PardonTheTruth

It's hard to believe that a director of Robert Altman's stature believed this poor excuse for a film was a decent effort at reviving a Raymond Chandler classic. And Elliot Gould is mind-bogglingly H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E as Philip Marlowe. His wooden acting and inexplicable cockiness must have been all the rage back in the 1970s but it's difficult for twenty-first century audiences to comprehend how we was ever a star. I can't imagine an actual actor Bogart would have employed the likes of Elliot Gould to shine his shoes back in the 1940s, when he brought the Marlowe character to life in those memorable films.

I've just watched the first two episodes of Three Pines and am definitely a fan. The starkly beautiful Quebec setting, along with the clever and thoughtful juxtaposition of the Indigenous, French and Englih cultures is nothing short of delightful.

It is especially refreshing to see the always enjoyable Alfred Molina land such a meaty role and he certainly does not disappoint. The rest of the cast is equally well-cast and the characters seem to be well thought out.

It's truly great that the accomplished and highly respected veteran actor Tantoo Cardinal still has her fastball breaking over the plate, now that she's in her seventies.

East New York is off to a solid start. There's a very strong NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues vibe to it. I grew up in a neighborhood a lot like this one and the realism is palpable. Poor people doing what they can to get by, grinning politicos whose only objective is lining their pockets, etc... But this show is not in any way a downer. It presents a group of flawed characters who all bring substantial baggage to the table. The reliable Jimmy Smits and Amanda Warren are perfect in major roles. Old pro Richard Kind plays the usual idiosyncratic character that always fits him like a glove. Let's hope it's not a flash in the pan.