TRUE DETECTIVE Ends In Good "Form"

Article first published as TRUE DETECTIVE Ends In Good "Form" on TheTVKing.

HBO's True Detective, essentially an eight episode mini-series since a second season would have a different cast and plot, closes out the initial run this week with "Form and Void." We're now fully in the present part of the story as Rust (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson) finally track down the serial killer that has remained free for the past couple of decades. It's a wonderful, moving conclusion to the dark, engrossing tale.

"Form and Void" serves both those watching the show for the crime plot and those that tune in for character development. Fans of the genre, and television in general, tend to fall generally into one of those two categories. It's always been a struggle for an hour long drama to serve both segments, especially in a series finale, which is typically tight for time, tying up every bit that remains lingering. True Detective strikes this balance better than most.

Some have taken to the internet to complain about how pedestrian this final episode is, and that just goes to show that you can't make everyone happy. True Detective has never been flashy, and the big climax in "Form and Void" is more intense than pretty much anything else in the year, making complaints about it not being huge enough seem ignorant. It's a program that dwells on the characters, and while I think it satisfies those looking for action, that's not been the sole purpose at any time. Nor has the mystery extended into anything beyond the scope shown, much as some might wish for something more complex, with a murderer hiding in plain sight, driven by ritual and insanity, is exactly the guy the detectives find. In my opinion, the last episode matches the others in style and substance in a very satisfying way. 

The meat of the episode is the suspenseful scene in which Rust and Marty track down the villain, Errol (Glenn Fleshler, Boardwalk Empire). Fleshler is a masterful of creepiness, fully developing the role in basically a single hour, and his cat-and-mouse game with our heroes is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the sequence. The setting is beautifully detailed in its grimness and griminess, and the score hits just the right notes at the right time. The production in this part of the installment is extremely impressive, no element left ignored.

It all culminates in a bloody battle that leaves none of the three whole. It's a scary show down, made even more terrifying by the remoteness of the locale and the lack of knowledge that help is on the way. Knowing we're at the end, there are plaguing fears that one or both protagonists could die, and it really builds some high stakes in an already stressful scene.

In the end, the killer is caught, Rust and Marty and vindicated, and bad guy is dead. Everyone goes home happy. Sort of.

Rust and Marty's friendship has drastically and irrevocably changed. This whole time, in the various time periods, they've never really clicked. In fact, at times they've been on opposite sides of a firm line. But this one unsolved case brings them back together with purpose, and finally fully focused on a common cause, they find a strong bond. This is forged even deeper after the traumatic tragedy they endure. Nothing less than what happens in "Form and Void" could cement the two men together, given their past, but now they have been, and True Detective stretches out the ending just a bit to luxuriate in this new dynamic.

What hits home after the dust is settled, as we watch the quiet scenes with Rust and Marty, is just how great these two actors are. Harrelson is known to be fantastic, and always brings the layers and the depth the role requires. McConaughey's talent is more surprising. He exhibits chameleon-like skills as Rust, the actor lost in the part, and he manages to make a couple of distinctly different versions of the man with important, connecting threads. The performances in True Detective are absolutely stellar.

The one sad thing is that Marty doesn't resolve things with his family. Marty doesn't deserve his ex-wife, Maggie (Michelle Monaghan), and though he loves her, his actions have driven her away. I like that Maggie shows up in the hospital to visit, their two daughters in tow. But I also like that Marty and Rust are going home together at the end, sans women, as Marty reconciling with the family he is estranged from so quickly so late in the game would not be realistic. The tie up here is fitting and with a hint of hope, but not the overly neat close that some might wish, and that's a good thing.

I don't know what season two will have in store for the next True Detective, but if it's half as good as season one, count me in.

TRUE DETECTIVE Truly Great

Article first published as TRUE DETECTIVE Review on Seat42F.

By the time you read this, you’ve likely already heard of HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE, premiering this weekend. And while hearing of it, you’ve probably noticed words like “magnificent,” ”intoxicating,” and “exceptional” tossed around. Yes, no show or movie releases quotes about itself without presenting their work in the best possible light. But in this case, if anything, those words do not do TRUE DETECTIVE enough justice.

TRUE DETECTIVE may be a crime show, it’s true, but it’s on a much higher plane that most of its genre, with a focus on characters and mythology spanning seventeen years, from 1995 to 2012, rather than on a case of the week. In this way, it’s like Broadchurch or The Killing, but I would argue it’s even a step smarter than those in the writing and acting. It’s a phenomenal, memorable program, everything a drama should be.

The biggest pitfall a new series faces when being lauded with such praise is how it will continue to maintain such high standards over time. TRUE DETECTIVE solves this by being an anthology series. Each season will be self-contained, with its own cast and characters. Even if the show does not get a second outing (though it has not aired, a renewal seems a given at this point), everything will be wrapped up at the conclusion of these eight episodes, which should leave viewers very satisfied, indeed.

This tale begins with “The Long Bright Dark.” A young woman is found murdered and posed in a grotesque, artistic fashion, a la NBC’s Hannibal, and Detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club, Magic Mike) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson, No Country For Old Men, Cheers) are assigned the case. Naturally, they immediately face difficulties due to a lack of clues.

As they figure things out, older crimes begin to come into play. A local mystery of a missing girl may very well be tied into this most recent act, and the men are smart enough to see this, following any lead they get. They don’t make it too far in the first hour, but there is definitely lots of depth to plumb over the rest of the run.

In 2012, two other detectives are grilling our heroes, who haven’t seen one another in a decade, on this case. But they questioners actually seem at least as interested in the dynamic of the partnership than the dead girl, which begs the question, why? And what went wrong that split them up?

Not that Hart and Cohle were ever good friends. At the beginning of “The Long, Bright Dark,” they have been working together for three months. However, they’ve yet to have a personal conversation. Perhaps spurred on by the case, or finally accepting Hart’s wife’s (Michelle Monaghan, Gone Baby Gone) dinner invitation, Cohle comes out of his shell. Hart immediately wants to push him back into it.

The performances by Harrelson and McConaughey are nothing short of amazing. McConaughey has been trying to break the “shirtless guy” mold he developed early in his film career, and TRUE DETECTIVE definitely proves his chops as a traumatized alcoholic obsessed with death. Harrelson, meanwhile, has long been respected, and this will be icing on his cake resume, playing the intelligent family man, fair-minded enough to appreciate Cohle’s contributions, even as he despises the guy.

Both men are very different in the past and the present, both in physical appearance and in attitude. All of this comes together in a very visceral, moving way. The makeup and hair choices are flawless, hard to believe the guys could look so different, and the actors in the 2012 stuff draw us in with how their characters have changed, and we wonder what their lives are like now and how they got that way.

The two leads are the reason to tune in, pure and simple. As I said, the story if phenomenal, brilliantly crafted and well executed with a beautiful production, but it’ll be hard to focus on anything other than McConaughey and Harrelson because they have such presence. These are definitely defining roles for them, even though they’ve already had plenty of good parts before.

TRUE DETECTIVE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Game Change on Blu-ray

Game Change won five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries/Movie, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Lead Actress. It was also nominated for seven other awards. Now it awaits its fate with multiple nominations for the Golden Globes, Writers Guild, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

If you haven't already gotten the chance to watch Game Change, you're in luck. On January 8th, the HBO movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD.

The story is based on a book of the same name by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, which tells the tale of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Actually, the book covers much, much more territory than the movie, especially the Democratic primary. but to adapt it all would have been too massive an undertaking. Instead, the HBO adaptation focuses on the last part of the book, which covers the selection Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore, 30 Rock, Crazy, Stupid, Love) as John McCain's running mate and the race to the finish line with a vice presidential candidate not ready to handle a national campaign.

Before you dismiss Game Change as partisan nonsense, as some on the right have accused it of being, you should first watch it. As a character study, it stays pretty fair, thanks to writer Danny Strong (Recount)'s reliance on real events, without pushing a specific agenda, letting viewers make their own judgments. It is also like watching a disaster movie in a way, as we observe the inept and unprepared Palin come very close to the heights of power, admittedly a view made based solely on my own judgment.

Game Change goes beyond Palin's missteps and slip ups and allows viewers behind the scenes of a hotly contested presidential election. John McCain's (Ed Harris, Appaloosa, The Hours) staff, and in particular advisor Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson, Cheers, Zombieland), tries to manage Palin, and keep her from costing them the victory. The trouble is, Palin isn't willing to just follow their orders, though why she resists is up for debate.

As the Emmys acknowledged, the casting is fantastic. Moore gives a sincere performance as Palin, far from Tina Fey's Saturday Night Live caricature, while Harrelson delivers something far beyond an impersonation. The supporting players include Peter MacNicol (Numb3rs), Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Jamey Sheridan (Homeland), and Ron Livingston (Office Space), each of whom really add to the complete picture.

What emerges is a strong movie, with wonderful acting, and an authentic feel. It may come a little too soon for some who don't wish to relive those days only four years later, but it will definitely serve as a nice historical film, maybe even used in history classes to keep events a bit more alive than dry text.

Blu-ray is a nice way to purchase Game Change because of the clarity of image. Viewers will get to see every nuance of Moore's performance in HD, as well as appreciate the detail that went into the sets, costumes, and makeup. Obviously, Game Change isn't full of special effects, but visually, it's near perfect, and will definitely allow one to easily get sucked into the story. Even the color variations don't feel like mistakes, because of the documentary-style filming, and the blacks are deep and gradational, rather than flat.

There isn't a lot to say about sound, since not much is going on, other than speaking, though the score by Theodore Shapiro is nice for what it is, delivered with nary a pop or hiss, flowing smoothly below the action. More importantly, the dialogue is clear, and what sound effects are present come across just as they should.

Sadly, there are only two special features with this release. One ponders the qualities needed to make a viable candidate for the highest office in the land. The other, more relevant, is about the film, how it was adapted from the book, and the real-life drama that inspired it. This second featurette was interesting, but I wish there would have been a bit more in depth.

Game Change will be available on Blu-ray January 8th.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Game Change on Blogcritics.

Oscar stars also grace smaller screens (part I: the guys)

     The line between television and movies has been getting thinner and thinner for years.  While once movie stars were seen as something above their television counterparts, that has long since ceased to be the case.  There is so much crossover now between the two groups, that it is almost unnoticeable.  Furthermore, the awards shows for movies are carried on television.  Movies air on television all the time, especially on premium channels such as HBO and Showtime, which in turn now make their own television shows.  Although all of this year's Oscar male nominees have some television parts in their past, here are some of the strongest links:

George Clooney (Best Actor: Up in the Air) ~ The ultimate crossover, Clooney had his big break  starring in a popular television show called ER, before moving on to the cinema hits such as Ocean's Eleven, Good Night and Good Luck, and O Brother Where Art Thou?  Before any of that, he played recurring guest roles in shows such as Roseanne and The Facts of Life.

Colin Firth (Best Actor: A Single Man) ~ While many people know Firth from Bridget Jones's Diary and Love Actually, don't forget that he was Mr. Darcy in the television miniseries Pride and Prejudice, which is still arguably his best-known role.

Morgan Freeman (Best Actor: Invictus) ~ Freeman's defining part in The Shawshank Redemption may have been impressive, but he got his start on The Electric Company in the 1970's, appearing in almost eight hundred episodes.  He also guest starred on Ryan's Hope and portrayed Frederick Douglas in the 1990 award winning miniseries, The Civil War.

Woody Harrelson (Best Supporting Actor: The Messenger) ~ Harrelson is well known for his role on Cheers and his seven episode stint on Will & Grace.

Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor: The Last Station) ~ Long after he starred in The Sound of Music, Plummer played a number of roles on the small screen, including starring in the early 90's series Counterstrike, appearing in the miniseries The Thorn Birds, and a guest spot on The Cosby Show.

Stanley Tucci (Best Supporting Actor: The Lovely Bones) ~ Tucci was in ten episodes of ER, starred in the very short-lived series 3 lbs. and did twenty-three episodes of Murder One.

     The Oscars will be given out during the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday, March 7th at 8pm on ABC.