Directed by: Derek Cianfrance

R. 140 mins

A sweeping, yet ambitious, drama that’s equal parts moody and mesmerizing. Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) directs this thematically dense film which explores the consequences of brooding motorcycle rider Luke’s (Ryan Gosling) decision to rob banks in order to support his sometime-lover (Eva Mendes) and their little boy. After a fateful encounter with Avery (Bradley Cooper), a rookie cop in the Schenectady police department, their families are forever impacted in this multi-generational tale. This portrait of contemporary masculinity, anxiety, memory and violence plays with an eternal notion: the legacy of a father, however sinful, shall be passed to his son. The somber tone is even echoed in the title, which refers to the Mohawk Indian source of the cities’ name. Not only do pivotal scenes take place in the disorienting, yet visually striking, forests, but the landscape is one that reflects the memories we all tuck away in the deep recesses of our minds – beyond reach of anyone but ourselves. Gosling, channeling his mythic turn in Drive, is brilliant and absorbing but perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the film involves Avery’s dealings with the corrupt police department. It’s entirely disturbing and unfortunately little is discussed with regards to the social conditions that oftentimes breeds this sort of behaviour. The city itself, and all it’s dark underpinnings, is merely a backdrop for this rather abstract analysis of fate and fathers. While I cannot deny the emotional weight of this film, the themes may prove relatively thin come the final flawed act: Parents, pay attention to your children – or they will most certainly turn up on the wrong side of the tracks. Face your demons, don’t ignore them. Shared DNA does not equal parent-of-year award. Change is possible if you are willing to break the cycle. Nature versus Nurture – and so on… At times, it feels overly self-conscious, as if Cianfrance is reaching for such significance that he ignores the more compelling aspects of his film and is perhaps afraid to dig deeper into the hugely complex issues surrounding American life. Granted, an analysis like that would bring the film to an exhausting length, but I feel it’s important to note that while his film suggests that individual choices are to blame, there are societal issues which can most certainly help or hinder a person from existing as merely a cog in a machine. Nonetheless, this is a film so dreamy that I found myself wanting to stick around in their world just a little longer. I have no doubt that subsequent viewings of this film can only add to it’s impact as Cianfrance takes the audience on a scenic route through the minds of these mysterious characters who seem so removed from and yet so much like ourselves. The acting, lead and supporting, is superb and Cianfrance’s craft – right down Mike Patton’s score – is something to be marvelled at for quite some time. Beautifully lensed by Sean Bobbitt (Hunger, Shame), this is an achievement and one that haunts long after the credits roll. While fragmented at times and emotionally draining, The Place Beyond the Pines is a bold crime drama that gets under your skin with a fierce intimacy that crackles like lightning - * * * *

One moment can define your life. In The Place Beyond the Pines, a crime drama from the acclaimed director of Blue Valentine, one fateful decision will forge two mens’ legacies for generations to come.

Luke (Academy Award-nominee Ryan Gosling) is a free-spirited stunt motorcyclist who travels from city to city with the carnival. After meeting his former lover Romina (Eva Mendes) in New York, he discovers that in his absence she has born a son—his son. Realizing the gravity of his past choices, Luke decides to abandon the carnival to settle down and raise his son correctly. When his new employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) learns of his driving talents, Robin proposes a string of bank heists to make a little extra cash on the side. That’s when Luke runs up against Avery Cross.

Avery (Bradley Cooper) is an ambitious young cop seeking to make a name for himself in a menacingly corrupt department. When he learns about the series of robberies, he pushes to lead the investigation. Soon Avery and Luke become locked in a tense chase that will have repercussions for both them and their sons for years to come.

Written by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder and directed by Derek Cianfrance, The Place Beyond the Pines will see a limited theatrical release on March 29, 2013. This Focus Features drama also stars Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, and Mahershala Ali. Rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference.

Ryan Gosling’s Luke works as a motorcycle stunt performer at a traveling carnival. The ladies love him, but Luke’s got his eye on just one, Romina (Eva Mendes). During his annual stop in Schenectady, New York, Luke tries to rekindle their romance, but winds up finding out that while he was on the road, she gave birth to his son. Desperate to contribute and support his baby boy, Luke quits the carnival and repurposes his motorcycle riding abilities to robbing banks.

Then there’s Avery (Bradley Cooper), a law school graduate-turned-police officer. He’s got all the potential in the world, but a run-in with a dirty cop (Ray Liotta) sours his budding career and even his relationship with his wife (Rose Byrne) and son.

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Ryan Gosling as stunt riding heart throb ‘Handsome Luke’

Stretching over a period of fifteen years, Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines tells the intertwining tales of travelling carnival stunt rider Luke (Ryan Gosling), law student turned policeman Avery (Bradley Cooper), and the legacy they leave to their teenage sons.

Set mainly at a slow and steady pace, with minimal action, pared downed dialogue and most of the emotion being portrayed solely through body language and gestures, the film is very much character driven. Much like his last feature Blue Valentine, Cianfrance places the focus entirely on relationships. Where Blue Valentine explored the intricacies of love, marriage, and hateful breakdown, The Place Beyond the Pines instead deconstructs male relationships; laying fatherhood, friendship and loyalty out on a science lab table top for a full on guts-out prod about.

Split into three sections, the focus initially falls on Luke. Moving through Schenectady with his motorcycling act, he discovers a fling the previous summer with local girl Romina (Eva Mendez) has led to him becoming a father. Luke decides to put his riding days behind him in order to become a permanent feature in his newfound child’s life. Struggling for money in the face of tensions with both Romina and her new lover, Kofi (Mahershala Ali), Luke steps his fledgling friendship with new landlord Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) up a level to target banks ripe for robbing.

With Luke’s expert bike skills and Robin’s previous criminal form, a successful heist team is born, and it isn’t long before we see the two of them celebrating with a spot of beer and Bruce Springsteen. Having had no relationship with his own father, Robin fits the bill of father figure for Luke. Older, wiser, it’s as though he recognises a younger self. Luke may be pulling in the money, however the barriers between he and his son remain. Desperately wanting to do the right thing, Luke’s dream of the perfect family unit is shattered by his underlying violent tendencies and the horrible realisation that even when made with the best of intentions, bad decisions can often lead to a fall.

Ryan Gosling with Eva Mendez as Romina, the mother of his child

Gosling’s performance is understatedly stunning – his particular trademark brand of heart breaking eye acting working to full effect in the role of errant father trying to make amends.

Bradley Cooper as Avery Cross

With the story falling on the shoulders of reluctantly heroic cop, Avery Cross, we are quickly introduced to a man dealing with the consequences of his own bad decision. Whether or not his intentions lie in the right place is initially hard to judge. We see a young man coming to terms with a work-related incident that leaves him hospitalized. Defying his own father’s calls for him to return to his law background, Avery becomes driven to succeed in a police force riddled with corruption, while also entangling himself in the life of Luke’s nearest and dearest, and becoming increasingly distanced from both his wife and baby son.

Sacrificing friendship for the greater good – to clear a heavy conscience or purely to further his career goals? – Avery’s motives seem unclear. Cooper performs well in the role of the young Avery, troubled by an error of judgement, but the real time for him to shine will be once he leaves the shell suits of the past behind and Cianfrance moves the story on by fifteen years.

Emory Cohen as AJ and Dane DeHaan as Jason

The third and final segment centres on the children of Luke and Avery, and the repercussions of their father’s past doings on their lives. Luke’s son Jason (Dane DeHaan) knows nothing of his biological father, having had a stable upbringing with Romina and Kofi, while Avery’s son AJ (Emory Cohen) appears to have grown up distanced from his father by career and divorce. The bonds of friendship and family are tested, as secrets from the past return – pushing Jason to his limits, and haunting Avery to breaking point. DeHaan looks old before his time throughout, displaying great ability for both subtlety and rage.

Cooper is a revelation towards the very end, showing how much talent lies beneath the tendency to stray toward lighter roles. It’s a shame that we don’t get to see more of this earlier, as with the young Avery there could be much more exploration of the relationship with his father, and there are stilted talks with his psychiatrist that could be expanded upon. We only get to see the full effects of the ghosts which plague him very late in the day, but then a slow build up seems par for the course with Cianfrance.

So much of the story hinges on fatherhood, and sacrifices made for the ones we love, but some of the aspects are only touched upon briefly. Where it succeeds there are the jokes between Jason and ‘real’ father Kofi, Luke’s sense of duty to Romina and their child, the eventually destructive sense of care shown to Luke by Robin, and Robin’s short but very sweet interactions with Jason. Where it fails, I feel a little cheated by the shallow depths of Avery’s relationships with both his father and son, and the fleeting glance of friendships that test his loyalties.

But overall – as with Blue Valentine – Cianfrance’s best and most believable relationships are the ones he shows you. Relationships, partnerships and friendships, that are built up bit by bit through actions and interactions. The old writing axiom of “Show, don’t tell” is always at work. As mentioned before, the build up is slow, and very considered. For some this means the running time may be a problem, but for those willing to sit back and let the story gradually unfold, there are many rewards.

The performances are of the highest standard, even smaller roles for Ray Liotta and Bruce Greenwood being approached with as much care as those of the main cast. Ben Mendelsohn is such a strong presence in his role as Robin and stripped of all her usual glamour, Eva Mendez is beautifully sad as Romina. Mike Patton’s sweeping soundtrack works in harmony with the sublime cinematography of Sean Bobbit – the final scene in particular making for a visually stunning viewing experience.

Putting fatherhood issues aside, The Place Beyond the Pines is full of ill-judged decisions made in haste. But in life, everyone makes mistakes. It’s what we do over time to rectify them that truly counts.

Epic in scope and length, Derek Cianfrance has taken on an ambitious project which doesn’t always work, but when it does, it hits where it hurts.

God damn, I need a pair of those trews in my life…

On a lighter note, the highlight for me was always going to be Ryan Gosling and Ben Mendelsohn boogying with a dog to Dancin’ in the Dark though, wasn’t it? I mean, come on…

The film stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper and Dane DeHaan.

The film is about Luke (Gosling) a motorcycle performer. While passing through Schenectady, NY, he learns that a former lover, Romina (Mendes) has given birth to their son Jason. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family. His employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner in a string of bank robberies– which will place Luke on the radar of ambitious rookie cop Avery Cross (Cooper). Avery, who has to navigate a police department ruled by corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta) is also struggling to balance life with his wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and their infant son AJ. The consequences of Avery’s confrontation with Luke reverberate into the next generation, when the two sons, Jason (DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen) must face their fateful, shared legacy.

The film hits theaters on March 29 and stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen and Dane DeHaan.

In the film, Luke (Gosling) is in contant motion, a high-wire motorcyle stunt performer who travels from town to town with the carnival. Passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina (Mendes) only to learn that she has in his absence given birth to their son Jason. Luke resolves to forsake life on the road and to provide for his newfound family, taking a job as car machanic with Robin (Mendelsohn). Robin soon discovers Luke’s special talents, and proposes to partner with him in a string of spectacular bank robberies. But it is only a matter of time before Luke will run up against the law– which comes in the form of Avery Cross (Cooper).

Avery is an ambitious rookie cop navigating a local police department ruled by the manacingly corrupt detective Deluca (Liotta). When Avery, just beginning to balance his profession and his family life with wife Jennifer (Byrne) and their infant son AJ, confronts Luke, the full consequences will reverbarate into the next generation. It is then that the two sons, Jason (DeHaan) and AJ (Cohen) must face their fateful, shared legacy.

The film hits theaters on March 29, 2013 and also stars Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Dane DeHaan, Bruce Greenwood and Emory Cohen.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES centers on a motorcycle stunt ride who considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician. 

An epic crime drama exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers to sons, The Place Beyond the Pines follows four men � two generations as they fight to overcome a legacy of blood.

A mysterious and mythical motorcycle racer, Luke, (Ryan Gosling) drives out of a traveling carnival globe of death and whizzes through the backstreets of Schenectady, New York desperately trying to connect with a former lover, Romina, (Eva Mendes) who recently and secretly gave birth to the stunt rider’s son. In an attempt to provide for his new family, Luke quits the carnival life and commits a series of bank robberies aided by his superior riding ability. The stakes rise as Luke is put on a collision course with an ambitious police officer, Avery Cross, (Bradley Cooper) looking to quickly move up the ranks in a police department riddled with corruption. The sweeping drama unfolds over fifteen years as the sins of the past haunt the present days lives of two high school boys wrestling with the legacy they’ve inherited. The only refuge is found in the place beyond the pines.

IN UK CINEMAS 12TH APRIL 2013.

The film directed by Derek Cianfrance, explores the consequences of motorcycle ride Luke (Gosling) fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Cooper) and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.

Also costars Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Emory Cohen, Dane DeHaan, Gabe Fazio, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, and Harris Yulin.

The film was written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder. The movie was produced by Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell through Electric City Entertainment, Alex Orlovsky through Verisimilitude and SKE’s Sidney Kimmel.

Photo from http://www.tiff.net

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Dane DeHaan, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Mendelsohn, Emory Cohen, and Mahershala Ali

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

The Place Beyond the Pines (PBtP) attracted me with its all-star cast and the hint that it may be the unofficial sequel to last year’s wildly successful Drive. I’m only joking about the sequel business, but if I accidentally refer to PBtP as Drive 2: Ride, then please forgive me. Everyone is obsessed with The Gos lately, and for good reason, but the rest of the cast solidified this as a must see movie at TIFF this year. I’m often guarded when I see movies with a mega-cast, but considering that PBtP was helmed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and the movie was well over two hours in length, I was hoping that this would not be a case of style over substance. While not a perfect movie, I’m very happy to say that PBtP may be the best thing I have seen at TIFF so far.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a multi-generational story about identity, inheritance, the sins of fathers, and life in general. Gosling plays a motorcycle stunt rider who works as little more than a side-show performer at a travelling carnival. His work is dangerous and he has long ago been hardened by it; his lean body etched with tattoos and covered by tattered clothing. The last time he found himself in the small town the carnival is currently passing through he had a one night fling with a cute young waitress (Mendes), however on this occasion the same waitress seems rather cold, as she harbours a bit of information that is about to change his world. Cooper on the other hand is a young police officer whose role on the street is causing a lot of tension at home. To go into further detail would ruin the experience at the cinema. Characters are fleshed out, important life decisions are made, and paths cross.

As I’ve said, PBtP is not perfect, but there are so many compelling elements that it’s hard not to be very excited discussing this movie. The performances are absolutely top-notch, nearly across the board. Gosling channels some of the same energy that made his Driver so compelling, but he adds a layer of self-doubt and fear which makes his character in PBtP much more accessible and identifiable for viewers. Mendes doesn’t have as much screen time as many of the other lead characters, but when she’s onscreen we see a vulnerability that is uncharacteristic of the characters she normally plays. Mendes has definitely added an interesting dimension to her career with this performance. The young guys, DeHaan and Cohen have an amazing dynamic  throughout the latter part of the movie. It’s hard to believe that they have not acted together before (please correct me if I’m wrong). Also, the supporting actors, particularly Greenwood and Mendelsohn turn in very strong performances. Despite very limited screen time, I don’t think Greenwood has ever been better. Unfortunately, Bradley Cooper is satisfactory at best. His performance is inconsistent, as he’s great onscreen when the situations aren’t that serious, but when things get emotional it feels like he doesn’t have the repertoire to deliver a convincing scene, tear, or emotional line. This becomes even more obvious next to Gosling’s wonderful performance.

The script and direction by Cianfrance are equally as good as the high level performances. PBtP is a multi-generational story, and as such there are gaps of time that we traverse in seconds to catch up with the story. When this happens in a movie it can feel like rebooting your computer – a necessary amount of waiting must be done to get back to business. Thankfully these ‘reboots’ in PBtP fly by, and even though we find ourselves in a new storyline, it always turns out to be a very intriguing one, almost immediately. If I had to say something critical about the writing and directing I would say that PBtP does not tug on the heartstrings as masterfully as the filmmakers may have liked. Certain scenes at the end which should have been very powerful, especially considering how much time we had spent with the characters, but they end up feeling a little flat. Despite my emotional detachment from certain characters and outcomes I was not intellectually detached. The various storylines had me intrigued throughout and the ending was certainly satisfying, although definitely not a tearjerker. When I look back on the experience as a whole, I would be hard pressed to think of a better movie I have seen at TIFF so far this year. The Place Beyond the Pines is definitely one to keep an eye on.

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Just a few days in, and TIFF has already screened a spat of critic and movie fan favourites. From grand blockbusters like Looper and Cloud Atlas to human dramas like Argo and The Master, big stars and big directors are already pleasing crowds at the festival. And you might as well add Derek Cianfrance’s follow-up to Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, to that list. Met with generally positive response from critics, the film is likely to connect on a gut level with many viewers.

Pines made its world premiere on Friday night, and I entered the press screening early this morning with the unique experience of knowing virtually nothing about the film. And honestly, it’s best to know as little as possible about this film going into it. As such, I’ll be very vague with the plot description. Ryan Gosling plays Luke, a motorcycle stunt driver. Bradley Cooper plays Avery, a newly minted and overqualified police officer. When Luke gets caught up in some illegal activities, the two inevitably come face to face. Their meeting then sparks a chain reaction of repercussions that affect not only them, but also their family.

At its core, The Place Beyond the Pines is a story about masculinity and the consequences of actions. And Cianfrance evokes the ache of regret beautifully. There is a palpable sense of uncertainty, and like the characters on screen, the audience is held in a constant state of tension. This is not an action-packed movie, yet there is such suspense in every character interaction. A number of figurative threads could be pulled at any time during this film and the lives of the characters would almost instantly unravel.

Cooper perhaps does the best job of conveying this unsettled tone. Much of the latter part of the film deals with Avery’s struggle to come to terms with his past decisions, and Cooper gives an aching, slow-burning performance. His character is wonderfully complex, and Cooper sinks his teeth into every nuance of the role. It’s easily his best performance to date.

Also breaking new ground here is up-and-comer Dane DeHaan. Though DeHaan does not appear until later on in the film, his character quickly becomes a key player, and DeHaan deftly navigates the epic relationship landscape that Cianfrance has constructed by this point. He’s already impressed me this year in Chronicle and Lawless, but now given a meaty dramatic role, DeHaan shines even brighter. He’s given some scenes that easily could have seemed overly laboured or difficult to believe, but DeHaan’s easy naturalness never wavers. He just sinks into the role and inhabits every corner of it.

Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom, The Dark Knight Rises)gives another fantastic, chameleon-like performance as a man who takes Luke under his wing. His subtle humour is welcome in this heavy film, yet his character also has plenty of demons of his own. Gosling turns in yet another great, emotionally captivating performance, and Eva Mendes is surprisingly good as the woman his character peruses.

One thing that really surprised me about The Place Beyond the Pines was the scope of the film. Cianfrance has experimented with time lapses already in Blue Valentine, but while that film felt suffocating in its intimacy, Pines feels almost grand and epic in its ever-expanding story. And Cianfrance put every minute of the two and a quarter hour runtime to good use. Yes, a couple of story elements feel a bit convenient and/or melodramatic. And yes, I did find the second third of the film to be a little too conventional in its “dirty cop” tropes (though Ray Liotta is great in his very small role). But ultimately, none of that mattered. The Place Beyond the Pines packs an emotional punch the gut. This movie is about the consequences of our actions. And as characters’ past decisions start to affect innocent people, it’s hard not to get engrossed in the injustice and tragedy of it all. Simply put, The Place Beyond the Pines feels poetic without being pretentious. It might not fully satisfy those looking for a bit more violence in their studies in machismo, but the slow-burning drama makes for a far more substantial product.

9/10

Courtesy of NBC

After looking at the previews for last night’s episode a few weeks ago, I’ll admit that I was dreading the latest episode of Smash. Surprisingly enough, I thought it was one of, if not the best, episodes of the series thus far.

Let’s take a closer look:

So what was the primary reason this episode hit it out of the park? Finally the focus was on the music! Of course, we couldn’t completely avoid the cutaways to everyone’s personal lives, but I found that these cutaways were either in direct service to the musical elements, or too insignificant to be distracting.

Case in point: the highly-anticipated Bollywood number. I fully admit to pre-judging, and was pretty worried when Dev (Raza Jaffrey) started off the number. But that trepidation quickly faded and I couldn’t help but get on board with this deliciously happy number. I loved everything about it – from the choreography, the vocals, costumes, and especially those great vignettes that included the quick caricatures of entire cast (but where was Megan Hilty’s Ivy?) You could just tell the cast was having just as much fun with this as we were watching it. Kudos to Jaime Cepero’s Ellis for his blink-or-you’ll-miss-it, hilarious cameo (And that’s likely the only time I will ever give Cepero props – so enjoy it buddy!).

Katherine McPhee deserves special mention: she certainly held her own with a stellar combination of non-stop hip action and killer vocals. Was it authentically Bollywood? Answer: I don’t even care. It was too infectious to wonder about its authenticity. This is a clear example of just sitting back and enjoying it.  It was a damn good number and that’s all that matters. More importantly, it shows us what Smash is capable of  -  the key to making the fantasy numbers work is to take them completely out of the narrative world, having them exist almost as standalone music videos. After so many meh episodes, it’s nice to be reminded why we’re making this journey with these characters again.

The Bollywood number was likely my favourite, but this episode was stuffed to the brim with other great musical performances, too. I also thoroughly enjoyed McPhee’s haunting rendition of “Run” in the club overrun by stereotypical hipsters (Seriously, there were so many dark-rimmed plastic glasses, skinny jeans and bow ties in that place I mistook it for an Urban Outfitters). Scenery aside, McPhee really shines when she’s able to do her pop star thang. She must be getting more comfortable in front of the camera because her performances are getting much better. But again, I enjoyed the number because it really didn’t have to exist solely in the world of Smash, but could function as a standalone McPhee concert performance.

Courtesy of NBC

I also absolutely loved Hilty in the final performance of the night, the original ballad “Second-Hand White Baby Grand”. As much as I wanted to hear Karen sing it (Ivy already had her time in the spotlight!), it was beautiful nonetheless. The staging on the other hand, had me beyond frustrated. I thought it did a disservice to Hilty and to the power of the song by cutting away to the personal lives of the protagonists, yet again. I wish the producers of the show had enough faith in its audience not to be bored with just seeing Hilty singing. In the rehearsal hall, Eileen (Anjelica Huston) wipes away a tear after hearing Ivy sing and I envied her. I wanted to have that same experience.

Alas, the set-up to the song was pretty clunky. If I were to see this number on stage, I would wonder why Marilyn wasn’t singing it. I think the “voices in Marilyn’s head” only works if the song was more evenly distributed amongst the ensemble. Having Ivy (or Karen) sing it solo wouldn’t make much sense, which is why I applauded Rebecca (Uma Thurman) for suggesting Marilyn get the song. I didn’t think it was as dramatic a move as the show wanted us to believe it was, but that’s a minor quibble.

Another moment worth mentioning: the scene between Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) when they’re working on “Baby Grand”. I loved seeing the creative process (and hearing Borle’s pipes is never a bad thing) and again, wished we had more scenes like this. In this same vein, Derek’s (Jack Davenport) heart to heart with Karen before rehearsal was equally touching. He tells her that he see her as Marilyn, which slightly diminishes the creep factor of his fantasy last week. I’m far more interested in moments like these which are more than capable of filling the dramatic quota in show like this.

As much as I whine, I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of the momentum stalling, personal lives background stuff, but if we could at least limit it and showcase more of these musical-grounded elements, Smash could actually turn into compelling television. It showed us tonight that it’s more than capable of it. Now it just needs to capitalize on it.

Other observations:

• We were teased with the disappearance of Leo (Emory Cohen) this week, who ran away. Alas, it was only temporary, but boy, Messing and Brian d’Arcy James (Woot!) clocked in some stellar acting selling their dismay when he went missing.
• Christian Borle on the other hand, didn’t fare so well at the “boo-hoo Leo’s missing” empathy. Although I do believe that Tom would definitely be upset and deeply concerned if Leo went missing, Borle just couldn’t sell those crocodile tears to me.
• Nick, the dreamy bartender (Thorsten Kaye) likes it when Eileen curls her hair. Swoon.
• Hands down the best line of the night: “”You screwed up your life so bad you have to run around threatening loser teenagers.” Ohhh. Burn. And so true.
• I’m pretty sure that the 100 million mentions of Rebecca’s peanut allergy are a clue as to how we’ll get rid of her and move Karen out of understudy duty and into the leading role.

What did you think Smash-ers? Were you as impressed with this episode as I was? How did you feel about Ivy reverting to her old ways and stabbing Karen in the back? Sound off in our comments section.

Smash airs Mondays at 10:00pm EST on NBC

Courtesy of NBC

It was another frustrating episode this week on Smash, riddled with plot points that no one really cares about. There were a couple of saving graces, but on the whole, this episode was a dud.

Let’s bitch it out.

This week we finally got some significant Uma Thurman time (as supposed A-list actress Rebecca Duvall). I say ‘supposed’ because nothing in the treatment of this character suggests that she’s at the top of the food chain. Namely, she can’t sing and the majority of her rehearsal scenes are so typically clichéd, it’s tedious to watch. I’m talking about the tons of cutaways to our protagonists rolling their eyes or wincing every time she hits a note, fearful of her lack of talent. And yes, we can get into a long debate about the whole conception of “A-List” celebrity and the correlation of talent (cough Kardashian cough) but let’s assume that she’s an A-list actress for a reason. And unfortunately, for most of this episode, everyone was wondering why this was the case.

It’s really frustrating that Rebecca is presented as an unreasonable diva, wanting to change the entire musical into a dramatic play because her singing chops aren’t of the same caliber of Karen (Katherine McPhee) or Ivy (Megan Hilty). We get about a half dozen meetings with Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and the creatives talking about “what they’re gonna do” because their star is such a dud. We’re even treated to an over-the-top farce courtesy of her drunk, model boyfriend barging into the middle of a rehearsal. He’s literally pulled by the collar and tossed out the door by Derek and even threatened by Eileen as she wields a tiny bottle of pepper spray. Really? Why does the conflict always have to be constructed in such an exaggerated (read: totally unrealistic) fashion?

Thankfully, someone over at Smash realized what a dead end this plotline would be if it continued, so eventually (FORTY minutes in) Rebecca does a complete 180. She calls for a late night meeting and finally starts emulating a real A-list actress, working with the creative team, rather than against them. She presents completely reasonable notes and requests, asking that the songs be lowered a key so that they’re in her range, and looking for more vocal support from the ensemble, fully acknowledging she doesn’t have the pipes to belt out solo after solo. It was like the chorus of angels was singing. I may not have spent any time with A-List Hollywood actresses but I can pretty much bet the farm that none of them want to look foolish and untalented. This creative meeting finally made sense, as it looked for compromises in order for Rebecca (and arguably, Thurman) to be at her best.

So why wasn’t this direction taken from the start? Why did we have to suffer for over half the episode on a clichéd path before diverging? The finale number, ‘Dig Deep”, was tolerable but the journey to get there? Totally not worth it.

Courtesy of NBC

Everything else in the episode was so inconsequential that all it deserves is point form:

• Tom (Christian Borle) finally went on a date with Sam (Leslie Odom Jr.) after supposed “days of flirting”. I don’t think there’s any chemistry between these two, and since when does talking to one another constitute flirting?
• We find out that Sam believes in God and therefore, can’t go all the way with Tom anytime soon. Apparently kissing Tom is going “too fast.” When Tom tells Julia (Debra Messing) her response is, “I’m sorry.”  I feel the same way.
• Derek (Jack Davenport) continues to have fantasies about Karen actually being Marilyn. And unfortunately, we’re subjected to these fantasies: full make-up, breathy voice and all. It’s uncertain if he’s daydreaming about her because he’s so entrenched in the project or if it’s some sick sexual fantasy. Judging by how the dream plays out as a private lap dance, I would go for the latter interpretation.
• McPhee is getting better at performing. I didn’t mind her rendition of “Our Day Will Come” despite the fact it takes place in awkward Derek fantasyland.
• Adding to the Derek creep factor, the Matrix-reject, floor-length trench coat (seen in ‘The Coup’) is back. Apparently he didn’t get the memo that the 90s are over.
• Huzzah! Brian d’Arcy James is back as Julia’s (Debra Messing) estranged husband Frank. Unfortunately, he’s only back because Leo (Emory Cohen) is doing poorly in school, which means we are subjected to Cohen’s “acting” in return. This week I decided that if the show was making a mockery of it, I was game, so I psyched myself up to see how bad he would be – and he didn’t disappoint! I’m telling you, he’s a forefather of the a new school of acting I’m calling “shouty-pouty”. We are witnessing history here, people.
• Eileen finally opens the background file on dreamy bartender Nick (Thorsten Kaye). We don’t find out what he’s done, but she decides he’s just another jerk. I can only assume he’s smuggling pandas in the back room of his bar. He asks to be dumped in person and does admit to some shady business, but justifies himself by saying “If you run a bar in the city, you’re going to get your hands dirty.” Apparently, this is enough to appease Eileen, launching them into a relationship. I interpreted his statement as tantamount to a confession of a full-on panda smuggling operation.
• We did have one fresh take this week: Karen and Ivy actually working together and being friendly. I can gripe about how this would have been much more interesting had it been introduced earlier, but I don’t want to jinx it. I’m just happy that it’s happened and hope that they don’t turn back into enemies to facilitate drama (Editor’s Note: Let’s take bets on when this will happen – say two more episodes in the finale?).
• And finally, coming in last on the list of “I couldn’t care less” storylines is Dev (Raza Jaffrey) and how he’s gonna dump Karen for his whatsherface coworker (Tala Ashe). I. DON’T. CARE.

Despite a very ill fitting blazer on Rebecca, it looks like ‘Bombshell’ is on its way to Broadway. I’ll give Smash this: generally episodes consistently set-up interest going into the next week (usually in the last 5 minutes or so). It’s unfortunate that they can’t keep the momentum going.

What did you think Smash-ers? Did you think Uma Thurman brought some much-needed spice to the show? Since it’s pretty inevitable that Karen will be Marilyn at some point, anyone want to take bets on how Thurman will depart? (Maybe she’ll get pushed down some stairs and my Showgirls prediction will finally come to fruition!). Sound off in our comments section

Smash airs on Mondays at 10pm EST on NBC.

Courtesy of NBC

It was another ho-hum episode on Smash this week, but it did deliver the best musical number of the entire series thus far.

Let’s bitch it out.‘Bombshell’ is back in business this week as rehearsal resumes now that a big name movie star has signed on to portray Marilyn. We get a lot of talk about Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) but her name is mostly tossed around to drive the plot since she literally only shows up at the end of the episode and says one line. That’s a lot of promotional hype for a single little line.

As we wait for Rebecca to arrive, Karen (Katherine McPhee) is ecstatic to sub in as understudy. I don’t know why she goes as crazy as she does when they’re essentially just using her for blocking and to spew out a few lines of dialogue. Clearly, we’re supposed to see this as another step in the slow, inevitable move towards Karen playing Marilyn in the full-fledged production. Although McPhee has been significantly less annoying these past few weeks, I still absolutely hate her breathy Marilyn voice. Even if she had a mic, I’m not convinced we would even hear on a stage. Heck I’m surprised Derek (Jack Davenport) was even able to standing three feet away.  Her performance of “Never Give All the Heart” was alright but mostly because she was just required to stand there and sing, much like she did when she was in the studio a couple of episodes back. When she doesn’t have to flail her arms about, or give bedroom eyes, I think she’s quite tolerable. But she’s no Ivy (Megan Hilty).

Courtesy of NBC

Tom (Christian Borle) also stands in for the only all male number in the show, and finally Smash delivers its best musical piece from top to bottom. We’ve seen full numbers before, but they’re almost always interrupted, or intercut with some fantasy sequence that ruins the entire ambiance of the piece. With “Don’t Say Yes Until I Finish Talking’, we finally get a beautifully sung, staged and choreographed number in the rehearsal hall that is completely uninterrupted. And I loved it. If we could have more of these in the show I would be one happy camper. I am quite aware that it’s likely pretty expensive to do one of these, but it really is the highlight of the entire run of the show for me. If we get rid of the extraneous crap, I’m sure we’d be able to get more numbers like this one. And more happy viewers (and recappers).

Some other observations:

• Eileen (Anjelica Huston) – with the help of the dreamy bartender Nick (Thorsten Kaye) – managed to find a sole investor in the project and therefore dumps her other ones. Unfortunately his name is Randy Cobra, (yes, Cobra) and likely came to his fortune by questionable means. Little rat Ellis (Jaime Cepero) does a background check and tells Eileen that both Nick and Cobra are engaged in some eye-brow raising activities. Her reaction? She scolds Ellis for sneaking around and digging up dirt on her friends. Normally I’d be jumping for joy for the Ellis bashing, but I doubt that this is what any sane businessperson would do. It will very clearly come back to haunt Eileen. Looks like we’re back to “painfully obvious storyline set-up” territory once again.
• Despite all of this, Eileen gets a kiss from dreamboat Nick. So that makes it worth it right?
• Emory Cohen (as son Leo) continues to shock us with his ability to suck the life out of scene with his horrible acting. I think he had a total of 3 lines this week and they were all increasingly cringe worthy. Some one needs to do a YouTube video compilation of his lines. It would have Wicker Man cult status for sure.
• Tom’s fling John (Neal Bledsoe), breaks things off when it becomes obvious that Tom is starting to have feelings for Sam (Leslie Odom Jr.). Personally I think it would be awesome if Tom and Sam just remained friends, but I doubt that’s going to happen. Whatever the case, John wasn’t the right one for Tom so…see ya!
• Julia (Debra Messing) finally reveals to Tom that Frank (the awesome and already missed Brian d’Arcy James) left her after he found out about the affairs. How are we honestly supposed to believe that she and Tom are such besties when he isn’t the first person she runs to?  I don’t know what it is about Julia, but I just cannot like this character or Messing’s portrayal of her. Maybe it’s because of her hideous wardrobe?
• Don’t even get me started on how much I don’t care about Dev’s (Raza Jaffrey) workplace conflict. Why is he not telling Karen about his problems? Oh right, so that the show can bring this up later as a source of “conflict.” Gee, I wonder if Dev will blow a gasket and hit his new boss when he finds out that that guy also hit on Karen? Or maybe he will choose work over  love and have to move? Pretty please?
• Did anyone else laugh when the show closed with a slow pan across all of the pained, lonely characters (Julia alone in the coffeeshop, Ivy alone at home with perfect hair, Tom eating his breakfast solo, Dev leaving Karen silently, etc)? It’s just false emotion when we don’t care about any of them. Try harder, Smash!

What did you think Smash-ers? Do you think Uma Thurman will launch the show into the realm of “must see” TV? How do you think Ivy will be able to reinsert herself back into ‘Bombshell’ after her drug-induced debacle over at ‘Heaven on Earth’? Sound off in the comments section below.

Smash airs Mondays at 9pm EST on NBC

Courtesy of NBC

This week Smash continues to figure out what kind of show it wants to be but ultimately, it feels like a game of high and low: we get some really good stuff, but that’s balanced out with some really horrible junk.

Let’s bitch it out!

This episode felt like a seesaw ride (which admittedly, is not unlike the other episodes). The show always seems to have moments of greatness and potential, but then something unfortunate will happen to wash it all away. It honestly feels like I was allocating pluses and minuses. Take a look at what I mean:

We finally get to see a number from Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom’s (Christian Borle) musical ‘Heaven on Earth’, which in the world of the show, is supposed to be amazingly successful. We even get a fabulous guest star starring in it: Norbert Leo Butz. Butz was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked, so I was definitely excited to see him. +5 points.

Alex-freaking-Wong of So You Think You Can Dance fame is in the number as well! +2 points.

Unfortunately, we only get a few minutes of the song so that we can deduce that Ivy (Megan Hilty) is bored and uninterested. We cut away mid-number after this becomes painfully obvious. We have no context as to why this show is so successful/popular and if we’re being honest, the number just looks incredibly hokey and silly. Butz and Wong are utilized about as well as One Republic‘s Ryan Tedder was last week. Namely: NOT AT ALL. -5 points.

We do revisit this same number later in the show, but Ivy distracts us because she’s doped up and winds up falling flat on her face in the middle of it. - 2 points. (Side Note: She almost fell down those stairs! Unfortunately she wasn’t pushed, so no Showgirls parallels here. My prediction has yet to come true. -2 points for me)

Derek (Jack Davenport) has quickly turned into a caricature despite some of his better moments earlier in the season. Take the scene when the creatives are all in Eileen’s  (Anjelica Huston)office: he sits in his chair (wearing all black – unlaundered and wrinkled, I might add), whining about how things didn’t go his way. I mean, literally whining like a spoiled little boy. He slams doors and everything! -5 points.

On the other hand, Karen (Katherine McPhee) is actually tolerable this week (which is amazeballs considering she’s been practically unbearable before). I thought McPhee did a good job selling the enthusiasm of a hungry actress when she lands an OJ commercial. She even wears the hilariously embarrassingly green suit in stride. +5 points.

Courtesy of NBC

Julia’s husband Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) finally finds out about the affair she had with Michael (Will Chase). He does so by discovering the song she wrote about it on the bedside table. 1) She wrote a song about it? 2) She left it in plain view? It’s an absolutely ridiculous way to get this plot point out in the open -2 points.

Fortunately, it leads to a very authentic exchange between the two. Julia says she’s sorry, and that it didn’t mean anything, to which Frank fires back. How could it not mean anything when it has essentially ruined their 18-year marriage? ‘Sorry’ ain’t gonna cut it here. +5 points.

This information leads to Frank confronting Michael and punching him in the face. Thank you, Frank for doing what many of us have wanted to ever since we were introduced to the sex couch! +2 points.

The bruise on Michael’s face a couple of days later totally looks like mouth herpes. +2 points.

During their little pre-punch conversation, Michael reveals (accidentally) that he and Julia had an affair years prior. This causes Frank to move the eff out. Brian d’Arcy James absolutely kills it as Frank during this episode. By finally allowing him to be useful in the show, d’Arcy James proves that he is the best actor on the series by far. +10 points.

Now that Frank has left Julia, and the affair has pretty much ruined any possibility of reconciliation (remember, he’s likely even more pissed that Julia didn’t fess up to the first affair) it’s unlikely that the science teacher is going to have a significant role in the show going forward. Where would he fit? I can see a potential reconciliation being dragged out over a couple more episodes, but more than that? Doubtful. -5 points.

In the midst of d’Arcy James’ master class acting, we are unfortunately subjected to Emory Cohen’s absolutely horrible dialogue delivery as Julia and Frank’s son, Leo. When he tells Julia that Frank is packing up and leaving, it reaches a new level of terrible acting that I didn’t think existed. It’s only a couple of lines but it is painful to witness. -10 points.

The relationship stuff that Tom is going through with republican lawyer (shudder) John (Neal Bledsoe) is actually pretty interesting. When Tom gets a text that Ivy has fallen on stage and is drugged up, he tells John that he’s gotta book it from the republican fundraiser to go and take care of her. John tells him that he’s infantilizing her and that Tom should just let Ivy take care of herself. Instead of the typical storm out – Tom actually admits that John’s assessment is right, but that he’s going to go anyway. I like that the two feel that they can be themselves and have disagreements rather than arguments. +3 points.

Ellis (Jaime Cepero) is still around and as annoying as ever. He actually thinks he can weasel his way into a co-producing credit by trying to get a big star cast as Marilyn.  -5 points.

He goes as far as offering sexual favours to achieve this. Ugh. How many dry heaves were heard around the world when this scene aired? -5 points just for the imagery.

Thankfully it doesn’t ever seem like Ellis’ schemes actually amount to anything significant. Eileen puts this little rat in his place when he tries to bully her into giving him a co-producing credit and a deflated Ellis plops back in his receptionist chair where he belongs. +5 points.

The high point of the episode is when Karen and Ivy finally put aside their differences and shared a rendition of Rhianna’s “Cheers (I’ll Drink to That)” in Times Square. It is a fun number (and beautifully shot), but more than that, it finally made sense for these two not to pitted against one another. They don’t have to be BFFs, but dissipating the clear adversarial relationship between the two is definitely a step in the right direction. +5 points.

‘Marilyn: The Musical’ finally got a proper name! ‘Bombshell’. And it’s actually a great title. +2 points.

Unfortunately Julia thinks of it when she tells Michael that the whole affair “exploded her life like a bombshell” which is a really awkward sentence. Again, it’s a clunky way to show how the title came about and is painfully obvious to the viewers. -2 points.

FINAL SCORE = +5 points which means not such a bad episode this week, but not really a great one either. With Uma Thurman guest starring in next week’s episode, let’s hope Smash can score some more positive points.

What did you think Smash-ers? Was it mostly highs or lows for you this week? Do you think Frank will ever return and forgive Julia? Maybe Leo will move in with his dad and we don’t have to see him again! Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comments section below.

I have to say it took a while for me to realize I totally dig musicals. In fact, it was “The 20th Century Fox Mambo”, when I noticed that I’m totally glued to the screen. A typical musical number. A cool song. A fat choreography. Katharine McPhee, whom I starting to heavily crush on. I can’t even dance, and I surely can’t sing. I don’t have dreams to stand in front of a camera, or even on a stage, though I have theater experience (in school, duh). But SMASH… It makes me realize things. Maybe I’m into musicals more than I would have thought before this show and after GLEE. I love MOULIN ROUGE, and I think CHICAGO is an even better musical movie. I don’t have much love with the older Hollywood musicals, but just because I have only seen WEST SIDE STORY so far (in school, duh). I loved the first season of GLEE, minus most of the second half of the first season. I have seen THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, but it wasn’t really mine from the beginning (a remake would probably help, but then all the fans would run amok). Now I have SMASH. And maybe it will change me into a big musical fan – someone who doesn’t have a clue about Broadway, and only heard of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, because of all the accidents during the rehearsals. SMASH makes me a geek with musicals. And I’m proud to say that. I’m also proud that NBC gives me a TV show to love again. Though I won’t be happy, when it’s gonna be canceled. I will cry into my pillow, when the ratings continue to sink, and when the series is canceled, before the first season finished airing.

It was a good episode. Of course, a bit weaker than the premiere, but only because the setting was already known. The magic of the first episode vanished for a few times, and only returned, when the Marilyn musical was casting its Marilyn, as well as the musical number near the end. The characters were not that “special” anymore, and in addition the episode didn’t go as much into all the storylines as I wanted it to go. When I was reading about Team Karen and Team Ivy after the airing of the pilot, I was expecting for a real duel to be born out of the duel they actually have in the show. Yet there wasn’t a duel, and the question of who is becoming the next Marilyn of Broadway was answered pretty quick. I wouldn’t mind to see this storyline folding itself throughout a couple more episodes, though I know it was necessary to give this story an ending very soon. Even I know that callbacks don’t take weeks, and decisions are made very fast.

I still liked the episode though. Mostly because it shows that the writers want SMASH to be a real TV show. It was obvious that Ivy (Megan Hilty) would get the role, because of two very big reasons: First, it wouldn’t be much of a story, when our “main heroine” Karen gets the role. She is the one we should root for the most, and how to do it, when she gets the role in the second episode already? That also makes it obvious that the writers are going to be mostly interested in Karen’s storyline, and show Ivy in the role of Marilyn (also: That probably means less private time for Ivy). Second: The little bed stunt with Ivy and Derek (Jack Davenport). It’s a cliché storyline, and it will definitely cause some trouble in the future. Especially when it comes to recasting the role. Ivy and Derek wet-humping under the sheets keep the option open for Karen. Stereotypical, but very effective. Every writer would do that and keep the story alive like this.

Interesting was how much worth the production of the Marilyn musical was given. Julia’s (Debra Messing) efforts of placing the songs right, which makes her think about the possibility that the musical won’t be linear… And especially with the little musical “preview”, I found it to be an excellent scene. I hope the writers are going more into the writing efforts of the characters, eventually telling a storyline where it is difficult to come up with a real story for the actual musical. Like Tom (Christian Borle) already mentioned, maybe they should have a script first, before the music gets arranged within the story. And I really want something from the story of the musical, instead just hearing one song after another. After all, SMASH creates a whole new musical, and the idea of Steven Spielberg was to actually put the TV musical onto a real stage. Meaning that the TV musical will have a development in the TV show. And that’s what I’m still waiting for. With the baseball song, and the mention of Joe DiMaggio, I hope there is something coming in the next episode. And yes, I can see what’s coming in the next episode, when I just look at the episode title. Which is why I’m hoping it won’t suck.

Kat’s musical number was great. Like in the pilot with Megan’s number, I was glued to the screen. I can’t believe that simple rehearsal numbers can be that breathtaking (for me), so what are the real musical numbers look like, when they are performed on stage during rehearsals mid-season, or during the actual musical at the end of the season (which will hopefully come – a whole episode, just for the musical, that would be awesome). The song was also great, and will be the song I’m going to listen to over and over for the next week (Lindsey Pavao can take a break now, lol). I also hope that every episode will have the chance, the strength and time to deliver a musical number like this. There don’t need to be three or four songs per episode – just one musical number like this is completely fine by me. But maybe I’m hoping too much here.

The side arcs were okay. I was annoyed about the adoption plot though, especially when Leo (Emory Cohen) came around the corner and was all dramatic about the decision Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) made (basically for himself). First, I was surprised how a son can be emotionally involved like this. I mean, a teenager, who should care about drugs, girlfriends, and computer games, is rather interested in getting a sibling from China? That feels off and so not from this world. Second, the emotions coming from Leo, while talking to Julia, felt pretty fake. Like the story. Not that Leo is one of those ugly kids characters in a TV show, who is not getting any worthy storyline to talk about. In addition I was thinking that Leo was recast in this episode. I watched the pilot three times, and still couldn’t believe that Leo looked pretty “mature” and different from his stint in the pilot, even though this wasn’t the case. Second, I don’t like the story. It feels like pressured into the series, because the writers need a complete different plot, because they won’t write a whole episode just about the musical production. And I don’t like when I’m getting pressured into a storyline, which seems so totally wrong. I mean, why wasting two years of time in adopting a Chinese baby, when you could easily go to an American adoption office and adopt an American baby? Why does it have to be a Chinese baby? There wasn’t even a reason given for this “complicated” plot, and I would ask for some answers, please.

Also, Dev’s (Raza Jaffrey) individual storyline feels pushed into a show, because SMASH wants to be diverse. But I liked his story more than I did Julia’s. But maybe just because the story is more involved with one of the major characters involved in the Marilyn musical. After all, Karen coming late and giving all her time for the callback affects Dev and his plans, which kinda makes his relationship with Karen look like, as if they were the US president and his First Lady. Maybe a bit too political for a musical drama like SMASH, but who knows where this story is going throughout the next episodes. The only stereotypical thing about the story was how angry Dev was after Karen’s late-coming. I can understand his anger, after she texted him already, but damn… She’s a musical actress, so better get your anger skills under control, because it will happen more often in the future. I just hope it doesn’t become a problem in their relationship, because that would take the top spot of all clichés in this show.

I’m in love with this show. I want it to survive the season, and see a second one next year. I want to see multiple seasons of a musical production, because it’s something I care about. Yet it’s not something the American audience cares about. From a 3.8 rating to a 2.8 – looks terrible, though the number still looks great for NBC standards. But PAN AM started like this, and soon crashlanded (and is not going to return for a second season), and I already liked this show for its different approach of making a television series. I really hope SMASH will live a different fate. I want it to be successful so much. But secretly I already know it won’t live to see a second season. 7.5/10

Derek shows feelings for Karen

But lands in bed with big-breasted Ivy, who (I think) shows off a bit too much for network TV standards

Drammatico

Robert frequenta una prestigiosa scuola della East Coast. Un giorno, riprende per puro caso la morte di due suoi compagni. Per rendere omaggio ai due giovani scomparsi, si decide che vengano ritratte in un video anche le loro vite. Ma l’idea provoca una serie di tensioni e un’atmosfera malsana sia negli studenti che nel corpo insegnanti.