DISCLAIMER: this review cross-references various episodes from different seasons, SPOILERS for the entire show are possible.
Table of Contents:
Cinematography
Storytelling and Direction
Production Design
Costume Department
Characters
Dialogue
Story
Acting
Factual Accuracy
Cinematography
The importance of the visual presentation cannot be understated, TV is a visual medium, after all, so not surprising, and in that aspect of production this show is a winner. It's just beautifully shot, you like returning to this environment over and over again: from the majestic serene landscapes to ambitious city skyline, the view is absolutely stunning. I don't know for sure, but it seemed like the majority of interior scenes was shot on location, none of them feel like a set, they seem like real spaces. It's especially difficult to get a good clean shot in a real house, the set is much more accommodating in that regard: you can remove the walls and move the ceilings to capture both wide and medium shots with no restraints, in a real house a cinematographer has a much tougher job fitting the director's vision into frame. However, thanks to the unprecedented rate of technological progress these days, the digital cameras are getting smaller and smaller, very soon we'll be getting Arri Alexa quality from GoPro-size cameras. So, yeah, it's easier to get decent shots even in smaller spaces than it was ten years ago, but still, it's a demanding job, and it was done impeccably here. I also noticed many people complaining about the bluish tint, - to each their own, because to me the color grading fit the tone of the show like a glove. To summarize: the show was a visual feast from start to finish, an absolute delight to immerse yourself in.
8/10
Storytelling and Direction.
Appreciation of this aspect is usually dependent on one's personal perception and processing set-up of their mind, - different people prefer different kind of way to open the story: some people respond well to a slow build-up consisting mostly of visual sequences, e.g., - "Prometheus" (2012), while others prefer to jump right in to dialogue, think "Reservoir Dogs" (1992). Actually, these examples just hurt my point, because they both have the absolute perfection of an opening, done impeccably, masterfully, even though they are diametrically opposite of each other. So, I guess, despite making this generalized statement about different styles appealing to different people, something done by a true master would have an almost universal appeal. The long wide pan shots of waterfalls and volcano land were just as immersive and attention-grabbing as coffee cups and miscellaneous china sounds with Mr. Brown going in on Madonna before we can even see the first shot of the film.
When it comes to "Ozark" ... well, its opening didn't do it for me. I tried watching it first about a year ago because I saw all the hype about it on the internet (I think I saw it trending in the "most popular" section on imdb), I turned it off within the first twenty seconds, the stretched-out shots of the environment I feel no connection to yet just didn't do it for me, - the entitlement to my attention just pissed me off. Don't assume you deserve my attention by simply existing, do something to justify my keeping my eyeballs on you.
I decided to give it another go after watching "Law and Order: SVU's" finale (A Final Call at Forlini's Bar). I was utterly impressed by Jordana Spiro's performance: we're not treated to such a nuanced and raw portrayal of a victim on this show too often: she felt real in every sense of the word, she was sometimes sympathetic, sometimes annoying, at times reprehensible, but ultimately, that's what people are, and especially, domestic violence victims; they are not a one-note trembling little things, - they are faulty, damaged, sometimes destroyed beyond recovery human beings. Jordana Spiro's performance really stuck with me, so I looked her up to see what else she's done and "Ozark" was on the list. That was it, I had to watch it then. To overcome my initial rejection reaction, I skipped through the half of the first episode and landed somewhere in the middle of Del Rio interrogation, - it proved to be a wise choice, since that scene did a better job of pulling me into the story. I don't think I felt the urge to fast-forward any sections of the show ever again, and the storytelling significantly improved throughout the first season, in my opinion.
Another SPOILER warning, just because I personally hate spoilers, this is one of very significant ones, the kind that teases your mind and gives you an "oh, I did not expect that" tingle, it illustrates the power of good storytelling, so I can't NOT mention it. Agent Petty is a gay man who tries to get close to Ruth's uncle Russ, he pretends to be in need of some local fishing guide and offers to pay for the services. During their FIRST encounter he casually drops the info about his sexual orientation, which was confusing as heck to me, why would he drop the information he KNEW would alienate his mark? Could be bad writing, whatever. The very next time they are alone together, when you're just thankful the local ignoramus is at least willing to overlook Petty's orientation, Petty just straight up sexually assaults the man with an unsolicited kiss. I was kind of fuming lol: I'm a bit old-fashioned and very sensitive to the portrayal of gay people in the media, - there are enough negative stereotypes going around that are used to justify hate crimes against LGBT people, the last thing the world needs is validation of some dangerous stereotypes on film. However, everything is hunky-dory and Russ turns out to be a closeted gay man who decides to give in to Petty's courtship. I still was disapproving of Petty's approach and this plotline's perceived implications: what, gay people have a fool-proof gaydar and Petty just "knew" who Russ was, just like that? To my surprise the story unfolded in the most satisfying manner possible: Petty WASN'T knowingly courting a straight man, NOR did he have a gaydar, he looked into Russ's file and saw his criminal history with a male prostitute, so Petty knew Russ was in a closet from the start. Ohhh. THAT'S how you tell a story, keeping the viewer on the edge of the seat guessing, fuming, - genuinely, one of the best-told subplots in the series.
Their relationship was my favorite, too - both are pretty physical dudes, each in his own way: one is your manly man type, the other is a military/martial arts man, their dynamic worked and chemistry between the characters was palpable. Even their sex scenes were enjoyable and added to the development of the characters, and sex scenes are a tricky thing to make watchable, gay or straight, -just a difficult thing to make palatable in general, takes real talent, from everyone: director, editor, cinematographer and of course, actors. All of these people have to magically come to such synchronicity and harmony that the product of their work doesn't make the audience cringe. I was rooting for them to ride into the sunset, would love a spin-off of them just going about their fishing business. Russ DID deserve better.
Speaking of my issues with the story, I find this plot device of threatening Marty with violence against the preacher's wife questionable, it's basically: the mean bad people threaten violence against the wife of some OTHER MAN, not his wife, some other dude's wife, ok? Why would that be an adequate motivation for him? Marty has been already established like a person of not good character in their eyes, what made them think it was ever an effective leverage? Because he gave them 700K once before? Maybe that's the amount he was willing to part with to cut his losses on the church project and move on? That's ultimately what ended up happening. A lot of the dealings with both the Snells and the mob were a total incomprehensible mess, but still, it failed to ruin the show for me: as long as the story is told in a dynamic entertaining way and it's being carried by charismatic actors, small things like logic, common sense, factual accuracy, etc. Become insignificant.
All in all, - a rocky start combined with an occasional gem of a sequence, a pleasant surprise here and there on top of the above average level throughout the majority of the show, I give it 7/10 overall.
Production Design
Production design is one of the most important aspects of a TV-show, sometimes more important in a TV-show than even in a movie, simply because of the running time, sort of like a brief stay versus a long-term lease. That's how I feel about it - I'm staying in all those locations with the characters, it must be pleasant to the eye, and I'm just glad we got to stay at the only interesting work of architecture in the show, the moment I saw it I knew it would be our new home: no way would they show us this eccentric design in the middle of all the conformity, and take it away. A lot of the action takes place in that house, so I was pretty happy and willing to give it a pass on all other locations, even though... the Byrdes' house and that mansion they rented for Helen were the only pretty locations in the show, even the hacienda, being all that massive and all, lacked structural harmony needed for beauty.
Also... the Langmore trailers, and nope, don't give me "it's a freaking trailer, what do you want?!" excuse, it's not about marble counter tops and fountains, it's about harmony and color scheme and items that tie the whole thing together, and you CAN do it with a trailer - Budd's trailer in Kill Bill is spectacular: feels real, messy, lived-in, but perfectly coordinated all at the same time. I'll take the Snells' house...
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