robin-72-718219

First let me say I have worked in TV and film for over 12 years. I have worked on everything from TV commercials for lawn mowers to feature films and documentaries. So, I know how much goes into making even a short commercial.

I am a big mystery buff and a big fan of documentaries, true crime and human psychology. The deep mysteries of the human mind, complexities of human emotion and the endless motives and drives that influence the good and evil aspects of human nature that dwells within us all, has fascinated me my entire life.

"Making A Murder" is one of the best true crime documentaries I have ever seen. Rivaling even Truman Capote in capturing that terrible beauty that is being human and living in an imperfect world populated with complex and often times, frustrating and confusing circumstances.

I have given this documentary a 10 out of 10 stars, which is something I rarely do but was well earned in my opinion. I consider several variables depending on the genre, for a documentary I consider; the story itself, it's pacing, the cinematography, character development and emotional impact.

The oftentimes trite but true phrase "Life is stranger than fiction" is spectacularly illustrated throughout this series. From the first episode to the last, this series grabs your attention immediately and accelerates from there. I watched the entire series in a day. Which speaks to the powerful pull of the story and the real life people who are living it.

I understand that it has taken filmmakers Moira Demos, Laura Ricciardi and their team ten years to create "Making a Murder". The sheer tenacity, passion and dedication it takes to pull something like this off is nothing short of incredible. With hundreds of hours of footage and a dynamic and ever moving story, Moria Demos and Laura Ricciardi take us on quite a roller-coaster ride. It's a fast paced journey, filled with shocking twists, gut wrenching turns and many times unbelievable circumstances that leaves you filled with a mix of conflicting emotions that will have you screaming at the screen in outrage, disbelief and sadness.

"Making A Murder" is an inside view of our very flawed and unbalanced justice system. It shows us a reality, that very few who have not been there, exists and thrives in our modern world. The absolute and crushing power that law enforcement can wield without impunity, especially against the ever growing disadvantaged is disturbing. Truth and justice seem to hold very little value in much of today's justice system that is filled with arrest quotas, biases, vendetta's, private prisons, greed and human error.

The story has quite a punch and I hope it opens a dialog among us all about the state of law enforcement, the justice system and the terrible imbalance of power that allows those without the resources and money needed to mount a fair defense all too often are chewed up and spit out by a system that is filled with flawed human beings.

I'm a long time mystery/suspense buff, from classic film noir like "The Third man" to modern day, independently produced films like the wonderfully twisted, suspense thriller "Hard Candy". I'm a big Hitchcock fan, as well as great mystery novel writers. There are so many varieties of mystery and suspense and I enjoy them all. But, The best murder mystery has that tight wire suspense woven into the very fabric of the story. To achieve that atmosphere there are a few key elements that MUST be present; A well thought out and engaging plot with enough information about the mystery that you can speculate about possible suspects, great character development,(you need to feel invested in the characters, this includes the villains) and when and how clues are revealed. In "True Detective" we discover the clues at the same time as the detectives do in the flashbacks, we are given as much information as they at the time, but in the "present day" interviews we know, they know much, much more and this information is slowly revealed to us. It's great fun to try and work the case with them and you never have to wait too long to see if were right about a particular situation. Last, but by no means least - the element of surprise or the "Unknown." Something unexpected happens or someone does or says something that takes you completely by surprise, the proverbial "twist", which if done right brings us into that taught, dark area of suspense. This is by far the hardest of all the sub-genres of mystery to achieve. "True Detective" delivers on all fronts and exceeds expectations. TD is a multi-faceted story with superb acting, cinematography, writing, editing, perfect locations and deeply detailed sets. So far, I have not found any aspect of the production that is lacking. Thus the 10 | 10 rating, which is rare for me.

I love the gritty juxtaposition of the characters, sets and dialog. From the opening credits of "True Detective" you get a sense of the show's uniqueness. From the song by The Handsome Family "Far From Any Road" to the striking layered images of key cast members overlayed with shots of ordinary and extraordinary objects and the environment where the story takes place.

"True Detective" is a slow burn mystery, it's not boring by any means but, It's certainly not for folks looking for lots of gratuitous violence, action, sex and a slapped together confession at the end to wrap things up. "True Detective" is a mystery/crime drama for people who enjoy to be challenged on many levels.

"True Detective" is suspense as it should be done and the show takes the time to allow the viewers to become invested in the characters and the story. Revelations are always happening, but in a more realistic way. Some are obvious and in your face, while others are much more subtle. There's so much more going on under the surface.

A good example of this can be found in the two leads - Woody Harrelson who plays Detective Martin Hart and Matthew McConaughey who plays Detective Rust Cohle. Rust is seen at first blush as the damaged one, the unstable one and Martin as the true blue, solid as a rock cop, who goes by the book, but as time goes on and the story unfolds, you see that this isn't really the case at all. Just the opposite is true.

As Hart talks of rules and boundaries in the "present day" interviews we see his actions from the past betray his words and/or wishes. Cohle on the other hand is like a priest or philosopher, not only in the "present day" interviews but also in the flashbacks. He's constantly aware of the "inside" joke, he's the one who can "see" what's really going on. His eyes are wide open - he suffers from insomnia, he literally sees things others cannot and this profoundly changes the way he views and interacts with himself and the world. The numbing protective layer that society has applied to the human experience through religion, social norms and practices, our society's black and white view of justice have been burned away for Cohle, which gives him a form of second sight.

They give several explanations on why Cohle "sees things", they even do an episode called "Seeing Things" (Ep.2 Season 1) In Cohle's mind it's the death of his daughter and end of his marriage and the ensuing chain reaction that followed his own personal tragedy, the story reveals to us he has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia, which is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

3 Episodes in and "True Detective" has become my favorite crime drama. I've already re-watched it several times and each time I watch an episode over, I see something new, a small detail I didn't notice the first time that makes me view everything in a different light. For example: Cohle's mirror - his apartment is sparse, monk like even. It's almost empty and makes Hart feel sorry for Cohle. What is in his space are only the bare necessities. He has a mirror that is only as big as one eye. This small detail is not verbally addressed, it's on screen for barely a minute, if you blink you could easily miss it. He stands there before a mostly bare wall and with one eye stares into himself. The only pictures he has are of "DB's" (dead bodies) which he also stares intently at for hours at a time, all the books he owns are about crime, psychology,crime research and of course his own large notebook, which earned him the nickname of "The Taxman".

I can't wait for the next episode. 10 stars , I highly recommend this series and suggest a binge watch.

As a life long mystery buff,I find "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" to be a real treat. The series is very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "Marple" (with Geraldine McEwan ) and "Poirot" (with David Suchet). There's just something special about period murder mysteries, perhaps it's the lack of high tech machines that do our sleuthing for us, a la CSI, or maybe it's the romanticism of the period itself. Regardless, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is expertly produced from exquisite wardrobe & makeup, to lush shooting locations and breathtaking cinematography. Every element of the production is done with such attention to detail, you loose yourself in the story. The two leads, Essie Davis as Miss Phryne Fisher and Nathan Page as Detective Jack Robinson are perfect in their roles. Having watched each episode thus far, I cannot imagine anyone else portraying these delightful characters and their chemistry is undeniable. The entire cast is great, the characters are well thought out and multi-dimensional. The episodes are also well done, peppered with historical information and accuracy. I would highly recommend "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" to any mystery buff, it's a modern classic done in the period style of the roaring 20's.