Gurlyndrobb
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
ChampDavSlim
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Raymond Sierra
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
inframan
I mean the show, not the so-called story. I haven't seen the original Brit version of this series so I can't compare the 2 but just knowing the original was far shorter puts me in favor of that one.I can't think of any aspect of this LWS worth praising except the cinematography and how could you go wrong with ruined Detroit? But the casting was atrocious & the acting (where there was any) consequently all over the map. The white hoods looked like college students, the black hoods looked like central casting. Mark Strong seemed to be so wrapped up in holding in his Brit inflections that everything else got withheld as well. I found myself longing for some Victor Mature or Robert Mitchum grimacing & hamming. Those guys could have played Agnew in their sleep. Lennie James, OTOH, seemed to be auditioning for a modern version of The Tempest. Interesting but distracting.What else? The plot was choppy & predictable & highly dissatisfying. Odd that AMC should have run this after Breaking Bad. Maybe they should have called it Breaking Worse.
zombiebird
This is without a doubt 1 of the best dramas of 2013. A compelling story spread out over 10 episodes, with complex characters, a solid storyline and a satisfying ending. What to me stands out the most about this show is the story. This is not some cheesy drama with bits and pieces stitched together or some crap show where they started off with a good story and then scrambled to fill the pages. There is no scene that doesn't really add up, or make sense in the larger story; There is no little annoying episodic arc story that only lasts a few episodes and doesn't fit in to the greater arc of things; there is no moment where you feel that a character has acted out of turn, said or done something you know that they wouldn't. All those things that make you feel like you're watching some hammy, episodic, so- called-drama which has no substance and will probably carry on for years without going anyway. No, this show is not like that, this for a change, is a good show.To go along with that, the acting and directing is fantastic. Lennie James is brilliant as Joe Getties, 1 of the most interesting characters to come on TV in the past few years. Sadly I don't think this show will get picked up for another season, as it always is, very few people appreciate a good thing. Honestly though, I don't mind, it's better to go out on top rather than have multiple season of crap. The show doesn't end in a cliffhanger, or have any loose ends, so even if it does get canceled, this season will still be satisfying to watch.In short, you'll like this if you like good, fast passed, well told, well acted, drama.(Season 1 review)
sesack4th
Spoiler Alert!(?) Not sure....... but am afraid to risk it. I had hoped for so much more given the quality of everyone involved with this project. That being said we in the USA have a mixed track record when it comes to making our version of a great British production. I loved our version of "Life on Mars" more than the UK version but look what happened with "Prime Suspect". I will keep giving it a chance until I can no longer bear to watch it. It is good to see so many wonderful actors, writers and directors working with a new project. Having just come back from my very first visit to Detroit it would appear that the outdoor scenes are filmed in Detroit. Heaven knows that beleaguered city could use some help.
Swag Valance (witness-7)
There have been some solid American remakes of UK TV shows: All in the Family to Life on Mars. But there's also shows like "Coupling" too. This series seems to fit somewhere in the middle.On the plus side, the acting isn't bad. The storyline has its multiple levels: it doesn't dumb itself down for the audience. And Detroit is an excellent choice of settings for this US remake.On the negatives: my kingdom for a steady-cam. Are directors so infantile as to still believe the tired trope from Hill Street Blues that the more amateurish the guy holding the camera, the more it's supposed to feel like a documentary. Fail #1.Fail #2: good directors make you care about the characters involved and some of the storyline before the blood and guts come out and create a visceral reaction. Unfortunately, this show opted straight for the violence as a cloying attempt to capture you're interest immediately -- except that it's performed on characters you know nothing about and have zero investment with. Maybe if I was 7 years old, but not as an adult.Fail #3: the best dark shows often have comedic elements -- even if it's dark comedy -- to lighten up the pace. But this show is written with no redeeming moments -- no mood lighteners, no dark humor, no cracks. As such, it's a bit like listening to a 60-minute bass solo. Maybe you love bass, but it loses it's strength if that's all you get all the time. Darkness just has more impact when you get a reminder of the light once in a while. There is no light in this show.Fail #4: Closing scenes where the actors emote to the soundtrack. Cheesy to the extreme.