TV: The Tunnel (S1) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
I watched this because I read that the Danish series it is based on, The Bridge, was well received. A little shamefully I opted for the British production rather than doing any legwork to watch the original.

What's it all about?
A body is discovered laid across the half-way point of the Channel Tunnel, bringing both UK (Stephen Dillane) and French (Clemence Poesy) detectives together to investigate an anarchistic serial killer working on both sides of the channel.

The Good:

• The Anglo-French clash of cultures and banter between Elise and Karl
• Elise's matter of fact attitude
• Slow build-up, steadily peeling layers off the plot as the crimes continue, similar to The Killing
• The Seven style climactic end to the finale
• The performances of the two leads Dilane and Poesy

The Bad:

• At times, especially towards the end the plot became a little convoluted. I'm thinking of the Peleton angle that didn't seem to be explored in any depth.

Favourite line:

'[To a parent]..It will be alright' - Karl

'We can't say that, we don't have any leads on your daughter's current whereabouts' - Elise

Stand-out moment:
The stand-off between Karl, Elise and TT back at the Channel Tunnel

Like the show? Watch: The Bridge, The Killing

What my wife would say: Watched it. Really doesn't like subtitled bits because she can't play on Candy Crush at the same time.

What the world thinks:

IMDB - 4/5

Twitter -

Wow, #TheTunnel perhaps the best drama I've seen all year, great finale but need to see Karl & Elise working together again
— Kevin F (@dashdotat) December 18, 2013

BOOK: Inherent Vice, Thomas Pynchon (6/10)

Why did I read it?

Somebody at work mentioned Thomas Pynchon to me so I decided to look up some of his work and admittedly it was the LA setting and colourful hippy front cover that attracted me to Inherent Vice out of all of Pynchon's bibliography. 

What's it all about?

Set in the late 60's LA private detective and full time stoner Doc Sportello investigates the alleged kidnapping of a property magnate and an old flame, the murder of the magnate's bodyguard and the suspicious death of a musician, all of which appear to be connected to a shady organisation called The Golden Fang and corruption within the LAPD.





  

The Good:

• Eclectic mix of characters
• Bigfoot and Doc's LAPD and PI love hate relationship
• Short and fast paced
• The 60's L.A. setting

The Bad:

• The story didn't get hold of me and I had no urgency in uncovering the mystery. When I did it seemed an anticlimax to say the least.
• The main story and the fragments of it brought by each the characters didn't seem totally cohesive in mye eyes, especially relating to Coy Harlingen.
• A few too many pages dedicated to 'trips'.

Favourite line:

'Hair and drug-use issues not withstanding, I've never thought of you as any less than professional' - Detective Bjornsen

What the world thinks:

Amazon - 4/5

goodreads - 3.64/5

Twitter -

Finished Inherent Vice today. Not sure if I loved it, or that I even got it, but it's definitely a wild trip.
— David Dougan (@DavidWDougan) November 11, 2013

TV: The Wire (S3) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
Season three of David Simon's Baltimore epic The Wire is the first season I haven't seen yet and I just completed re-watching the first two seasons to get back into the swing of things.

What's it all about?
Season three's central theme focuses on Baltimore's political machine, as the season's narrative follows the street level consequences of the incumbent Mayor's decision to increase the pressure on acting Police Commissioner Burrell to reduce crime statistics, all in the name of re-election  Meanwhile Lieutenant Daniels' Major Crime Unit continues to investigate the Barksdale organisation as Avon wages war against new dealer Marlo and Stringer struggles to legitimise the organisation through property development.

The Good:

• The usual high quality, thoughtful, uber realistic writing
• The penultimate episode Middle Ground
• Rawls and Burrells' reaction at the ComStat meeting when Major Colvin's reveals his Hamsterdam tactics
• Some big revelations and one of my most loved characters gets bumped off
• Avon's thug mentality versus Stringer's 'bodies are bad for business' policy

The Bad:

• Slower than usual this time around - the least enjoyable season so far for me but hey it's still The Wire.
• The political flavour of the season, with time dedicated to Councilman Carcetti, Mayor Royce etc. is less savoury than the homicide, street crime and drug trafficking angles of previous seasons.

Who gets got?

Favourite line:

'I had him and he doesn't even know it' - Jimmy McNulty

Stand-out moment:

Stringer revealing all to Avon and the fisticuffs that followed

What my wife would say: #When you walk through the garden.....#

What the world thinks:

Metacritic - 98/100

Twitter -

The Wire. Season 3, episode 11. Absolute genius. Holy balls perfection.
— Moon Zappa (@MoonZappa) May 25, 2013

TV: Ray Donovan (S1) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?

Purely based on the intriguing trailers and admittedly more on the 'fixer' to the stars angle that the show was marketed under.

What's it all about?
Working as a shady 'fixer' for a L.A. law firm representing Hollywood's finest, things have been good for Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) after he and his brothers, Terry (Eddie Marsan) and Bunchy (Dash Mihok), left Boston and a scarred past behind them to move out West. Unfortunately for Ray, things all change when his estranged father Mickey (Jon Voight), the source of much of the family's drama, is released early from prison and heads to L.A bringing the FBI in tow. 

Should you watch it?
Ray Donovan is definitely my favourite new show of 2013. Combining Hollywood and the less privileged areas of L.A. alike with a fantastic cast and taking more than a passing inspiration from Tony Soprano's family problems the show ratchets up the drama throughout the twelve episodes and delivers a gripping second half to it's first season.

Boasting the likes of Schreiber, Voight, James Woods and Elliott Gould, the acting is first class. Special mentions for Eddie Marsan, excellent as Terry, the boxing trainer suffering from Parkinsons and Jon Voight, who must be in contention for an award for his portrayal of equally crazed and happy go lucky Donovan patriarch Mickey. Voight attacks the role with relish and doesn't look anything close to his seventy-four years of age as he asks a woman he chats up at a spa 'Do you know how to twerk?'.  

After the second episode it became apparent that the show was going down the family drama path relying on Ray's fixer career as a background narrative and I was unsure about this but the characters on offer are so strong that the show definitely benefits from being a character driven drama and ultimately excels at this.

TV: The Americans (S1) (7/10)

Why did I watch it?
I caught on to the success of this over the pond and decided to give it a go. Also, Justified creator Graham Yost is attached as showrunner, and the bloke knows his stuff.

What's it all about?

Living in Washington at the height of the Cold War, Elizabeth and Phillip are KGB agents posing as the perfect American married couple tasked with gathering intelligence. Things become complicated for the spies when Stan Beerman, an FBI Counter-Intelligence agent, moves in next door.

Should you watch it?
Another brief review here........
Matthew Rhys was tipped by some to earn an Emmy nomination for his role as Soviet spy Phillip Jennings and although he ultimately missed out on making the list, for my money he can't have been too far away. As half of the undercover couple, his performances throughout the debut season, in all manner of dodgy 80's wigs, certainly deserve some credit. I found Keri Russell to be trying to hard in her portrayal of the more resolute and dogged Elizabeth.

As far as the story goes the show starts strongly, 
driven by the stronger episodes, 'Pilot' and 'Gregory' but loses its momentum towards the end when the agent double-crossing becomes a little benign before an excellent finale 'The Colonel' closes the season on a high note.

FILM: Contraband (7/10)

Why did I watch it?

I remember deciding that I would catch this film on TV rather than at the cinema. I thought the cast looked decent enough and the modern day smuggling story appealed to me for some reason.

What's it all about?

Retired master smuggler Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is forced to make one last run to Panama and back when his brother-in-law, who unbeknown to Chris is running drug contraband himself, loses a package and becomes indebted to local mobster Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) to the tune of $700,000.

Should you watch it?
I wasn't expecting Contraband to deliver too much and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. You can always count on Mark Wahlberg too deliver a steely, non-nonsense, man-caught-in-a-drama type performance. I'm a big fan of Ben Foster, although I think he has had better roles than this one, and with Ribisi, the two provide strong counter foils to Wahlberg, who does what he does best. Kate Beckinsdale is really just window dressing caught up in the drama.

Character development isn't top priority and the film suffers because of it but in the end for a short and punchy heist film, that gives an interesting insight into the world of international smuggling, you could do worse.

TV: Banshee (S1) (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

Banshee first came on to my radar when I was reading about True Blood and Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball's next project. I then totally forgot about it until the trailers began running on TV and it looked worth a watch.

What's it all about?

The show revolves around a former diamond thief, released after a 15 year stint, who travels to the small township of Banshee to track down his former partner and lover. Upon his arrival, the town's incoming sheriff, Lucas Hood, is killed in a quiet bar and the convict assumes the dead man's identity, becoming the town's new sheriff.

Should you watch it?

Banshee is a gritty, ultra-violent, ultra-sexy, truly adult TV show that I thoroughly enjoyed watching the debut season of. 

Executive produced by True Blood's Alan Ball, Banshee features a diverse and interesting cast of characters, from Russian crime lord to rebellious Amish young woman, colliding in the small town setting. Main character Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) grows into his role as the show's anti-hero with his balls to the wall hard approach to sheriff duties that shocks and impresses his colleagues in equal measures. Ulrich Thomsen steals most scenes as the sly, menacing and vile local crime lord Kai Proctor, frustrated that the new sheriff doesn't want to serve his interests as predecessors have done.

One of the Banshee's strengths is it's brutally fantastic fight scenes. Not afraid to skimp on violence, the choreography is amazing and comfortably beats most movie punch-ups. Hood's fights with a visiting cage fighter and Albino prison beast are probably some of the best fights I've seen produced.


The season's ending was disappointingly predictable but I still enjoyed the story, script and characters hugely and the trailer for season two shows that there is still plenty of drama ahead in Banshee.

Not for the reserved, but a great start for one of the toughest shows on TV.

FILM: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (9/10)

Why did I watch it?

The question should be 'How has it taken me 15 years to watch this?'. Almost a British institution, it is shameful that it has taken this long!

What's it all about?

Four East End wannabe laaaaaads, Bacon, Eddy, Tom and Soap, end up in debt to the tune of £500,000 to local gangster Harry The Hatchet with a week to pay up. When they discover that the flat next door is occupied by a gang of like minded part time criminals who are planning a robbery of their own, an opportunity presents itself to recover their losses.

Should you watch it?
The film that launched Madonna's one time husband Guy Ritchie to the masses is a triumph of the East End gangster culture laced with a heavy dose of humour and inept characters. One long Mexican stand off in the making with a sharp script full of memorable lines, 'it's been emotional', it's easy to imagine Lock Stock as a film Tarantino would be proud of.

The opening scene belongs to Jason Statham, in his first film, playing a dodgy dealer in a role different to the action tough guys he would go on to trademark, as he wheels and deals fenced items with a Cockney slang heavy script, 'it's a deal, it's a steal'. Ritchie does a good job of gradually introducing the film's characters as the layers of the story develop through narration and hearsay and the characters, from drug kingpin Rory Breaker to Rob Brydon's traffic warden, score the film major plus points.


Lock Stock also boasts a brilliant soundtrack of contemporary British music, Ocean Colour Scene, The Stone Roses and some classic songs, Zorba the Greek, that are well used in the film.

FILM: The Raven (5/10)

Why did I watch it?

I think I got drawn with a curiosity of all things Edgar Allan Poe after watching Fox's The Following.

What's it all about?

A woman and her daughter are founded murdered in 19th century Baltimore in a fashion that echoes one of Edgar Allan Poes' macabre literary works. Inspector Fields (Luke Evans) ropes the eccentric Poe (John Cusack), now a drunk forgotten writer struggling to regain his acclaimed status in the literary world, into his investigation to catch the killer.

Should you watch it?
I almost felt as disinterested in writing this review as I did watching the film so this will a short one. The Raven is an average film that never delivers anything above typical cat and mouse serial killer mediocrity. Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) manages to create some darkly Gothic settings but it's all shamefully wasted as the narrative never gets its teeth into the audience. When the serial killer was revealed, it lacked any twist, shock or suspense of any form and this sums up the film's general lack of intrigue. While reading other reviews, I've seen mentions to Se7en and when you hold The Raven up against David Fincher's great serial killer film, you realise how wasteful The Raven is considering the Gothic setting and characters involved.


Leads John Cusack and Luke Evans perform admirably and the producers deserve a gold star for not casting Johnny Depp as Poe (shudder). If you are watching to see Alice Eve, you may be disappointed unless her being trapped in a coffin for the majority of the film is your idea of fun.

FILM: Gangster Squad (6/10)

Why did I watch it?

I was really looking forward to this film being released. It was a one of my top three most anticipated films of 2013. Reading quite a few of James Ellroy's books has made me a fan of the 1950's crime era in Los Angeles so this film looked right up my street, not to mention the stellar cast. 

What's it all about?

The year is 1949 and gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has Los Angeles under his control. The LAPD authorise Sarge O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to recruit an unofficial unit, known as the Gangster Squad, charged with driving Cohen out of town by bringing down his criminal activities by any means necessary.

Should you watch it?
There is no doubting that director Ruben  Fleischer produced a stylish film, or perhaps the word flashy is actually more fitting, but to use a line as clichéd as the film itself, it's all style over substance.

I would like to see the original story behind the unit just to see how many of the unit's members were of the writers own making. The unit is literally an identi-kit of clichéd characters, the war veteran, the ladies man, the black dude, the nerdy one with the family, the old-should-be retired one. With the exception of Brolin and Gosling's characters, and Penn's over the top scene chewing Mickey Cohen, the rest of the film's big names are wasted on flimsy two dimensional roles. But hey, the slow-motion gun fire and car chase looks great though right? 

The film's production was not trouble free, what with the re-writing of a pivotal scene following the Aurora cinema tragedy but I really can't imagine that this missing scene could have saved Gangster Squad from being any other than an average crime flick.

Gangster Squad guy #1, Gangster Squad guy
#2, Gangster Squad guy #3.......

The main problem with Gangster Squad is it's competition. This story has been told before, think of L.A. Confidential (1950's LAPD) or The Untouchables (police unit against Al Capone), and both times the storytelling was superior.

Considering how good the film could have been with the cast and story at hand, Gangster Squad is a disappointingly average film but it's still probably worth checking out as one of 2013's biggest releases.

BOOK: Without Remorse, Tom Clancy (8/10)

Why did I read it?
Time to continue Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series. Without Remorse is the sixth book in the Ryan universe but chronologically it leads the series.

What's it all about?
Tom Clancy rewinds the clock to 1969 and tells the origin story of Ryan series character John Clark. Recently returned from Vietnam, Navy SEAL John Kelly loses his wife and finds love briefly in the arms of a another woman, Pam Madden, a tortured, drug-addicted prostitute on the run from her violent drug dealing pimp. Meanwhile the CIA hire Kelly to return to Vietnam and lead a clandestine operation to rescue a group of US POWs. After Pam is taken away from him, Kelly combines the demands of his country with his own mission for violent retribution.

Should you read it?

Without Remorse is probably the most atypical of the Clancy books I have read so far. Even with the Vietnam storyline it's the most domestic, the most personal and the least military based. It's an engaging, very personal tale of one man's retribution against those who wronged him and its interesting and refreshing to have a break from Jack Ryan's learned approach to uncover the back story of the more mysterious Mr. Clark.

The Vietnam side story taking place in parallel to Kelly's Baltimore killing spree is necessary for the sake of Kelly's back story but it is the deliberate planning of his revenge in a manner to a covert operation and Detective Ryan's pursuit of the unknown serial killer that makes Without Remorse a page-turner.

TV: The Mentalist (S5) (5/10)

Why did I watch it?
Seasons of The Mentalist qualify for routine viewing in my household, these days on the basis that we have watched so many episodes of the show that the only option is to stick it out and hope Patrick will finally catch Red John. I recall reading that the show's runners intended for things to be wrapped up by the end of a sixth season and I'm hoping that still remains the case.

What's it all about?
The Mentalist, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), continues cracking cases for the CBI, with one eye always turned towards his hunt for serial killer Red John. Having apprehended Red John disciple Lorelei in the previous season's finale, Patrick has plenty of questions to ask but the CBI lose custody as the FBI and Homeland Security mysteriously intervene.

Should you watch it?

If you haven't been watching The Mentalist since it's beginning in 2008, it's unlikely you're going to want to pick up watching it now. I wrote a review for Season 4 last year and this season's review could have read exactly the same. Surely recognising that the show is strongest when dealing with the Red John storyline, the writers move the Red John story along in some form or another in roughly half the episodes this time around, a marked contrast to before when weeks could pass without mention to the serial killer that drives Jane. Take for example, both Homeland Security and the FBI's new interest in the Red John investigation, Jane's clear distraction from the run of mill cases and Lorelei's big reveal that Jane has previously shaken hands with the man himself coming in episodes that don't necessary revolve around a Red John murder.

The remaining episodes are pure filler that occasionally rise above mediocre. The cast work hard with the material, and the characters are likeable but it just isn't the same without any meaty story arcs to hang character development onto.

Normally capable of a decent season ending, the finale this time around was hugely disappointing. Going back into Patrick's past again seemed all too familiar. The finale's ending, a revealing set-up for next season, clearly outlining Red John as one of seven suspects, was the bare minimum I needed to make up for the dross that had been served up over the previous 55 minutes. Fear not though Patrick, I'll be back next season and I want answers!

TV: The Wire (S2) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
Continuing with my re-watch of the first two seasons before moving on to new territory with the rest of the show.

What's it all about?
For those not in the know, The Wire is set in Baltimore and each season focuses on a different area of life in the city. Season two sees the action move from West Baltimore's towers and low rises to it's port, where an international smuggling ring exploit the hardship of the local stevedores to smuggle girls, uncut drugs and electricals into Baltimore. What starts as a pissing contest between fellow Poles, Major Valchek and stevedore union chief Frank Sobotka, and the discovery of a body in the water near the port ends up as another detail for Lieutenant Daniels and gang.

Should you watch it?
Equally as brilliant as the first season once the pieces fall into place, the season's focus shifts up the drug chain from dealers to suppliers through the smugglers but as with most things in David Simon's Baltimore, everything is connected and it turns out that the smugglers (and by connection the union) supply Proposition Joe who cuts a deal with Stringer. This link ensures that the likes of Stringer, Avon, D'Angelo and Omar still feature, although less prominently than the first season, replaced with the characters of the stevedore union.

Central to the season is Frank Sobotka, excellently played by Chris Bauer, who finds himself torn between looking out for his union  and future generations of the traditionally local workforce and doing the right thing and setting the right example to his son and nephew. He is truly horrified at the discovery of thirteen dead girls inside a can on his dock but can't bring himself to break his connection to 'The Greek'.

Stan v Frank

What really struck me about the story's beginning was the initial infighting between jurisdictions and departments, led by Homicide Major Rawls, over the ownership of the thirteen Jane Does, something I can well believe after reading David Simon's book, Homicide - A Year on the Killing Streets. This kind of gritty, self serving, inhumane approach to homicides really cannot be found anywhere else but The Wire. Also, as with the first season, season two's ending is far from the fairytale ending to be expected in most films or TV shows. 

The penultimate episode, Bad Dreams, finishes with one of the best set of scenes I think I have ever seen on a TV screen. Played out over an fitting Greek song 'Efige Efige' (translated to 'He Left'), the montage displays the fortunes of Frank swinging 180 degrees through a series of events elsewhere at precisely the wrong time. A masterpiece.

TV: Homeland (S2) (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

I really enjoyed the first season of Homeland although I did have some doubts as to how long the show could keep up the cat and mouse action between Carrie and Brody.

What's it all about?

Brody, a marine recently returned from eight years of captivity by al-Qaeda, is now a US Congressman approached by Vice President Walden to be his running mate for the forthcoming presidential election. Following her humiliation at the end of the last season, Carrie's health is returning and no longer working for the CIA, her life is beginning to return to normal until evidence appears proving her theories regarding Brody's true intentions.

Should you watch it?
Homeland is one of the stronger shows on TV at the moment. The second season takes a few episodes to finds its groove again and suffers throughout from instances of Carrie's hotheadedness and inability to follow orders. I really struggle to believe that such a liability would be employed by the CIA, but hey it's just TV.

The events of the first episode The Smile are just about as contrived as possible to bring Carrie, who finished the previous season having electroshock therapy, back into the fold at the Langley. Once Carrie is back, the momentum of the show shifts hugely, one of two shifts in this season, as evidence comes to light that Brody is a terrorist and more importantly that Carrie's theories were correct. Considering the events of the first season and also Carrie's flirtation with suicide in State of Independence, this is a pretty major change in direction for the show as Carrie is no longer alone and frustrated and receives the support (and apologies) of Saul and Estes. The second change in momentum is perhaps even greater and brings Brody into the CIA operation to target Abu Nazir. These shifts keep the show fresh and intriguing and both are delivered in true dramatic Homeland style. The episode Q&A features some great scenes between Carrie and Brody, delivered with great intensity by Claire Danes and Damien Lewis. Even following Brody's switch, the writers manage to retain a sense of distrust and ambiguity over Brody's actions to drive the show forward. He clearly gets away with one act of terrorism during the final episodes but is he responsible for another?

"Tell us a bit about yourself"

Carrie's health demons play less of a role this time around, instead her relationship with Brody picks up a few gears and there are certainly shades of Romeo and Juliet, as two star crossed lovers who can never truly be together. Mandy Patinkin's understated Saul is one of my most favourite characters on TV.

Steering into 24 territory (unsurprising considering the show's writers), the season ends with a big bang in the fantastic finale The Choice with major consequences for all the major characters.

FILM: Skyfall (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

It's James Bond. It's the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film.

What's it all about?

Without giving too much away, Bond returns from a period of  absence to investigate an attack on MI6 and protect M (Judi Dench) from former MI6 agent Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem).

Should you watch it?

Skyfall is the best Bond of the Daniel Craig era, just nudging past Casino Royale. The film begins with a deeply troubled Bond, warts and all, something Craig pulls off with much greater success than Brosnan (in Die Another Day) and ends with him staunchly defending M from her pursuers.

Skyfall's writers took a different approach to the story in comparison with Bond films over the years. Rather than have Bond flung to all corners of the globe chasing a terrorist threatening world peace, the majority of the Skyfall, especially the important scenes, take place in the UK with 007 on the defensive, back to the wall running out of safe places to protect M. Also, for the first time in the history of MI6, the question of the relevance of MI6 and its traditional network of agents and spies is being asked. In the day of the modern terrorist, is Bond still relevant?

The film is full of nods to past Bond films but while paying tribute to the franchise, director Sam Mendes ensures the tributes are made in the style of the new Craig-era Bond. The best example of this is Bond having a medical before returning to active service. Mendes cuts to the heart monitor screen and Bond's head can be seen moving back and forward out of focus at the edge of the shot. My first thought was that Bond was giving the doctor a good seeing to as Brosnan once did but Mendes reveals Bond is actually running on a treadmill and giving the medical his all. 

Javier Bardem meets expectations as the film's villain, creepily camp, psychotically jovial and deranged. The traditional Bond girls are kept to a minimum, as the focus is kept on Bond and M but I enjoyed Berenice Marlohe's turn as Silva's Macau casino presence.

TV: Boardwalk Empire (S3) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?

I watched the previous two seasons, and although it isn't my favourite show on TV, the show is close to being great and considering the involvement of certain characters can only be expanded on, in particular Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, its potential is in reach.

What's it all about?

Fresh from cleaning out his own house at the end of season two, Nucky cements his relationship with Arnold Rothstein by announcing their exclusive business partnership. This angers new character Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Carnavale), a Sicilian bootlegger so hot headed he could rival Joe Pesci's Tommy in Goodfellas, leading to battle lines being drawn around Atlantic City. This forms the central storyline of the season as Nucky scrambles for support from his allies in New York, Washington and Chicago. Meanwhile, Eli returns from prison, Al Capone's influence in Chicago grows and Margaret and Owen's dangerous affair is rekindled. 

Should you watch it?

Starting with the positives, Boardwalk Empire's third season is it's greatest so far. In a similar manner to the previous seasons, it builds slowly from the start but accelerates to top gear by the fourth episode and while there are some slight dips in between, the momentum is largely maintained, sometime single handedly by Rosetti, to the final four episodes, from which point on the season is outstanding.

Season three probably featured more of Rothstein, Luciano, Lansky (at a cost to Chalky White and van Alden) and Capone than before, and with the additions of Rosetti and NY boss Joe Masseria, meant the season had a truly mob feel to it. In my eyes this was greatly needed as Nucky and his Atlantic City team of politicians and bootleggers just don't have the cool factor and threat of the Italian Americans. In part this is down to Steve Buscemi, after three seasons you would think I would have made my mind up about his casting as the Atlantic City crime boss but I still can't quite decide. The tagline of the season is 'You Can't Be Half A Gangster' but it still feels like Nucky is just that, especially in comparison with the representatives of New York and Chicago. The dips in momentum during the season are usually due to Nucky's relationship with his new mistress, actress Billie, or his political scheming. These distractions serve a purpose, in the first instance to Nucky's mindset after the attempt on his life at Bebette's, and in the second in giving Nucky options other than violence but they don't half leave you craving for a scene where someone upsets Rosetti.

Such are the abundance of great characters in the show that it isn't until you stop and think about it that you realise how much Michael Williams' Chalky White and Michael Shannon's van Alden are underused and marginalised respectively. Thankfully both appear likely to continue into the next season, following changes for both in season three. The writers pen some fantastic lines, with Al Capone being given the line of the season when he turns up in Atlantic City, "I've been on the road for 18 hours. I need a bath, some chow, and then you and me sit down, and we talk about who dies."

Gyp Rosetti - "Everything of mine is bigger than Nucky's"

Season three really gets going in episode four, Blue Bell Boy, an episode which reminded me of The Soprano's episode Pine Barrens where Paulie and Chris end up lost in the woods (an episode written by Boardwalk creator Terence Winter and regular director Tim van Patten and directed by Steve Buscemi). Nucky and Owen are trapped in a cellar for the entire episode and Nucky's discomfort and jealousy in Owen's role in his operation becomes uncomfortably apparent. While trapped and out of the decision making process, Mickey delivers a shipment straight into Rosetti's ambush, Joe Masseria is introduced and Al Capone takes out his anger  over his deaf son's bullying on a local rival.   

The final four episodes deal with alternated attempts on the lives of various characters, culminating in a Goodfellas style montage of a full scale gang war in Atlantic City at the beginning of the fantastic final episode Margate Sands.

FILM: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

I am a massive fan of Steig Larsson's series of books so I was keen to see Hollywood's take on the story. I've haven't seen the original Swedish versions of the films yet.

What's it all about?

Based on the book of the same name and set in Sweden, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tells the story of disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and extrovert freelance researcher Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) investigate the disappearance of teenager Harriet Vanger decades earlier. As the pair attempt to hunt down the murderer they become entangled in an estranged family with shady history.

She used to be such a nice girl

Should you watch it?
TGWTDT is essentially a cold case whodunit but what sets the story apart is not the complexity of the wealthy Vanger family and their whereabouts on that day but the characters investigating the mystery. Blomkvist is fresh from losing a libel lawsuit and accepts the case as a sabbatical from work while Lisbeth Salander is now probably one of the most iconic female characters of recent times. A gifted researcher and computer hacker under state guardianship due to a chequered adolescence, Salander only enters the story in its main sense half way through. The first half introduces her character's issues, her initiative and resolve in the face of difficulty. Despite being a whodunit, as the title suggests, the story is really about Salander.

I enjoyed the US film version and thought David Fincher managed to do the book justice squeezing just enough detail from the book into the two and half hours without compromising some of the more extreme scenes.  I was concerned that some of the complexity of the various generations of the Vanger family would be lost in the translation from book to film but Fincher managed to explain this carefully enough with visual aids for it to get across to the audience.

The faults with the film are similar to the book in that the postscript ending seems just as tagged onto the end but this is a small gripe and it rests with Larsson's decision to set up the next instalment here. 

Rooney Mara is excellent as Salander, and the production team did a great job designing her appearance true to the story.

BOOK: Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets, David Simon (10/10)

Why did I read it?

In my eyes author David Simon is nothing short of a genius. Creator and head writer of The Wire, co-creator of Treme and producer and writer of Generation Kill, the man is responsible for some fantastic TV. I know of his pre-The Wire shows but have not seen any episodes of Homicide or The Corner so decided this would be a good opportunity to look at some of his work from his previous career as a police reporter. 

What's it all about?

Simon took a year out of his career as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun to spend 1988 chronicling the day to day activities of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. A Year On The Killing Streets is the result of that year and Simon gives a fly on the wall perspective of a year in the life of  a typical Baltimore homicide detective, and it ain't pretty.

Should you read it?

This book is to crime literature what The Wire is to police dramas. A massive dose of honest reality. 1988 was a particularly tough year for the Baltimore homicide unit and as Simon recounts the details of the more prominent cases of the year alongside the working mantra of a homicide detective, its obvious that the CSI portrayal of homicide detectives is completely false. In 1988, DNA samples do not exist, the majority of cases are drug related killings unlikely to have a single willing witness and at one point in the year the clearance rate falls below 40%.

Simon says in the epilogue that very little amendments were made to his final manuscript at the request of the BPD and this shows as murder details, procedures, department politics, names and conversations are recounted honestly. The detectives have largely become immune to the death around them and make jokes of fresh corpses as well as the luck of other detectives in catching a stone cold 'whodunit' over a 'dunker'. The broad range of personalities in the department also help Simon to give a fascinating insight into the workings of an overworked homicide department. The birth of characters used by Simon years later in The Wire is evident, literally in the case of Jay Landsman, as are several conversations and references to special details and wire taps.

A really eye-opening insight into the unglamourous life of a Baltimore homicide detective and the staggering crime levels of late eighties Baltimore. A must for any fan of police TV dramas, in particular The Wire.

TV: The Wire (S1) (10/10)

Why did I watch it?
I usually only review films or shows I've not seen before but in the case of The Wire I had to make an exception. I've already seen the first two seasons and having bought the box-set sometime ago, it was time to go back to the start and enjoy it all over again.

What's it all about?
For those not in the know, The Wire is set in Baltimore and each season focuses on a different area of life in the city. The first season revolves around a hastily put together police detail tasked with investigating the little known Barksdale drug empire. Led by Lieutenant Daniels (Lance Reddick) and the dedicated Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), the detail are under pressure to make a minimal amount of low level charges quickly, however work is slow and painstaking difficult and the detail fight their superiors for more time to build a case using electronic surveillance.

Should you watch it?
The great thing about The Wire is....well, everything. The scope of the show is immense, the characters range from judges, DAs, police chiefs and detectives on one side to those encompassing the whole structure of Anton Barksdale's gang, from right hand men and enforcers to low level dealers. Each is involved in the story as it plays out slowly piece by piece. The line between good and bad is blurred at best, the police force is riddled with incompetence and those only concerned with self-preservation while the dealers are a well-organised mixture of cold-blooded killers and morally conflicted teens who know no other way of life. Not to mention Omar (Michael K. Williams), the gay stick-up man who terrorises local drug stash houses.

Who's listening?

The Wire is the ultimate definition of a slow-burner but with hour long episodes the plot begins to unravel soon enough and rewards are plenty for those patient during the initial episodes. Fans of David Simon's other works like Treme will have no problem adapting to the pace.

Did I mention that the acting, script and music are also top notch? Best line..."If you come at the king, you best not miss".

I am a huge fan of both The Soprano's and The Shield, and the first season of The Wire comes very close if not better than the best moments of these two. It deserves all the credit it receives and more. 

FILM: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (6/10)

Why did I watch it?
My other half came home from the shop with this the other day. I was looked forward to watching it mainly because of the fantastic British cast, Oscar nominations for adapted screenplay and best actor and the fact that John Le Carre's book has long been on my list of books to read.

What's it all about?
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is the first feature length film adaptation of John Le Carre's well respected spy novel of the same name. Set in the early 70's, in the midst of the Cold War, the film follows retired spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) as he is tasked with uncovering a suspected mole in the British spy fraternity known as 'the Circus'.

Should you watch it?
Following the press the film received and with the ensemble British cast (Oldman, Hardy, Firth, Hurt, Cumberbatch)  I had high expectations for it. I'm sad to say the film fell somewhat short. Although a spy film, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the complete polar opposite to Britain's most famous member of Her Majesty's Secret Service. Given what James Bond gets up to, it is therefore more than likely a far more realistic take on the world of government intelligence, in particular considering the era. This was not a problem for me, I love realism in stories but Tinker is too slow, too deliberate and too ponderous.

Spying 70's style - glasses, coats, tweed and briefcases

Granted that the standard of acting is high, as you would expect from the cast and Gary Oldman is captivating with his quiet and understated performance as Smiley. The production also deserves credit and these two pluses carry the film a long way.

I'm sure that a lot of the detail of the book could not be squeezed into a two hour adaptation. The film is a slow-burner, which is usually my favourite type of story, but once the final act arrives it lacks any really punch and I could not recall any twist or even being led in any particular direction with my suspicions. Not what I would expect from a 'thriller'.

Worth watching to see the all round strong acting performances and production but I will definitely be reading the book in the hope it delivers a stronger story.