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It's been some years since I've read the novels, but I was amazed at this series's adherence to them. Patrick's surreal, ultra intoxication in New York, where he comes to reclaim his dead father, is recaptured brilliantly, thanks considerably to Benedict Cumberbatch's excellent portrayal of the title character, a man who has tried to deal with the extended sexual abuse his father inflicted on him (this, I seem to recall, was given less emphasis in the novel than here), resulting in years of drug and alcohol abuse. Only toward the end of the series does Patrick come to terms with all this, a climax initiated by his mother's death and that of his father's best friend, an upper class viper well-played by by Pip Torrens. If anything, the series successfully shows the social milieu Patrick was raised in, a world whose denizens felt their social status allowed them to, like Patrick's father, indulge in whatever they wanted to.

This doesn't quite equal the first two films, but holds its own. Brydon (his hair better groomed to hide baldness at the back) and Coogan still amuse with their imitations of other stars/actors (Laurence Olivier being a first for them here), and while the scenery lacks plenitude, what is shown is well-photographed, with the two eating at cliff-side restaurants and visiting historic sites thankfully void of tourists. There is also lots of gorgeous sunshine, something parts of North America are lacking this week. The film ends sadly, and though I'm not sure if the event referred to actually happened, it perhaps concurs with this film being, reportedly, the last of the "Trip" series. Fun while it lasted.

This is a soap opera strange to the western world: characters going through everyday trauma within the violent milieu of "los narcos." While the titular character is based on a famous Mexican Narco who reportedly died while undergoing plastic surgery in the 90s, the characters themselves are fairly stock, the dialogue acceptable but often predictable, episodes ending in a melodramatic manner. What makes this series different - and realistic - is the viciousness and violence of the characters: Aurelio Casillas, and those he works with, and/or against. Casillas is treacherous; he kills and tortures at will. This is one of the series's strengths: these are not nice people; portraying them otherwise would be dishonest. Casillas does have feelings for his mother (Lisa Owens), his wife and children, but few others. Those trying to bring him to justice, such as super-cops Marco Mejias and Leonor, are sympathetic in battling not only criminals but corrupt politicians. Apart from the viciousness, there are several attractive females in leading roles, along with a small army of leggy strippers and call-girls whom the narcos have at their beck and call. This series could be considered something beyond entertainment: a sociological phenomenon that reveals a fascination with a parallel power structure that most people would really be better off viewing that participating in.