Diamants bruts

The production values are fine, the storyline is interesting, but as usual, Netflix is lax about uploading details of the cast and episodes. Netflix must improve in this area. It seems that they have no one working for them who has any knowledge of actors who are not primarily known for English language based films or TV.

The 8th episode is streaming now and still, the cast is mostly still listed without any photos or details in the episode guide. Several actors are obviously rather accomplished people in the field of European productions, to judge by their performances, but there is nothing about them in the cast listings. Viewers are left in the dark in regard to work histories and images. To say that Netflix is lax in this area is an understatement.

This is obviously not to mention that there are still no synopses for the episodes at all, 8 episodes in. Netflix is becoming well known for this laxness.

The story and the acting are really good and convincing. I was especially moved by Marie Vinck, who plays Gila, and her chemistry with the equally talented Kevin Janssens.

Robby Cleiren (playing Eli Wolfson) and Ini Massez (playing Adina Glazer) were amazing. I really appreciated when Adina Glazer declared she is the first major female diamond trader in four generations in their community.

The series' atmosphere managed to describe dutifully the situation of the diamond industry in Antwerp as "not what it used to be", meaning that a large number of Jewish diamond manufacturers and traders have been replaced over the years by others.

My only criticism of Rough Diamonds is that Orthodox Jews in Antwerp usually do not speak with the local Antwerp accent.

This was so much fun to watch. It is filled with tension and many twists and turns. Everyone plays hard-ball at different times.

One is catapulted into this Jewish diamond world, and we get an inside view of the intricacies of this culture and its dealings with the society outside of them.

It is an intrigue that reminded me of other great crime thrillers. People are being played off against one another and do not know who to trust. Alliances are formed and then broken. The acting is very convincing and first-rate. We feel the dilemma of the different characters being pulled in different directions.

I am hoping for a second season.

Have watched 6 episodes so far. Series has some good parts but many weak ones too. It's often unrealistic and far-fetched.

The actors who play Eli and Adina are quite good. The actor who plays Noah is not great, but he's really great at looking confused.

The series has several different stories taking place and some of them make no sense.

Overall, it's not easy to recommend this series as there are much better series available to watch. Hence, the series is disappointing, but could easily have been better with a better script.

One aspect of the series that is interesting is the glimpse into the workings of the world-famous diamond district in Antwerp.

First things first. If you want to watch this show in English, don't even think about going for the dubbed version. I have watched three episodes with subtitles and one dubbed trailer. The dubbing just does not convey the characters, voices, subtext, or feelings well at all. That's not the fault of the voice-over actors, it's just the nature of dubbing. Unless you are visually impaired or have difficulty reading for other reasons, the subtitles are a better way to go by far.

So, this is a very solid, well acted family/crime drama with good production value. It captures the sub-culture of this extended family and their small Orthodox community quite well. I'm not Belgian or Orthodox myself but I am Jewish and it feels reasonably authentic to me. The primary actors are well cast, even the smaller roles like the patriarch and the local butcher. Shout-out to the young actor playing the main character's English son. He's quite good, very natural and likable.

So far the pacing is good and keeping me invested. The story of the "prodigal son" returned is always a good start. When you add the layer of the son having rejected the strict parameters of his family's religion and been cast out, having to make a new identity, it becomes more compelling. That part is actually very true to life and I find it fascinating.

Of course some of it is far-fetched, not so much the straits in which this old diamond-dealing family finds itself as the way the prodigal son (Noah) has transformed. I suppose it makes sense, since he would have been very young when he left (early 20s) and 15 years have passed. Still, sometimes the show relies on "tough guy" tropes from American and I assume British shows to inform his actions, words and demeanor, and it doesn't always work.

This is especially true when he uses English phrases and words out of the blue. They are only sprinkled in here and there but they always take me out of the moment. I'm American. I recognize and understand the words, I just don't know why this Belgian guy would be using them, particularly when he is speaking to Albanians? And the actress playing his son's grandmother, who is supposed to be English, uses a disjointed combination of Cockney and other accents that are clearly inauthentic.

But overall, I don't care much about accents. They are hard to get right and the actors are all doing a fine job with the stuff that really matters. It is at heart a family drama with some business and crime matters woven through it, and as that it works. Also, there is really nothing else on Cable right now like it. So, I recommend it.

Also, it makes me really think diamonds are just not all that and cost more in blood and treasure than they are really worth. But maybe that's just me.