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Reviews
The Plan (2009)
Thorough Reexamination of Battlestar Galactica
The cylons were created by man. They rebelled and evolved to appear human and even think as humans. These robotic machines in the universe of Battlestar Galactica destroyed an entire civilization of fictional humans in a quest to right the wrongs of their creators' sins. The moral question of justice has always been a backdrop of Battlestar, but The Plan really brings it to the forefront. What reasoning is there for genocide and mass destruction? What moral imperative drives devastating loss of life? Such are the massive questions the show endeavors to resolve, or at least, question. The Plan examines what it means to be human.
In the Battlestar universe, the cylons have always had a plan. We just never got to see or understand it as viewers. The Plan examines pinnacle moments during the Battlestar show and present clips of the events with supplemental scenes to further extrapolate details about the characters. The destruction of the colonies is witnessed first hand by several members of the Final Five cylons who provided the technology for human emulation, one of the critical innovations the cylons made to infiltrate humanity once and for all. Sweeping shots of glistening cities are replaced with apocalyptic images of mindless destruction through waves of nuclear air strikes. The effects are mesmerizing on a visual and intellectual level, as the viewer is left to ponder the massive outcome of military damage to defenseless civilian targets. The emotional impact is overwhelming.
The cylon plan for human genocide derives from the conniving plans of Cavil, labeled One as a cylon model. Dean Stockwell provides a provocative characterization of a somewhat schizophrenic character. He "chews the scenery" a bit as the evil mastermind, but Stockwell emanates his decisions with such moral clarity, such disdain for opposing sides, that he fills the megalomaniac shoes very well. The performance is simultaneously campy and brilliant in his provoking mannerisms. Mixing the personal with the theatrical, he conveys a sensational villain with insistent motives that question our understanding of human morality.
Few of the revelations give any provocative insight into the original plots of BSG, but the impact of the reexamination triggers a strong nostalgic and inquisitive response. Boomer's actions as a sleeper agent are thoroughly scrutinized. The additional scenes extrapolate while leaving some questions open to interpretation and imagination. The fun part of The Plan is reconsidering all of the original conflicts of the Battlestar universe and reinterpreting them, either through the on screen situations or through our own imaginations. The movie encourages the imagination to question the original story-lines, a profound achievement for a movie presented through a format akin to a clip show. It is a "re-imagining" of the clip show and of Battlestar Galactica as a whole, and the result is thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking.
The DVD is chock full of extras, from extended deleted scenes with accompanying soundtrack to special extras which offer insight into the BSG creative process. The special effects team has a feature offering some understanding into the complex creative enterprise of realizing the detailed and realistic visual effects of the series. Edward James Olmos has a feature describing his transition to director and what the process means to him. The extra content enhances the understanding of the creative process and provides additional story lines through the deleted scenes, making for a cornucopia of juicy material.
Most of all, The Plan provides a means of observing our moral universe and the underlying philosophical principles of our existence. Battlestar Galactica has always focused on moral conflicts, and this most recent movie expounds upon Ronald D. Moore's vision as well as human morality. It is a triumph of creative television and moral exploration.
Highs: Exemplary special effects nicely complement a compelling storyline; Dean Stockwell's scenery-chewing brilliance; poetic direction by Olmos; casual confidence of Espenson's dialogue; exciting DVD extras; innovative re-imagining of the clip show.
Lows: Somewhat campy; Cylon evil-ness reduced occasionally to comic slapstick (see Six's wig switch in the middle of the movie).
The Verdict: A, Haunting, nostalgic presentation of the war between man and cylon.
The Wire: The Target (2002)
Two different chains-of-command trying to control their own as they break the rules
Most crime dramas draw a sharp line in the sand between law enforcement and criminals, cops vs. robbers, good guys vs. bad guys. While shows such as Law & Order, CSI and its many, many spin-offs may provide a glimpse of the law enforcement community in all its crime-solving glory, they fail to capture the human element in crime and the complex underlying motives and elements which underlie why someone would commit a crime. In HBO's series The Wire, we observe the interaction between police, judicial, and criminal sides battling, not just each other, but amongst themselves over authority & proper conduct in each of their respective realms.
The trial of D'Angelo Barksdale appears to be a slam dunk with two eyewitnesses giving testimony, but Detective Jim McNulty is not convinced. As he observes the second eyewitness contradict her previous statement, presumably influenced by a group of somewhat unsavory gentlemen sitting in the audience, the case begins to unravel and McNulty's suspicions are confirmed. The man responsible for the testimony is Avon Barksdale, a.k.a. Stringer Bell, sitting quietly in the courtroom wearing dignified legal glasses and holding a legal pad. After a not guilty verdict is reached, he casually saunters up to the losing District Attorney and says, "You have a nice day", as though he were saluting a neighbor. In an ironic twist, the supposed criminal mastermind in control of drug operations in Baltimore, the criminals appear surprisingly civil and in control, while the justice system gets tied up in bureaucratic chaos.
McNulty is asked by the presiding judge how this happened and what his specific interest is. The detective spills the beans on the man he suspects of being a drug kingpin. This sets off a chain reaction pitting the detective against his own dept. for involving the judge in an inner dept. matter, thus violating the chain-of-command. Meanwhile, the recently acquitted D'Angelo returns to the streets and is demoted by his boss and uncle Stringer for his own reckless actions. The parallel is interesting to watch, as we can observe the inner workings of drug crime and police prevention to discover, in some ways, they are governed by the same rules, only with different motives.
The show's weave of complex character relationships could not be sustained without a strong cast, and the actors provide the anchor for this sometimes muddied drama. Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) exudes a confidence and control which is quite endearing. Dominic West plays Det. McNulty with a devil-may-care attitude, appealing to the rebellious side of human nature. He conveys the inner struggle over his character's actions very naturally and he commands sympathy and respect through his calm power. Larry Gillard, Jr. particularly shines as the misfit murderer D'Angelo, struggling against his own group as they shun his actions as well as an inner struggle for personal authority.
The storyline occasionally gets bogged down in the complexities of the chain-of-command with law enforcement, partly due to the slang filled dialogue (both a blessing and a barrier), but mostly because of a few poorly coordinated scene changes with little to no connecting segue. However, the complexity is certainly welcome, as it endeavors to challenge our basic assumptions towards criminal activity and the effort to combat it. The Wire is an undercover look into the criminal world.
Highs: Intimate human focus on criminals & law enforcement; Charismatic acting ensemble; shuns the black & white emphasis of contemporary crime dramas.
Lows: Story bogged down by inner complexities; a few trite scenes.
The Verdict: B+, Thorough exploration of the inner workings of criminals, their motives, and the law enforcement who target them.
Battlestar Galactica: Sometimes a Great Notion (2009)
The harried survivors find their faith put to the test in this beautiful yet bleak storyline
The makers of Battlestar Galactica have always been experts at mind-blowing plot twists which alter the very fragile and limited moments of normal order in the fleet, but the revelation of the charred & nuked remains of scorched Earth may turn out to be the greatest test of faith the human survivors have ever faced. If anything has been a constant within the show, it has been the undying faith and hope in the existence of Earth, the home of the mythical Thirteenth Tribe of Kobol, as the one shining light piercing through the dark & hostile atmosphere of endless trials & tribulations. Now, the remaining 39,000 survivors of a once prosperous society have found their travails were all for naught, and a thick fog of despair hangs in the air over the disturbing revelations. Even more frustrating is the perplexing mystery of Earth itself. The discovery of some unusual Cylon remains on the planet raise more questions than answers over who, or what, the 13th Tribe really was.
It proves to be too much. Upon their return to Galactica, Roslin and Adama face a hanger deck full of hopeful crew mates, anxious to hear the news of their mythical refuge. Normally, the steely-eyed Roslin never shies from a moment to step up to a challenge, but here she can only shake her head subtly, frozen with the prospect of destroying the last bastion of hope for the weary travelers. "Get me out of here," she mutters to Adama, and the place is in uproar with anxious questions, only to find their beloved leaders retreat into a dark depression.
The visuals of lost hope are powerful and stunning, anchored by the consistently solid score of Bear McCreary. Ponderous & discordant variations on the once soaring themes of the show echo the fear of the unknown displayed through the tense interactions of the characters. All of the answers they seek reveal more frustrating questions. The mood is emotionally provocative and wears very heavily. The crisis of faith, the loss of social order, the gray bleakness of Earth's nuked skies all paint a vivid and beautiful portrait of the collapse of the human spirit, but it takes its toll through watching it unfold. Perhaps this is more to the show's credit that it evokes so powerfully the very emotions it portrays on screen, but for viewers it amounts to being stabbed in the heart a thousand times, or as Ronald D. Moore puts it, an emotional sucker punch.
Some of the storyline feels clumsy and forced. Bill Adama's confrontation of his friend and ex-o, newly discovered Cylon Saul Tigh, falls for all of the usual clichés associated with depression in Battlestar Galactica. The Admiral snags a sidearm from a guard and drops in uninvited with a bottle of booze. Pouring enough to kill a small horse, Adama tosses the weapon on the table and barks, "Sit down, Cylon!" at the somewhat bewildered Tigh. The scene stands well enough on the outstanding acting talents of Edward James Olmos (Adama) and Michael Hogan, but the dialogue sounds crude and forced, a bit clumsy considering the show's typically high standards. Those standards certainly were not applied to revealing the identity of the final Cylon, tacked on to the last five minutes like an extra edition of the news. It comes in so unexpectedly, it feels as though the writers did it by accident. Nothing frustrates more with this show than the flubbing of key plot points, especially considering the hype many of these revelations get through the constant repetition throughout the show. In going for the surprise, the scene skipped creating the appropriate tension to buildup to the revelation, which is why it comes off as flat and uninspired.
Despite its flaws, Sometimes a Great Notion gracefully probes the ends of the human spirit, seeking an answer to the greatest tests of faith.
Highs: Provocative & powerful imagery reflected through McCreary's musical variations; post-apocalypse is where Battlestar lives; emotionally gripping
Lows: Emotionally exhausting; frustrating revelations only raise more questions; clumsy & forced in places; one-dimensional character presentation.
The Verdict: Powerful, relentlessly dark probe of the human spirit
Twin Peaks: On the Wings of Love (1991)
Mystical Romance
As if a magical pixie fog had descended on the town overnight, romance is a-bloomin' in Twin Peaks, with newbies Heather Graham & Billy Zane moving in like Peregrine Falcons on Coop & Audrey. And who can blame them? As two of the most interesting and distinctive characters on the show, I suspect the two of them find their answering machines overflowing with advances when the weekend comes around. Nonetheless, nothing can keep Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn) from releasing all of her sublimely honed feminine charms on Billy Zane, A.K.A. Jonathan Wheeler. The chemistry created by Zane & Fenn is a true testament to their inventive talents, and it is a delight to listen to the effortless flow of their conversation. Meanwhile, Coop and Gordon Cole find true love of their own, but not with each other, surprisingly. Cole discovers Shelley is the only one he can hear properly, and thank God, otherwise we would have to continue to endure his humorous albeit relentless yelling, played with abandon by David Lynch himself. Coop finds himself beaming at Annie (Graham), Norma's sister who fled her convent to discover, as Arrested Development puts it, the "secular world", takes a clumsy swing at Cooper, flashing her pretty blues and playing coy. Graham occasionally rolls through her lines with the singsong fakeness of a bad high school actor, but she does have a few nice moments chatting with Coop, which may fill the void created by the (temporary?) squelching of Coop & Audrey's verboten romance. Although the romantic elements of the show occasionally grind the momentum to a halt, for the most part it works in this episode.
Director Duwayne Dunham, or 3D as he'd like to be called, paints a crisp, dark, yet graceful portrait of the mystical scenes surrounding the show. The opening panning shot creeps slowly across a detailed background, allowing the viewer to participate three-dimensionally (so 3D, its official now, right?). The spelunking scenes in the Owl Cave have an appropriate amount of tension, enhanced by the sensual delights of the textured shots within the cave, no small feat considering the lighting difficulties. Dunham fosters a mysterious ambiance with a lush and stimulating visual environment. His directorial talents prove an excellent fit for the eccentric artistic stylings of David Lynch & his band of misfits.
The spelunking trip provides a much needed injection of mysticism & suspense, with what appear to be significant clues to revealing the driving force behind the violence in Twin Peaks, specifically the significance of the markings reported on Major Briggs and the Log Lady. It is refreshing after moments of malaise in the middle of the second season, mostly due to the show getting bogged down in its sillier elements. Most importantly, "On the Wings of Love" rewards the loyal Twin Peaks fan, occasionally battered through the challenge of such an eccentric show, with the elements which attracted the viewers originally: mystical enigmas & cheeky pop drama, all wrapped in a stylish Lynch package.
The Wire: Sentencing (2002)
Aimless Wandering Back Towards the Status Quo
As The Wire revealed over the course of the first season, criminal investigation requires a microscopic eye for detail and a clear understanding of personal motive. Wallace & D'Angelo's moral qualms about their involvement in the Barksdale operation provided valuable evidence to the investigative detail about who to hit and for what crimes. Without Lester Freamon's or Pryzbylewski's classic detective work, the wiretap wouldn't have been possible and the police dept. wouldn't have known about Stringer Bell's financial properties and political connections. Hell, without knowing what motivates the chain of command and Major Rawls's micromanaging, McNulty wouldn't have been able to subvert his authority to keep the wire open. All of this drove the thrilling humanistic dramas through organic storytelling by talented actors playing thoroughly driven characters, making The Wire something of a standout among the classic Law & Order-style shows. However, "Sentencing" throws the book out the window in favor of story resolution, and all of the effort thrown into the case looks all for naught in the end. Watching bureaucratic mismanagement may be realistic and marginally informative, but it does not make for dramatic and compelling television.
Take the arrest & trial of Avon Barksdale. Before the Baltimore Police Dept. decides to storm Orlando's strip club, Avon casually remarks, "Might as well not waste a good safe", opening it as he contemplates the potential damage from the police storming in. Avon and Stringer as laughing as they consider the SWAT team effort present, when their actual arrest was about as civil as a country club ejection. They quietly cuff Avon, leaving Stringer free, as they have no case against him. The dry, mechanical nature of the arrest suggests Avon is not overly concerned, and as the story unfolds, his confidence is boosted.
Meanwhile, D'Angelo is arrested and his long-desired full disclosure confession unwraps as he considers the moral ramifications of being involved in Stringer's murderous operation. He almost spilled the beans earlier in the season when confronted with photos of a dead witness from D'Angelo's murder trial. But now, they have more photos and more dead federal witnesses, including his boy, Wallace, from the pit. It sort of feels like a rerun as it unfolds, as Dee admits selling drugs and implicates Avon, but stops short of taking responsibility for a murder, desiring his witness immunity. "I just want to go somewhere anywhere where I can breathe like regular folks." Pearlman is ecstatic about the confession to the point of jumping McNulty in the headquarters garage, but McNulty seems somewhat reserved and, perhaps, pessimistic.
And I'm inclined to agree with McNulty's skepticism, after witnessing a federal wiretap (albeit, a fictional one) result to one drug kingpin and a couple of lieutenants serving a few years time in prison. Its not as if I want them to get life in prison or a public hanging, but I understand the frustration of the police officers at the bureaucratic dealings over sentencing, the relentlessly nagging of chain-of-command to think within the box and stick to dept. policy, and the lack of impact these policies have on actually changing criminal drug trafficking in the first place. Looking at the pit at the end of the episode, you would think nothing had changed. Avon continues counting his money (and putting it in the un-ruined safe), just in a different location. The higher authorities of Baltimore Police take the credit, and the rest of the detail gets dispersed to obscure and sometimes unwanted positions.
I have always respected The Wire as a crime drama because I felt it has a more realistic portrayal of the cause and effect nature of crime and law enforcement. The bureaucratic watering down of the sentences is realistic and important to see. It just doesn't make for dramatic television. That is the downfall of "Sentencing". While still giving us the intimate humanistic scenes of crime & law enforcement, the story wraps up in a very unsatisfactory and mechanical matter, almost as though we are supposed to shrug our shoulders at the end and say, "Well, that's life." While it may be true that sometimes a concerted effort fails in making a real change, watching it on TV isn't very entertaining.
Highs: Organic weave of character personalities into the story, supported by a strong ensemble cast.
Lows: Bureaucratic shuffle makes for a pointless & boring story, lacking drama and character conflict; McNulty vs. Rawls is starting to feel like cop vs. boss cliché.
The Verdict: C, Watching all the effort yield few results is frustrating and boring.