I've watched the first episode. I want to love this. But the only way this works for me is if I put Humprhey Bogart's voice over Clive Owen's every time he speaks. Bogart was world weary and beaten in a lot of ways, cynical and worn. But there was some indefinable spark and a nuance in his delivery that let you know he was alive, ticking, mind running full tilt and very clever plus he was quite funny, and nobody was really going to get the better of him. I just don't feel any of this from Clive. They wrote this show with Bogart dialogue but Owen doesn't have that type of delivery. I'll try episode 2. Now that the big kill has happened, maybe a fire will be lit within Owen.
UPDATE: Episode 2 now under my belt. Much much better. Maybe it will take time for the series to get its rhythm. I enjoyed this episode. I thought Owen was good and I'm beginning to have a little faith. I think the local French policeman is my favorite character. He has the best lines and delivery. I find the woman who owns the cafe/bar to be boring and her husband much the same. But something is going to happen there. I look forward to 3.
UPDATE: Thru eppisode 4. Ugh. Theresa acts like a 35 year old tired tart. That makes no sense at all. She was pretty darn young when she entered that nunnery. Why is she acting like she's been on the street?
The thing that disturbs me is how hard it is to follow. Thru episode 4, I get that we are emeshed in the after effects of not just WWII but also the French/Algeria war, of which I know nothing but I'm pleased to try to learn. And this maybe Mahdi kid? This feels so contrived. In fact, so much feels contrived. I think Owen has gotten the swing of it and is doing well. After all, he didn't write the pretty silly dialogue they are making him say.
But the father of the husband of his pretty bar-owning partner - who cares? And her part, omg. Poor actress. I did like that many townspeople shoot the Nazi member and husband of whoevver Spade was married to that is now dead. Okay. We get it. The French suffered terribly through all the world wars and Algeria and they do not play.
Could this be any more confusing? The "monk" killer - an unknown. Jean Pierre if that is his name. Who cares. The husband of whoever she is. Who cares. And the American priest who is? Really?
I am invested in Spade and the french policeman. Oh, I kind of like the maybe CIA agents who are pretending to be mother and son. What a huge mess this is. A slow, ponderous, confusing mess. Maybe they should have done a tv movie as 2 hours might be all this script could support and be bearable.
UPDATE: Episode 2 now under my belt. Much much better. Maybe it will take time for the series to get its rhythm. I enjoyed this episode. I thought Owen was good and I'm beginning to have a little faith. I think the local French policeman is my favorite character. He has the best lines and delivery. I find the woman who owns the cafe/bar to be boring and her husband much the same. But something is going to happen there. I look forward to 3.
UPDATE: Thru eppisode 4. Ugh. Theresa acts like a 35 year old tired tart. That makes no sense at all. She was pretty darn young when she entered that nunnery. Why is she acting like she's been on the street?
The thing that disturbs me is how hard it is to follow. Thru episode 4, I get that we are emeshed in the after effects of not just WWII but also the French/Algeria war, of which I know nothing but I'm pleased to try to learn. And this maybe Mahdi kid? This feels so contrived. In fact, so much feels contrived. I think Owen has gotten the swing of it and is doing well. After all, he didn't write the pretty silly dialogue they are making him say.
But the father of the husband of his pretty bar-owning partner - who cares? And her part, omg. Poor actress. I did like that many townspeople shoot the Nazi member and husband of whoevver Spade was married to that is now dead. Okay. We get it. The French suffered terribly through all the world wars and Algeria and they do not play.
Could this be any more confusing? The "monk" killer - an unknown. Jean Pierre if that is his name. Who cares. The husband of whoever she is. Who cares. And the American priest who is? Really?
I am invested in Spade and the french policeman. Oh, I kind of like the maybe CIA agents who are pretending to be mother and son. What a huge mess this is. A slow, ponderous, confusing mess. Maybe they should have done a tv movie as 2 hours might be all this script could support and be bearable.