“A Gentleman in Moscow.” “Under the Bridge.”

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“A Gentleman in Moscow” (Paramount+) British limited series based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles. Synopsis: After recently returning to Russia from Paris, aristocrat Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov spends decades banished to an attic hotel room following the October Revolution, after being sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal.



       Definitely, a top 10 or top 5 best TV series for 2024 for me. And a show could usher back big-screen family viewing in the living room. No foul language, no unnecessary violence, and yes! No silly dim lighting. What a refreshing experience!

       Ewan McGregor in the title role delivers an inspired performance. Special mention to Johnny Harris. His Osip Glebnikov is restrained cool that is awkwardly lodged between zealous allegiance and familial vulnerability. 📺🎥📺


“Under the Bridge” (Hulu) true crime drama, based upon the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey. The 8- episode series follows the true to life murder of a teenager that took place in Canada in the early 1990s.



    

       The story: Reena Virk (1983 – 1997) was a 14-year-old Canadian girl who was beaten and killed by a group of teenagers in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Her status as a victim of bullying prior to her murder attracted substantial media scrutiny in Canada. Six teenagers were tried and convicted for their participation in her death. 

       Well-acted, and while I question the source material (Ms Godfrey's book) as a moralistic jaunt or subjective whine over true-crime reading, the writing of the series per se is finely-crafted given the limits of what it got on paper. 

       Well-acted as well. Lily Gladstone as the investigating local cop Cam Bentland and Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey delivered “day on the job” work but it's the ensemble work that gave us a good show. Special mention to Aiyana Goodfellow as Dusty Pace, one of the teenage girls involved in the crime.

       The racially-diverse casting is expectedly “obligatory” so you gotta reread past news reports. And I must again complain about the dim lighting. WTF?!? 📺🎥📺

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