TV Series of the Month – The Sopranos

This month’s TV series is The Sopranos (1999-2007).

The modern crime drama is about Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who suddenly has feelings that cause him to have panic attacks. Fearing that this could be taken as weakness putting his life in danger, he seeks the help of a therapist in secret – where he must work through personal and business related issues to get at the root cause of his attacks. Airing on HBO for six seasons, the series was created by David Chase (a veteran TV writer who also created the short-lived series Almost Grown; he is currently set to release his first feature Not Fade Away). In addition to Chase, the show had a fantastic writing staff, highlighted by Terence Winter (creator of Boardwalk Empire) and Matthew Weiner (creator of Mad Men). The show has a brilliant cast, making a star out of lead James Gandolfini. The series also starred Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Steve Van Zandt, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Drea de Matteo, Aida Turturro, and Steve Schirripa, and an impressive guest list including Steve Buscemi and Joe Pantoliano. This is one of the shows that changed television for the better (along with things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Freaks and Geeks), ushering in the current golden age (in which TV is better than cinema). The Sopranos is a must-see for all fans of great dramas, but especially those that love crime dramas and gangster films. The writing and characters are wonderful, and still among the best ever on TV. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD (the complete series) and Streaming

Movie of the Week – Miller’s Crossing

This week’s movie is Miller’s Crossing (1990).

The gangster film is about Tom Regan, a man who sees all the angles. Tom gets caught between two crime bosses when he tries to keep the peace after his long-time boss makes a poor decision because of a girl he’s sweet on. It is The Coen Brothers’ (Joel and Ethan) third film (and I would argue their first great film). They worked with composer Carter Burwell (who has scored almost every Coen Brothers film), cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld (who shot their first three films before becoming a director himself – probably best known for directing the Men in Black series) and production designer Dennis Gassner (his first film with them, but he went on to design many of the their films to follow). The film also has a fantastic cast, filled with frequent collaborators: John Turturro, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi, Michael Badalucco, and Frances McDormand (plus a brilliant cameo by Sam Raimi). It stars Gabriel Byrne and features Marcia Gay Harden and Albert Finney in support. The Coen Brothers bring their particular brand of filmmaking to the gangster genre with this film – it has wonderful dialog, brutal violence and all the typical motifs and themes of the genre, and yet the Coen Brothers also have fun with it exaggerating some of its elements for comedic effect. It is sort of a strange film in that way – it is funny, but mostly plays as a straight crime drama. The Coen Brothers are among the great auteur filmmakers of their generation (or really of any generation) and this is a must-see for fans of their work, as well as fans of gangster films. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Movie of the Week - Fargo

This week’s movie is Fargo (1996).

The dark comedy is about a man, Jerry Lundegaard, desperate for money who hires some men to kidnap his wife and ransom her; only he plans to keep most of the money for himself. When things go wrong and people end up dead, local police chief, Marge Gunderson, investigates the crime. The film is written and directed by the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) and marks their first Oscar nods and win – for Best Original Screenplay. And, like most Coen Brother Movies, Cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Carter Burwell provide excellent work. Production designer Rick Heinrichs does his first work for the Coens on this film (he also did The Big Lebowski) before moving on to big budget productions. The cast is great but particularly the performances of Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand and William H. Macy. What makes the film great is the dialog the Coens give the characters. It is hilarious. There are also a number of very good scenes in the film – highlighted by the performances and the wonderful collaboration of Deakins with the Coens. The aesthetics are beautiful, and the viewer cannot help but laugh at how outrageous all the characters are despite the story being rather tragic. It is a must see for Coen Brothers fans, fans of comedy and those looking to have a good working knowledge of the best films of the 90s’. Check out the trailer.

Fargo is available on Blu-ray and DVD on Amazon.com and to rent and stream at Netflix.com 

Movie of the Week - The Big Lebowski

This week’s movie is The Big Lebowski (1998)

Directed by The Coen Brothers, The Big Lebowski centers on The Dude. The film plays as a detective piece structurally, with The Dude hired to find a missing millionaire’s daughter. Completely unprepared and unqualified for the task, hindered at ever turn by a fantastic group of characters, The Dude just sort of exists above it all, too cool for the world, yet constantly brought back into it by the chaos that surrounds him. The film is great due to the perfect performances (especially Jeff Bridges and John Goodman), great writing from the Coen Brothers, and just the odd world that it all takes place in, created by the style of the Coen Brothers mixed with the work their frequent collaborators, Roger Deakins and Carter Burwell. While the film may not get you on the first viewing, it is better and better with each. It is one of the best comedies and films of the 90s and the Coen Brother’s catalogue. The film stars: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare, John Turturro, and Sam Elliot.

The Big Lebowski [DVD]