Looking for something to try on Amazon Prime we settled on Amazon original "Sneaky Pete" as I've always been a fan for Giovanni Ribisi back to the film "Boiler Room". The first season is a smart, fun crime drama that gathers weight as it runs on and is full of excellent performances.
Released from prison, con artist Marius Josipovic (Giovanni Ribisi) needs a place to hide from a Gangster, Vince (Bryan Cranston) whom he tried to swindle. He heads upstate and introduces himself to the Bowman/Bernhardt family as Pete, their grandson who they've not seen since childhood due to familial estrangement. He's able to pull this off thanks to some quickly made documents and because the real Pete was his cellmate and told detailed stories about his time on this homestead. Agreeing to pay Vince a large sum of money for the release of his brother, Marius tries to get what he can from the Bowman's, but they've got financial, ethical and criminal problems of their own.
My initial concerns, that the show might be a scam of the week type one, proved to be unfounded, with the series providing one overall story across it's ten episodes, and only occasionally relying on Cousin Pete's smart mouth to get him out of a bind. Ribisi is great in the lead role, making Marius a character you care about, even though his problems are mostly of his own making. Producer Bryan Cranston takes an uncredited role as Vince and, though I'm not sure that his 'wiseguy' is as compelling as his 'chemist teacher', he still provides a convincing danger for our lead. A host of recognisable faces act as the Bowman/Bernhardt family too, including Marin Ireland as Julia, and Peter Gerety and Margo Martindale as the patriarch and matriarch of the family. All are excellent.
I worry about how long the central theme of the show can remain convincing, however, that is a problem for a late time. For now, it's an enjoyable experience to watch.
