Boardwalk of broken dreams

Time to feel the width and the quality:



Boardwalk Empire - I've heard it's going to be broadcast here sometime next year (probably on Sky 'cause they have that tie-in deal with HBO - betcha they put it on Box Office, just like they did with the Pacific).

What you probably already know: It's written by the guy behind the Sopranos, the first episode is directed by Martin Scorsese, it's based on a book, and stars Steve Buscemi. Oh and they spent a stupid amount of money on recreating the Boardwalk of Atlantic City in 1920, yada,yada,yada...

If you want more detailled nerdy stuff about it, these guys are
quite unfeasibly excited, and have already set up their own UK fansite here, complete with drinking game:

http://boardwalkempire.co.uk/blog

So what's the show like? Er.. well, with that pedigree, it's no surprise it's top quality. First up: check out this title sequence:



OoOOh. It's a cougaresque MILF of a show, isn't it? Mature and expensive.

The first episode lays the groundwork for the 11 other episodes to come, and it unveils just how the world is changing for Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Buscemi), the corrupt county treasurer for Atlantic City. I'm gonna try not to give too much away, but it's 1920, and Prohibition has just been introduced in the States. Nucky sees it as an opportunity to become a major booze importer, but he also sees himself as a benign public servant (on the take). We can already see how his future is going to pan out, especially after he starts dealing with big city mobsters.

Added into this volatile mix is a young, damaged man, James "Jimmy" Darmody, who's just returned from the trenches of the World War I. He's played by Michael Pitt, and I couldn't work out why he gave me the bloody creeps, until I remembered I'd last seen him terrorising Tim Roth with a golf club in the horrible Funny Games. I've gottta admit, the boy does simmering menace pretty well.

And there are some delightful cameos, in particular, Michael K Williams* (that's right - it's Omar, Wire fans!) and my favourite, Stephen Graham (yup, Combo from This is England) as Al Capone. I swear, that man is quickly becoming the British Joe Pesci, and he steals every scene, in everything he's in. (BTW I'll be looking at This is England '86 v.soon. Shame on you if you missed it)

Anyway, the show lives up to all the hype...but..when I reflected on it, the first episode does comes across like Scorsese-by-numbers, kinda like Goodfellas in the 1920s. And it is slow, and a bit soapy. I'm not sure I have the patience to see it unfold.

In conclusion,this is Millers Crossing in the style of Goodfellas. What? you like both of those films? Good. You'll like this then.

Still, on my dubious 1970s Indian-soft-drink scale of goodness, this is a Mangola.

(and if you haven't seen Millers Crossing, why the hell not? It's probably the best gangster film ever made...)

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Millers-Crossing-DVD-Gabriel-Byrne/dp/B00008RWW5

(*Interesting factoid: the "K" in Michael K Williams stands for Kenneth. Though I doubt anyone would go up to him in reality and say "oOH! Matron!". I suspect that would not go down well. At all.)