(Drivebycuriosity) - I am a ferocious reader. I am devouring science fiction, history (fiction & non-fiction), thrillers and other genres. Decades ago I used to read the hard boiled detective stories by authors like Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Erle Stanley Gardner`s Perry Mason tales.
Now I am enjoying the newest incarnation of the crime noir fables - HBO`s "Perry Mason" ( imdb). The show is set in Los Angeles in the year 1932, when Hollywood boomed in the midst of the Great Depression. Perry Mason, being an private eye and attorney, investigates the case of a little boy who got abducted & murdered (this is a spoiler free blog. You can find a synopsis here wikipedia ). The plot is getting more & more complicated and messier but stays interesting.
Being a reader I care less about the plots of movies & TV shows and focus on their other qualities. "Perry Mason" has an amazing cast. Matthew Rhys, who already impressed in "The Americans", is a very believable Perry Mason. He plays convincingly a decent guy, smart, but an under dog anyway, who stubbornly sticks to his cause, no matter what it may cost him. Rhys` Perry Mason is a thinking man, serious, slow & crisp. I indulged in watching his performance.
The rest of the cast impresses as well. I was happy to see again John Lithgow, who`s funny appearances amused me in "3rd Rock". This time he displays a very different character, an ambitious but depressed attorney. The Mexican actress Veronica Falcón as Mason`s love interest is a real discovery. I want to see more by her.
The most fun comes from the wonderful cinematography, which gives the show the perfect noir feeling. Camera and special effects reincarnate a Los Angeles from the 1930 and many shots are art in motion.
I am looking forward to the last 2 episodes and to season 2 which is apparently in the making.
No comments:
Post a Comment