violent, it has style but it doesn't glorify anything. It shows some romanticism, if the right word, but it has to be entertaining. We have to follow these characters in this world. It shows consequences but doesn't particularly tell the audience to judge. We know what is right and wrong but this is attentive on the grey areas, the ambiguity, in a large operating scale of Nucky's business, and in the characters minds and relationships.

This is up there with any series. Better than most actually. This is driven by the characters. Shootin' up gangsters and looking good doin' it.