High On THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE

Article originally published as THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE Review on Seat42F.

Amazon’s newest drama is called THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. Based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, the story is set in an alternate 1962, in which the United States lost World War II in 1947, and now lives under the harsh rule of the Axis powers. In this landscape, a film reel showing the Allies winning the war begins circulating, and those in charge become intent to kill all who come across it.

The former United States looks very different in THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. The West Coast is now Japanese territory, while the Midwest and the East wave a Nazi flag. In between is a nearly lawless neutral zone, which characters from both sides venture into, and seems to be where a large part of the action will take place. While people are generally the same, the country is virtually unrecognizable, with everything from jobs to technology affected.

It’s under these conditions that the intrigue plays out. There is no love lost between the Japanese and the Germans, who have become locked in a Cold War, being the two super powers left in the world. Only Adolf Hitler holds the tenuous peace together, and with his health failing, it looks like things may soon devolve into violence once more.

It’s interesting to see Hitler cast as a peacemaker. It makes sense, given the way the pilot plays out, and it reinforces the wisdom that history is written by the victor. Life isn’t great for the conquered Americans, having lost their freedom, but it isn’t horrible, most going on mainly as normal. With the Great Depression having exacted a heavy toll and work still scarce, many who might revile Hitler are now counting on him to hold everything together.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE has a lot going on. I know I’ve said that about other shows, but it seems especially true about this one. There are the larger political machinations, as mentioned above, but there’s also a rebellion and the more personal story around the film reel., I give the writers credit for balancing all of this, likely inspired by Dick, who packed a lot in a relatively short novel. The show manages to tell various stories on different scales and not feel scattered or messy.

On the personal level, front and center, is Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos, Mob City). Living in San Francisco, studying martial arts, she embraces the best parts of the new world. But when her half-sister gives her the reel mentioned above, she feels compelled to follow the trail, taking her into the neutral zone, an area she knows nothing about.

Her counterpart from the German side is Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank, Bones), a truck driver who also has a reel. They come together seemingly by happenstance, but both seem destined to be intertwined. Their connection isn’t romantic, with Juliana having a steady beau at home. Instead, it seems like they are playing a part in something much bigger than themselves, with little foresight into what might happen next.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE’s first episode intrigues and engages. There characters are interesting, and while it isn’t populated by an A-list cast, there are a number of familiar faces, all of whom do an excellent job. The world, realistically painted, is complex and vast, and the balance between the elements is expertly managed. I have nothing bad to say about it, and look forward very much to diving into the next installment.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE is available now on Amazon.com, with the first two episodes currently free for everyone.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Book Thief’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘The Book Thief’ on Blogcritics.

As a fan of the best-selling novel The Book Thief, it was with trepidation that I tackled the film, now out on Blu-ray and DVD.  After all, the book succeeded because of a unique narrator in the form of Death, and there is really no way to re-create that character effectively on screen, as far as I could tell. It is a pleasant surprise, then, to find that by significantly minimizing the role of Death to an unseen voice (Roger Allam, Sarah & Duck), who only rarely is heard from, the movie can still tell a compelling, emotionally satisfying tale with high quality.

As The Book Thief begins, Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse, The Family Parent), age twelve, is being given up by her mother. Before she can make it to her new home, Liesel loses her little brother, and thus begins her dance with Death. Settled into the home of the kind Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech) and his shrewdish wife, Rosa (Emily Watson, War Horse), Liesel begins a tenuous new existence in Germany as World War II erupts around her. At first, the movie seems a little light, as if it has sanitized the horrible, tragic events of the great conflict. But the tale beautifully unfolds, cloaked in near-perfect sets and costumes, one begins to see the perspective represented.

Liesel is not a naive girl, but she is still a girl, and through her eyes, even after losing so much, we see the ‘normal’ life she attempts to carve out for herself. Taught to read by Hans and befriended by loyal classmate Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch), Liesel begins to feel like she has a place again, experiencing the things a young girl should. By the time the Liesel notices war arriving at the Hubermann’s door, it’s surely too late to do anything about it. Even after the Hubermanns take in Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer, Happy Town), a young, Jewish man on the run, things go along more pleasantly than one might expect. But then, Jews are rounded up, and those suspected of being Communists are also despised. Rudy’s efforts to cake himself in mud so he looks more like his idol, Jesse Owens, are firmly rebuked.

This isn’t a safe world, and while the adults do a pretty decent job for a while of protecting the children from the truth, some things are beyond their control. It’s from this point of view that The Book Thief sets itself apart from other works based in this time and place. Liesel may be a member of the nation that causes much havoc in the world, but she and those she comes to care about are not to blame. She has the innocence and adaptability of youth, but can one continue to survive when so much is ripped away? Liesel suffers many losses before the ending credits roll, and her story is not one soon forgotten as it wraps up in a bittersweet finale. There is an almost tangible charm, and for some reason, The Book Thief feels like a completely fresh take, not something I really expected from this work. It’s family-friendly enough, but not at the expense of authenticity.

The acting in The Book Thief is excellent. Nelisse is surprisingly good for someone her age, even as she isn’t quite believable in having aged five pivotal years over the course of the plot. Rush is exactly what one would expect, a formidable talent tackling a wonderful role. But the highest praise goes to Watson for walking the tight balance of a woman who comes across as so unlikable from the start, but who is worthy of Hans’ love, and whose public face is a cover for a warm heart and the fears she struggles with.

This release contains a 30-minute “Behind the Scenes” piece that gives a few insights into casting, set development, and the adaptation process, but never gets as in depth as many might like it to, especially when interviewing the child actors, who tend to give perfunctory responses. There are also deleted scenes and a theatrical trailer, as well as a couple of audio commentaries, so while not a stellar amount of extras, there is some benefit to having the disc versus catching it later on television.

I do think there are definitely sound reasons to view The Book Thief in high definition. Many of the colors are washed out in this bleak, yet somehow still homey, neighborhood. There are also a number of moments in the dank-ish basement. To experience the color, texture, and details of these sequences, one will want the best available picture quality. The signature John Williams soundtrack is well mixed with the dialogue and effects, so overall, there’s a really good package here for those who go for HD, even though this isn’t a digital- or war-heavy production.

The Book Thief is available now.

Glourious Basterds

     Quentin Tarantino's latest film, Inglourious Basterds (the spelling is correct), was released on DVD earlier this week, and it represents a departure or maturing of his distinctive style.  It still has some witty dialogue, long conversation scenes, jarring music, and a bit of blood and gore, but it was much more understated.  The language wasn't as vulgar.  There weren't so many disturbing images.  Yet, it was very intelligent story telling that actually went somewhere.  And it made me think.

     If you had caught the trailer, you'd think the movie was mainly about a gang of Jews led by Brad Pitt that went around killing Nazis.  You would be wrong.  Practically every scene that the Basterds appeared in was present in the trailers.  Instead, there is a deeper story about a woman who watches her family get butchered, the Nazi who hunted Jews better than anyone, and the afore mentioned woman's quest for revenge.  But, no, it's not Kill Bill.  The Jewish heroine is not on a mission, but can't resist a chance when it falls into her lap.  It seems unfortunate that there is so little of Pitt and the others, especially Donny (Eli Roth) and Utivich (B.J. Novak, The Office), as that would have made quite a comedy.  Of course, it would have been close to Tarantino's old schtick, and as mentioned before, this film represents a new direction for him.

     The real stars of the film are Melanie Laurent as the wronged Jewish woman, Shosanna, and Christopher Waltz as the Nazi hunting her people down, Col. Hans Landa.  Both of these characters are fictional, but appear authentic.  Each has deep motivations, and each performer delivered an outstanding feat.  Waltz was appropriately creepy and confident, barely verging on the overly so, and Laurent seethed with hatred, but managed to stay unnoticed by the occupying army in France of the early 1940's.  The opening scene was classic Tarantino, but after that, the paths that these two led, which coincidentally came together, were believable and brilliant.  I even cheered at the twist, history-altering, ending.

     Fans of Tarantino should still enjoy this, as there is enough of his old self left in it to be appreciated, and his new style may be even better.  Fans of the trailer may not like the movie, as they certainly won't get what the expected.  Fans of cinema in general should find this an intriguing plot with wonderful pacing, beautiful scenery, and a fine example of a great film.