Ray Donovan: The Movie

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Ray Donovan: The Movie" (2022) wraped up the series "Ray Donovan". I highly enjoyed the series, which at some point overstayed its welcome, yet was entertaining watch. The series itself started wonderfully some 10 years ago and i was there at its pilot, and first season was closest thing to perfection. And more or less i liked all seasons after it, yet they were not consistent. And I'm very glad that they did the ending after all, and not leaving it on a cliffhanger. For better or worse, its done now.

I gave it an 8 because The series gave me so much entertainment. The movie was a bit tedious, but came together, very nicely, in the end.

I'm sad they're gone.

A suitably dark closure to a series that brought a lot to me. I especially enjoyed Bill Heck's young Mickey Donovan. No spoilers here, but the finale was dark, but also optimistic.

You can take a break now Ray.

Perhaps it's the prodigious amount of whiskey consumed, but I really liked this show. There was something gritty and real about the character portrayal - even when there were some fantastical plot lines.

Ray Donovan: The Movie brought closure and explanation to the back story and a final exposition of threads from the series that had been left somewhat unresolved. And, these were wrapped up Donovan style - a mixture of pain and joy, with a thick vein of tragedy to wash it down. It wasn't easy, but it was satisfying.

I was glad of the opportunity to have one last dip into this world.

So a final doff of the cap to an amazing ensemble (and crew) that managed to bring this world to life with convincing honesty - it's been quite a ride!

I don't usually like to single out actors from a tight ensemble, but upon reflection, in this case I feel compelled to. Two characters and their amazing actors provided a solid base for this series, their work anchoring the ensemble. Eddie Marsan as Terry, an extraordinary performance that must have been completely exhausting. And then there is John Voight as Mickey. For sure Voight had good material to work with, but Voight surely makes the point that great actors get better with age - what an absolute legend - loved him hated him, respected him, loathed him - he took us on the full heroes journey, fatal flaws and all.

Edit: And one more thing. To their enduring credit, the writer's introduced the main themes that play out over the length of this show (all 7 seasons) in its opening episode, season 1 episode 1. Apart from the fact that that provides the actors with a solid grounding for their characters, that foresight and depth deserves recognition in its own right.

The story and dialog were slow and contrary in many aspects to the characters we have come to know. The acting was impeccable as it was throughout the series, but my family and I still did not find it to be a satisfying conclusion! :-(