Cinerant

(V.O)--bad idea

Voice-over. It rarely ever works. This is what I was thinking as I was watching a preview copy of HBO's latest mini-series, Empire Falls. It's based on a great book by Richard Russo, but a great book doesn't make a great mini-series, even when the novel's author is the mini-series' adaptator.

Russo stays faithful to his book. (Imagine somebody being faithful to their ideas.) Until the last hour, that's not a problem. What is a problem is that Russo is wed to the shape of the book. The mini-series is broken up into chapters, each beginning with voice-over narration. It worked for Wes Anderson in The Royal Tenenbaums, but it doesn't work here. It's annoying, and off-putting, only exacerbated by the indecision of a tone for the piece. Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? Is it a little slice of life? Who knows? Doesn't seem like the director does.

There are some really good things about the piece. Stuart Wurtzel's production design is first class. As is some of the acting. Paul Newman has a blast as the grumpy grandfather with crumbs in his beard. Danielle Panabaker makes a real impression as his tender granddaughter. Ed Harris does a great job playing the lead role of Miles. Robin Wright Penn and Philip Seymour Hoffman both do great jobs with small roles. Hoffman in particular has a scene near the end that stands out as possibly the best of the entire four hours.

Still, the four hour viewing experience made me just wish that I'd read the book again. It also made me nervous that "they" might really screw up The Amazing Adventures of Kavailer & Clay, but we'll deal with that possibility when it occurs.

posted by cinegod @ 12:53 PM