Today I want to bring
two great shows to your attention.
State of Play (2003)
and Utopia (2013).
Both are british,
meaning they are fairly short, clocking in at six 1-hour long
episodes, but they both manage to pack in a lot of story in these six
hours. And I mean alot. Neither show is the kind you can watch with
one eye while doing something else. You will need to pay attention.
Why did I choose to
talk about these two in particular? Well, aside from being absolutely
amazing, their common denominator is the conspiracy theme.
However, they approach
this theme from two different sides. Where State of Play spends most
of it's time in the realms of media and parliament, Utopia runs
mostly in the streets, back rooms and abandoned buildings.
This creates two very different atmospheres.
Both
shows contain a fair amount of violence, with Utopia coming out on
top, if that matters to you. In fact, Utopia dares to “go there”
to such an extent that I was quite shocked. But I have to applaud
them for daring to push boundaries. A great story sometimes have to
grab you by the neck and shake you about a bit. Push you out of your
comfort zone.
When
it comes to the characters, State of Play has it over Utopia in my
book. The characters in Utopia aren't bad by any means, and I'd like
to commend the child actors in particular, but they aren't as deep or
compelling as the cast of State of Play. I just found myself caring
more about the people in State.
Next,
let's take a look at the core of the shows; the conspiracies. State
of Play has a more run of the mill kind of conspiracy, with pretty
normal means and motives. Utopia's goals are harder to explain
without spoiling anything, but suffice to say, I was pretty confused
at first, and finally rather blown away.
If I
were to call State of Play a normal show, I'd do it a disservice. It
is not normal, but only in how it elevates itself above the rest. It
looks normal, and it acts normal, but dark things hide under the
surface. That said, I believe most people could watch it and like it.
Utopia
on the other hand, is not for everyone I think. Brilliant but pretty
disturbing. I'd say it recommends itself more to people with broader
interests. Definitely not a family show, so put the kids to bed.
I
have heard rumors
of a second Utopia season, but I have no idea if this is true. I
certainly hope it's not, as it's good as it sits. Less is without
question more.
State
of Play was made into film in 2009, starring Russell Crowe and Ben
Affleck, but I can't and I won't recommend this film. It's pure
garbage, especially compared to the show. Stay away.
So
now I've given you twelve hours of exciting entertainment. No excuse
to claim you're bored. Have fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment