This was one of the most consistently satisfying and engrossing miniseries I'd seen in a long time, whether sci-fi or otherwise. It has been mentioned otherwise about how entertaining motel/hotel stories are, whether "Identity" or "1408" or even "Vacancy," but "The Lost Room" really seems to be unique -- I certainly don't recall seeing anything else quite like it. The story is very intriguing and very well written, the dialogue is believable and doesn't come across as stilted or unreal (in spite of the very surreal quality surrounding the events and the "objects" of the tale). Admittedly, there aren't a lot of unexpected twists or turns or similar "gotcha"-style plot devices, but it's because there don't need to be. The action consistently stands on its own and moves along at excellent pacing; the theme of the story is bizarre enough in its own right without resorting to gimmicks to keep the viewer's attention.
I thought the casting was well-done, too -- although the acting is mostly very good, no character stands out in such a way as to overshadow the rest, except perhaps the Joe Miller character (very ably and likably played by Peter Krause), but in a way this all makes sense. This is a tale of ordinary men and women caught up in the midst of an extraordinary state of existence that has somehow overlapped into reality as we know it, and the players all carry it off convincingly. I especially liked the supporting performances by Kevin Pollak (a little different sort of role than I'm used to seeing him in -- both threatening and at the same time sympathetic), Dennis Christopher (who does a nice representation of gradually going nuts), and Peter Jacobsen (who does already-half-nuts in very amusing fashion). I was actually a bit disappointed in the role written for Julianna Margulies -- it isn't particularly strong, and you almost get the sense that, other than characterizing the existence of The Legion, she could almost have not been in the story at all and it would have continued on as before. Margaret Cho, on the other hand, has some fun scenes as a sort of one-person eBay of the abstruse.
Aside from the main story thread, what adds flavor to the goings-on are the "objects" themselves -- the everyday items that have become, in this reality, artifacts of strange powers ranging from mundanely miraculous to uniquely dangerous, even lethal. I kept wondering to myself, "How did someone deliberately discover that a particular object sublimates brass? brings memories into tangible existence by swallowing it? lowers blood pressure when its worn?" There must have been some pretty creative research going on during most of the items' existences.
Again, a very well-imagined, well-crafted miniseries. I've seen a number of folks here wonder about whether this is going to be a regular series on SciFi. I found that it was the perfect length, with a good ending that makes sense, and I'm a little bit glad they don't seem to be trying to stretch it into anything longer. I thought "The Lost Room" ended just where it was supposed to, though others will probably disagree. Give this one a look; it's definitely thinking-man's sci-fi without the need for elaborate special effects and exotic locations to keep things interesting.
I thought the casting was well-done, too -- although the acting is mostly very good, no character stands out in such a way as to overshadow the rest, except perhaps the Joe Miller character (very ably and likably played by Peter Krause), but in a way this all makes sense. This is a tale of ordinary men and women caught up in the midst of an extraordinary state of existence that has somehow overlapped into reality as we know it, and the players all carry it off convincingly. I especially liked the supporting performances by Kevin Pollak (a little different sort of role than I'm used to seeing him in -- both threatening and at the same time sympathetic), Dennis Christopher (who does a nice representation of gradually going nuts), and Peter Jacobsen (who does already-half-nuts in very amusing fashion). I was actually a bit disappointed in the role written for Julianna Margulies -- it isn't particularly strong, and you almost get the sense that, other than characterizing the existence of The Legion, she could almost have not been in the story at all and it would have continued on as before. Margaret Cho, on the other hand, has some fun scenes as a sort of one-person eBay of the abstruse.
Aside from the main story thread, what adds flavor to the goings-on are the "objects" themselves -- the everyday items that have become, in this reality, artifacts of strange powers ranging from mundanely miraculous to uniquely dangerous, even lethal. I kept wondering to myself, "How did someone deliberately discover that a particular object sublimates brass? brings memories into tangible existence by swallowing it? lowers blood pressure when its worn?" There must have been some pretty creative research going on during most of the items' existences.
Again, a very well-imagined, well-crafted miniseries. I've seen a number of folks here wonder about whether this is going to be a regular series on SciFi. I found that it was the perfect length, with a good ending that makes sense, and I'm a little bit glad they don't seem to be trying to stretch it into anything longer. I thought "The Lost Room" ended just where it was supposed to, though others will probably disagree. Give this one a look; it's definitely thinking-man's sci-fi without the need for elaborate special effects and exotic locations to keep things interesting.