FARGO Miniseries Finale Review

Article first published as TV Review: 'Fargo' - Finale on Blogcritics.

FX’s Fargo has sadly come to an end. Ten episodes of brilliant, thrilling, suspenseful storytelling ends tonight with “Morton’s Fork.” The tale concludes with finality, tying up the loose ends from this excellent freshman run, leaving a possible (probable) season two to seek out new characters and new cases. It’s both satisfying and regrettable to see it go.

An important element of “Morton’s Fork” is that both Lester (Martin Freeman) and Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) get what they deserve. The airwaves are full of dark, gritty crime shows these days, and those do not always leave the viewers with a good taste in one’s mouth. Bad guys get away to kill another day, and heroes question their moral compass. Fargo is lighter fare, though, mixing lots of off-beat humor and quirky charm in, so those who deserve to go down have to for it to be an ending that fans feel good about.

Equally crucial is that Molly (Allison Tolman), Gus (Colin Hanks), Greta (Joey King), and Lou (Keith Carradine) survive. They are a sweet family unit, and because of, not despite, their coming together late in the season, they have to have a happy ending. We cannot bear to see these characters who are so good at heart suffer more misfortune and pain. They need to win the day and come out the other side intact, and they do.

Gus has an interesting arc. He leaves law enforcement for good reason, being bumbling and inept. He runs into Malvo early, but backs off because he can’t handle that type of villain himself. Yet, with his family on the line, Gus steps up as a man, protecting those he cares about, killing someone his family will never be safe having in the world.. I’m not sure he should go back to being a cop again, but he certainly gets a chance to redeem himself here, which I think he deserves.

One might wish that Molly is the one who takes down Malvo, since she is really the main heroine of the miniseries, but she doesn’t get the short shift in “Morton’s Fork,” either. She still gets pay off for the detective work she’s completed, and she finally earns the respect and admiration of her boss, Bill (Bob Odenkirk), as he steps aside and recommends her for promotion. There is major triumph in this, even if she isn’t the one to bring in Lester or Malvo, which she is still instrumental in getting to a place where they are taken down.

Fargo proves that good and evil battles can still be thoroughly engrossing and entertaining without the grey areas that pervade a lot of modern fare. I have nothing against its peers, loving many of them dearly and intrigued by shifty players, but its also nice to get a whiff of Fargo‘s scent, unique for the time in its lightness when dealing with such heavy subject matter, and almost miraculously staying as well-developed as those darker programs.

Part of the reason for this is because at many points during “Morton’s Fork,” the audience thinks Molly, Gus, and / or Lou may not make it out alive. Whether it’s Molly rushing off to Lester’s house alone, not realizing the FBI agents there are dead and no back up is on the way, or Gus sneaking into Malvo’s hideout, then confronting the scary man mano-a-mano, or even Lou sitting on the porch with his shotgun, there are moments where things could turn dire.

Fargo does a terrific job with presenting danger, but knowing who it can and cannot spare. Agents Pepper (Keegan-Michael Key) and Burdge (Jordan Peele), lonely men with no real lives? Sure, they can die. Gus, who has a teenage daughter and is expecting a baby? No way. The sense that Fargo just might let Gus perish anyway keeps the action intriguing, but when the writers don’t go through with it, it’s a relief, not a cop out.

There’s a feeling of authenticity that is in the proceedings. The not-actually-based-on-truth story, even as the opening proclaims otherwise, is tongue in cheek, but always keeps itself grounded. There isn’t anything in the show that couldn’t actually happen, and Molly won’t be solving more major crimes like this week after week or even year after year. In this, Fargo is mostly unique.

There’s also an extremely high level of consistency in the miniseries. All ten episodes are written by the same guy, Noah Hawley (Bones), and that provides solid through-lines. There aren’t weak points or people acting out of character because no other voices go into writing dialogue for the players. Mix in an unusually talented cast with no weak links, handling the material like pros, and Fargo is very successful in what it sets out to do.

I could pick apart “Morton’s Fork” in a 10-page review and praise every scene for something special; it’s that good. But I won’t because I feel works of art on this level are meant to be appreciated and re-watched for new meaning frequently, not analyzed to death by any single perspective. For me, Fargo is right up there with The Walking Dead in that I couldn’t wait to watch it each week, growing excited at the prospect of each new installment, and rarely waiting until it actually aired to view it. (Thanks to FX for being more generous with early screeners than any series on any network in recent memory.) I rank it one of Top Five shows of the year, easily, and cannot wait to see what Hawley comes up with for Fargo next season, assuming its renewed, which it likely will be.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL Is Good and Visually Powerful

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: "Oz The Great and Powerful" on Blogcritics.org.

It is extremely hard to bring the land of Oz to life, as Disney can attest, given the numerous unsuccessful attempts over the years the company has made to bring the specific, magical world to the screen. Some projects have gotten farther than others, but I think most will agree that the best effort by Disney yet is the film Oz The Great and Powerful, recently released on Blu-ray and DVD.

I’m not sure why Oz proves to be so challenging. It is a place with wickedness, but it’s also a place of wonderment and surprise. Fans of the book series know that even the characters who live their whole life in the realm can find something they’ve never heard of before around every corner. There’s a childlike wonderment inherent, and death is not something oft felt, as even those cut into tiny pieces survive.

Oz The Great and Powerful attempts to capture that tone in a variety of ways. The inhabitants in Oz are forbidden to kill. Kidnapping or chasing others away is more the norm, and even then, we don’t see anyone seriously hurt. The music is whimsical; the effects make the world seem just a little outside of reality, and the characters in this film are colorful, both literally and figuratively.

While Oz The Great and Powerful is not a good adaptation of the books, neither is the beloved MGM classic The Wizard of Oz, so that’s not the sole basis on which the movie should be judged. As much as I want to see a true version done that actually uses L. Frank Baum’s stories, and that has not been accomplished yet (to my knowledge). However, it is possible to create a enjoyable film without sticking to the source material.

This movie is fun, and does provide some nostalgia for fans of the original movie. The black and white beginning and reusing actors in both Kansas and Oz are both reminiscent of the 1939 classic Oz, and there are scarecrows, and flying monkeys, and munchkins that sing. Michelle Williams does a fantastic job as Glinda, not copying her predecessor, but catching just the right feeling for the role, something incredibly hard to do with such a strange, yet familiar, figure. And the China village, while sad not to see more of it or its people, is a nice addition.

There are a couple of issues I have with Oz The Great and Powerful. James Franco at times plays the Wizard too over-the-top, although there are glimpses of greatness in some of the smaller moments. It goes a little too dark, and some of the characters, Knuck (Tony Cox), in particular, are a little too abrasive to be from Oz. Dark characters are a hallmark of modern filmmaking, but they don’t really belong in this realm. Also, the pacing is a little too fast in Theodora’s (Mila Kunis) transformation, and we never return to Kansas, thereby wasting the double-casting device.

Most significantly, I think was a poor choice to make the Wizard as heroic as he is portrayed in the movie. We know that “after the credits roll” he sends a little girl to face the evil witch, but that action doesn’t jibe with how he’s written for this Oz. Oz The Great and Powerful stands OK on its own, but when considering it as a prequel, it really doesn’t work.

Despite this, overall I liked it, especially once the wizard meets Glinda. The story is a bit predictable at times, but then it also goes in unexpected directions in other places. The clash of our world and the fantasy world is very well done, and the score is sweeping in just the right way. Most of the performances are at least serviceable, in particular Williams and Rachel Weisz, who are far better than the rest, and the effects are very well mixed with the physical sets and actors. I would give it a solid B-.

The computer imaging in Oz The Great and Powerful is amazing! I was disappointed not to be able to obtain a 3D copy of the film, but after watching, it strikes me that it may not be necessary. The landscapes and opening credits, especially, already feel like 3D because they are so rich and layered. Somehow, the effect is created to some extent without glasses, though now I wonder how awesome a true 3D version is.

Picture and sound are flawless. I detected no errors or popping or static of any kind, and was extremely impressed with the visual and auditory presentation. Blacks are deep, and the vibrant colors really come through. I’d go so far to say this was probably the best looking non-3D film I’ve watched on Blu-ray. Clearly, more effort was put into the look than the writing or casting itself, and I found myself forgiving some story missteps because it all looked so good. Plus, aided by Danny Elfman’s very appropriate music, which, delivered crispy, enhanced every scene, never taking away from dialogue or action, it soared in this arena.

I also enjoyed the special features. One tells the story of Walt Disney himself trying to get Oz to screens big and small. Others go into Kunis’ transformation, Elfman’s composition, filming techniques with the China Girl (Joey King) and Finley (Zach Braff), and the production design. Each of these were entertaining, informative, and brief, which is probably a good decision for a Disney release. I only wish there had been more featurettes.

There is also a “second screen experience,” but unfortunately this only works for iPads, and since I don’t own one, I can’t report on it. I think this will disappoint some who may own other devices, and wish this additional feature was more universal.

Included in the Blu-ray / DVD / Digital combo pack is a “free” ticket to The Lone Ranger. Unfortunately, this voucher only covers up to $8 for the ticket price, and the theaters in my area (and probably most others) charge more than that, even for a matinee. The ticket expires less than three weeks after release, so you can’t wait until it makes it to the cheaper theaters. So while it’s a nice coupon, the “free” tag is misleading and somewhat inaccurate.

I recommend Oz The Great and Powerful, despite my complaints, because the movie is a visual masterpiece. Keep your expectations in check, and you may be pleasantly surprised by a pleasing movie and some awesome effects. Oz The Great and Powerful is available online and in stores now.

Not exactly 'Smitten' with Bent

This week, NBC's Bent finally premiered with two episodes, "Pilot" and "Smitten." In "Pilot," Alex Meyers (Amanda Peet, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, 2012) reluctantly hires Pete Riggins (David Walton, Perfect Couples, 100 Questions) and his crew to renovate her kitchen. They flirt, but he's a player, and she's got a boyfriend, Ben (Matt Letscher, Eli Stone, Brothers & Sisters), whom she forgets to mention, and isn't sleeping with. In "Smitten," Alex and Pete's dance continues, and Ben still isn't getting lucky. Though Pete is, just not with Alex.

For the curious who missed these episodes, the "Pilot" of Bent is free on Amazon right now, and "Smitten" is available for a small fee. Watch it, then come back and read this article.

Looking at the stars listed in the paragraph above, a pattern begins to emerge. Bent is full of terrific actors who have been in excellent television shows that were canceled before their time. Bent is not one of those excellent shows, and its imminent cancellation, which seems a very likely possibility, especially given the show's April premiere date, will not be mourned the way others have been.

The actors are great, and many of the names should be familiar. Besides the three listed above, Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) plays Peter's washed-up-actor dad, JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm, a former writer for Saturday Night Live) is Pete's gossipy friend, Clem, Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights) is Pete's taken-advantage-of-apprentice, and Joey King (Ramona & Beezus) is Alex's daughter. Additionally, Pasha D. Lychnikoff (Deadwood) and Margo Harshman (Even Stevens) round out the cast.

But the problem with Bent is that there isn't much material for the performers to work with. The whole concept is that Pete is redoing Alex's kitchen? How long can that be stretched out? What happens when the work is done? Does he redo her whole house? Unless Pete and Alex are a couple by that time, there isn't much of a reason to merge their social circles. And if they are a couple, where does the tension go, as their interplay is the only real plot arc developed thus far?

Also, Harshman's character is called Screwsie. Whether that's because she likes to have lots of sex, or because she unscrews the top off many a bottle of cheap wine, the cutesy nickname is way too on the nose. Seriously, a grown woman goes by the name Screwsie? Does she want to be labeled an easy, alcoholic, slut?

Along the same lines, in the "Pilot" Tambor's character says that he's "Bent, not broken." If you need to explain the title of your series, the show needs a new title.

There are some hints of goodness. The bond that Pete forms with Alex's daughter, Frankie, is sweet. That is clearly his 'in' with her mother. If one can win over the kid, one can get the mother, and Pete has done that already. But since it's happened right off the bat, there isn't a lot of room to develop this further, and this relationship is not enough to carry the series on its own.

This cast would be great in a better written show. The chemistry is wonderful, when they get to use it. Perhaps that's what should be done. Keep them all together, but write totally new characters. Or figure out a different direction for Bent, quickly. Otherwise, it's destined to be yet another failed project for this very talented group of people who just can't find the right show.

Bent airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. In Columbus, NBC is analog channel 4, satellite 382, and high def cable 1004.

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