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tzikehWord about The Ri¢hes is slowly making its way across fannish livejournal. I TiVoed it and just got around to watching the pilot tonight. Wow. Not what I was expecting in terms of tone, but I really enjoyed it. I don't want to give away anything of the set-up or plot, really, because this is quite different in terms of television stories - pretty original.
I first heard about it when I caught a preview on FX that was nothing but Eddie Izzard, in character, talking. I love it when he's given a dramatic role to play (it happens so rarely on screen, but on stage he's done several plays and was nominated for a Tony Award for A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 2003.)
The pilot, which by nature must contain set-up exposition, is crafted to do so rather subtly. For example, we slowly discover an important fact about Izzard's character which a lesser should would simply have spelled out. Izzard does supply the bulk of the funny moments, but they are not his "Eddie Izzard" stand-up persona schtick. They're intrinsic to the character he plays.
The cast is uniformly top-notch. Minnie Driver is absolutely (cliché alert) a revelation here. It goes to show what actors can do when given the right material and time to work on it. So many actors out there are probably far better than they are even given the chance to prove; I'm really glad she got this role. Complete eye-opener. I never thought she was a *bad* actress, but I had no idea she had this in her. The three children (two teens and a younger child) are in no way precocious or cloying, nor are the performers "child actor"-like.
I don't want to oversell the product; this isn't The Sopranos or The Wire, but it is definitely worth giving a shot to find out if it's your cup of tea. If you're interested, check your FX schedule to see if/when they're re-running the pilot in your area, or find other ways to get your hands on it. The show airs Mondays at 10pm Eastern.
<shallow>Eddie looks HOT, and we get naked Eddie having sex with Minnie</shallow>
I first heard about it when I caught a preview on FX that was nothing but Eddie Izzard, in character, talking. I love it when he's given a dramatic role to play (it happens so rarely on screen, but on stage he's done several plays and was nominated for a Tony Award for A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 2003.)
The pilot, which by nature must contain set-up exposition, is crafted to do so rather subtly. For example, we slowly discover an important fact about Izzard's character which a lesser should would simply have spelled out. Izzard does supply the bulk of the funny moments, but they are not his "Eddie Izzard" stand-up persona schtick. They're intrinsic to the character he plays.
The cast is uniformly top-notch. Minnie Driver is absolutely (cliché alert) a revelation here. It goes to show what actors can do when given the right material and time to work on it. So many actors out there are probably far better than they are even given the chance to prove; I'm really glad she got this role. Complete eye-opener. I never thought she was a *bad* actress, but I had no idea she had this in her. The three children (two teens and a younger child) are in no way precocious or cloying, nor are the performers "child actor"-like.
I don't want to oversell the product; this isn't The Sopranos or The Wire, but it is definitely worth giving a shot to find out if it's your cup of tea. If you're interested, check your FX schedule to see if/when they're re-running the pilot in your area, or find other ways to get your hands on it. The show airs Mondays at 10pm Eastern.
<shallow>Eddie looks HOT, and we get naked Eddie having sex with Minnie</shallow>
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Date: 2007-03-19 12:41 pm (UTC)I felt a little like I'd been dealt an emotional blow after watching it, and that's how I knew it was a good one. I'm eager to watch the next ep now.