Who Is THE GREATest?

Article first published as TV Review: THE GREAT on Seat42F.

Last month, Hulu premiered THE GREAT, a series about Catherine the Great and her combative marriage to Peter in Prussia during the 18th century. Far from a straight period piece, though the costumes don’t look modern, it’s an outrageous, cartoonish take on the scandals, with huge liberties drawn in events and lineage. Despite the complete lack of accuracy, which the show does not disguise, it’s a fun, salacious romp in the vein of Gossip Girl or other teen dramas. But do the kids want to watch this genre in a foreign land and time? If they won’t, I will.

I’ll admit, I loved Gossip Girl, and a few other shows like it. I have also thoroughly enjoyed what I’ve watched of THE GREAT. It’s not high-brow, but it is high-quality in the way its made. The plot makes sense, and the characters are well-developed. The acting is delightful. Yet, something about the way it leans into the messiness and away from facts makes it seem less-than the sum of its parts. This doesn’t affect the glee to be had in watching, but it does keep it out of a list of prestige television. Even though, from the standpoint of originality and its production, it might just deserve to be up there. There’s a certain superficial sheen over the whole thing, which is not a complaint, but a stylistic choice.

Elle Fanning (Super 8) stars as Catherine. Elle plays her as intelligent, but prone to giving in to emotion. She can fake her way along at court, but is so self-righteous that she struggles at first to do so, even when it endangers herself and others. THE GREAT doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on this, but just enough. Layers are added as the piece unfolds, such as her surprising taking to Leo (Sebastian De Souza, Medici), the lover her husband ‘gifts’ her. But her best moments are when she plots with her lady’s maid, an out-of-favor noble named Marial (Phoebe Fox, Eye in the Sky). (It must be said, Fox steals every scene she’s in.) Fanning may be at her best when Catherine runs roughshod over counselor Orlov (Sacha Dhawan, Iron Fist), whom she wants to help kill her husband, while he just wants to bring modernity slowly and safely to the country, one beard at a time.

Speaking of the husband Catherine is locked into a mortal battle with, Peter is played by Nicolas Hoult (X-Men: First Class). It’s easy to underestimate what Hoult is doing with the childish dummy, a petty tyrant who embraces pleasure and demands love and devotion while giving none in return. This isn’t Peter the Great; this is his son (grandson in real life) who cannot live up the shadow of his father, and is too consumed with love for his dad to see that everyone else has perceived the failing. It’s a thankless role, one viewers will root against, but upon later reflection, Hoult is killing it in the part, certainly a contender for best performance in the show.

There are also plenty of players at court. Like Peter’s lover, Georgina (Charity Wakefield, Wolf Hall), who has more depth than you might expect. Georgina’s husband, Grigor (Gwilym Lee, Midsomer Murders), doesn’t like sharing his wife, but has to take that out on others than the man who is to blame. The Archbishop (Adam Godley, Breaking Bad) is like a Rasputin at first, though far less effective. Drunkard general Velementov (Douglas Hodge, Penny Dreadful) is in control of practically nothing.

If you’re trying to learn about Catherine and Peter, it must be noted that they were married many years before he was in charge, though in this series, he’s already ruling when she arrives. Instead, his Aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow, Doctor Doctor) was the competent leader, portrayed in this as a crazy, though kind, nut. And once Peter did ascend, Catherine deposed him within six months. I don’t think that’s the path THE GREAT will take, as the battle between them is too much a part of the fabric of the show.

I find myself reluctant to praise THE GREAT too highly purely because of the zaniness it embraces without trying to be an obvious comedy. Yet, as I’ve said, I find much joy in watching it. If you want something that is both deadly and light, silly in its seriousness and serious about its silliness, or just a grounded period romp, then check it out

THE GREAT’s entire first season is available on Hulu now.

MALEFICENT Not Quite Magnificent, But Jolie Is

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Maleficent' on Blogcritics.

Disney’s Maleficent, a re-telling of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty with a twist, comes to Blu-ray and DVD this week. Starring Angelina Jolie (Salt, Mr. & Mrs Smith) in the title role, this film seeks to give layers to what has often been a one-dimensional villain, unspooling the story from a different perspective. It’s one that mostly works. I admit to having relatively low expectations going in, despite a friend’s defense of it, which means the enjoyable result is a pleasant surprise.

Maleficent begins with the titular fairy as a young girl (played by Isobelle Molloy, EastEnders). She’s innocent and bold, loving life and the world around her. One day, Maleficent meets Stefan (Michael Higgins), a human. Despite his bad traits, such as a penchant for stealing, the two hit it off. Little does the girl know, though, that Stefan will grow up to be a manipulative man (Sharlto Copley, District 9) who will betray her in order to become king.

This is when Maleficent turns dark, somewhat early in the running time. After her wings are stolen in a moving sequence, her need for revenge is understandable. That she takes it out on an unborn child makes less sense,  but even this wronged version of the character is not one who will murder or maim, so perhaps it’s done in an empty-threat, kick-the-can-down-the-road sort of way. Once Aurora (Elle Fanning, Super 8) is born, though, and sent to live with three inept pixies (Harry Potter‘s Imelda Staunton, Fleming‘s Lesley Manville, and Killer Joe‘s Juno Temple), Maleficent can’t help but be drawn to the child, whom she comes to like and protect, which makes the fulfillment of the curse somewhat complicated.

While not normally a huge fan of Jolie, I don’t think the movie would work in practically anyone else’s hands. The role is perfect for her. Jolie captures the coldness and danger lurking beneath Malefient’s exterior, but also the vulnerability and magic of the part. She plays this evil-looking, yet still gorgeous, witch in a way that never feels scary, and that pairs nicely with the perpetually-sweet Aurora. Make no mistake about it, Jolie is the number one reason to watch this film.

The story itself isn’t bad. It’s a tad simplistic and predictable, while also weak in logic periodically. Yet it’s cohesive and plays out in a way that makes sense for the characters. Fast-paced enough to hold a child’s interest, the material is deep enough for adults to engage with, too, striking that rare balance in a movie that the whole family truly can enjoy.

Maleficent does push the boundaries of the PG rating. There is no cursing or sex, but there is plenty of violence, including some Lord of the Rings-esque battle scenes, which tend to be required for this type of movie these days (though they’re mostly unnecessary in this case). The humor, mostly delivered by the three pixies, who are well-cast with three terrific, somewhat underused actresses, is more silly than edgy, which may be a good thing for the target audience.

The visuals of Maleficent are mostly stunning as presented in 1080p high definition. There are some moments where certain characters are noticeably digital renderings, rather than actors, but the creatures that populate Maleficent’s moor, as well as the world the movie is set in, are beautiful. The pixies are done by blending the actresses’ actual features into animated creations in a very cool way. I only wish a 3D version were to be officially released in the U.S. (Amazon does have a region-free version listed) as this movie practically begs for that added depth, but it’s still a very good presentation. The audio levels are mixed in such a way that action scenes are a LOT louder than dialogue ones, so you do have to keep a hand on the remote. However, the clarity in the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is crystal and music and voices coexist nicely when combined.

Maleficent does have a decent amount of extras, too. There are deleted scenes. The ones featuring the pixies better round out the characters than how they are shown in-film, so I wish they hadn’t been cut. There’s a featurette on Aurora, having Fanning talk about her part, which should appeal to young fans. For the older crowd, we see how the movie is made, the creation of the battle stuff, a look at the visual effects, and Maleficent’s costume elements.

While Maleficent is far from perfect, with Stefan making a forgettable villain, it is well-made and much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. It’s definitely worth a watch for the effects and Jolie’s performance, which are both excellent.

Maleficent arrives on Blu-ray and DVD November 4.

We Bought a Zoo on Blu-ray

From FOX Studios comes Cameron Crowe's (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) latest film, We Bought a Zoo. Based on a true story, the movie finds widower Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon, The Bourne Identity, 30 Rock) needing to make a change. While house hunting, he finds his dream dwelling comes with a closed-down, but still populated, zoo attached, and decides that this might be just the adventure he needs. Together with his two children and the zoo's colorful staff, Benjamin sets out to make the zoo, and his life, mean something again.

We Bought a Zoo is not Crowe's best work, but then, who expects it to be, considering some of the masterpieces the director has made? However, We Bought a Zoo is still damn good. It proves that Crowe still knows how to coax incredible, authentic performances out of his actors. He can still tug a heart string. He develops wonderful visuals, but never forgets that the story is about the characters.

Damon is brilliant in the lead role. He captures the struggle of a father, raising two kids on his own, one of whom he has trouble connecting with because they are too much alike. He also breathes Mee's mission to life with such zeal, that one is left hanging on his every move, rooting for him to succeed, hoping he can find hope and joy in his life again.

We Bought a Zoo is buoyed by an excellent ensemble cast, and that's not just referencing the beautiful animals. Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Footloose) is adorable as Mee's daughter. Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Wings) brings a realism to Benjamin's brother, who wants to be supportive, but thinks his sibling is off of his rocker. And then there's J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Carla Gallo (Bones, Californication), John Michael Higgins (Bad Teacher, Happily Divorced), Angus Macfadyen (Chuck, Braveheart), Elle Fanning (Super 8), Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), and Colin Ford (Push, Supernatural), all of whom bring something special to the table. The chemistry between them, and the unique make up of each player, really makes this movie sing in an exciting, interesting way.

Oddly, it's Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, The Avengers) that is wasted here. Stuck in a boring, predictable, romantic interest role, she gets lost among the others. This isn't because the actress is inferior in any way, but rather, more than anyone else, her presence seems to be there only to serve Benjamin's character. She doesn't have enough personality of her own to really stand out. In fact, Benjamin's relationship with a tiger actually serves the same purpose she does, with slightly more impact, so her part is extraneous. It's a shame, and the movie's only real weak point.

There are plenty of bonus features on the three disc Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy set. There's an audio commentary with Crowe, editor Mark Livolsi, and, weirdly, considering his small role in We Bought a Zoo, the hilarious J.B. Smoove. There are a ton of deleted and extended scenes. A half hour is devoted to the making of the picture, and there is a featurette about the real Benjamin Mee. There's also a gag reel, and more! One can literally spend more time watching the extras than the movie, and that's a nice claim to make. It helps, too, that what is present enriches the movie experience, and is really everything one might want in this release.

In short, We Bought a Zoo is a fantastic film that any movie lover should own. It's an inspiring story, a memorable tale, and just plain fun. Pick up a copy, on sale now.

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