The Inmate

This is a story that i was attracted to after renewing my subscription

to Netflix. I had been off for a while but was keep to find some

material that was not easy to come by. 

The stories told behind prison have become successful partly because of

projects like Prison Break. But you could argue that classics such as

Escape from Alkatraz or Papillon were probably trendsetters for this

genre. 

This one is set in Mexico with a facility that houses mainly former

gang members. Most of the information that we get from these shows

splits the traditional maximum security prison into racial group which

are further subdivided into gangs. There is a hierarchy that manages

these complex networks and that has its minions all the way out into

the streets of the capital of the world. With this infrastructure, drug

lords are able to run their cartels effectively from behind bars. 

This one is different though. The whole prison seems more like a tented

camp. Separated between five groups. The Nazis, The Union Group and The

Group that has the privilege of actually being housed in decent enough

dwellings in the prison run by an older man, the guards and then a

select community of effeminate men. At the top or at least in admin

there is the leadership core made up of the warden and his assistant

and a team of support staff which includes a Counselor/Human Rights

observer. 

Our hero is introduced onto the scene and has to navigate through this

maze of personalities. A few things stood out to me. I may not have

watched the series that run on one of the networks a while back but for

what others told me, the women were often at the heart of the power

structure of these crime families. You really have to look out for the

crucial role of two actors in this series. The Warden and Santito. The

warden comes across as conniving but somehow leaves you hoping that he

succeeds. He quotes from notable authors and poets, cheats, steals,

always looking for a great deal all this time while supported by his

loyal and attractive side kick. Santito on the other hand is a complex

mix of shattered and broken as well as intelligent. He is looking for

friendship but is no sucker. He is desperately trying to find approval

while at the same time seemingly in charge of his own faculties. He is

gentle while also being capable of harming those he encounters.      

There are lessons about leadership from each of those that are on top

of their respective ladders. Then there are lessons from those who are

leading without necessarily having a team at their side. 

Ignacio Serricchio as Lázaro Mendoza / Dante Pardo

Ana Claudia Talancón as Frida Villarreal

Flavio Medina as Jorge Peniche

Luis Felipe Tovar as Mariano Tavares

David Chocarro as Juan Pablo 'Santito'

Mariana Seoane as Roxana Castañeda

Guy Ecker as John Morris

Isabella Castillo as Linda Morris

Under The Dome

I stumbled across this gem while on one of the social media channels. I

guess i was interested in the idea of a dome. If you are in the Middle

East, then you have probably heard of the Iron Dome. It is An Israeli

Defense System against Missiles. Then there was a discussion about a

system that was discussed in the Reagan Years but that one was referred

to as Star Wars. It is hard therefore to see the distinction between

life and art but these two are mingling with each other in profound

ways. There is also the Simpsons which many feel like has been

predicting the future. There is an episode in the animated show where

an actual dome descends or appears on the city.

The Dome was written by Stephen King...no surprise. My first

interaction with his work was with Shawshank Redemption. An amazing 

project with great story telling. There was so much to learn about

patience, diligence, planning and the importance of skills. It has

tragic moments and others of triumph. There is an interesting insights

into the concern shared by many about just how much rehabilitation

takes place in traditional prison systems. In our days we have heard of

the Prison Industrial Complex (slightly less popular than the Military

Industrial Complex), and its effects on the minorities in the US. One

of the characters after so many appearances before the Parole Board and

rejections finally just expresses his exhaustion after trying to give

the standard answers. There are explorations of life after so many

years behind bars and how difficult the men that have been in the

system find it to adjust to regular life. 

Other works based on books by Stephen King are a little too frightening

for me but it is great to see the adoption and use of the series model

where you spread out the experience to last longer. 

While it is not always possible to see into the writer's mind, i had a

mainly spiritual lens while viewing this work. Without trying to ruin

the process for those of you who have not seen this work, the dome

seems to have some spiritual significance. It reminds me of the domes

that are used to represent most sites that many view as Holy. There are

also quite a number of theorists who claim that we are under a dome and

that most of the stories about  lunar exploration are really just

mythical. At times it feels like the dome represents God's dominion (i

think that the word dominion comes from the word dome). Is this why

some staunch believers in male contraception are against Condoms?

Because of the shape that is used and what that represents? I don't

know. There is also an egg that is connected to the dome which is

interesting because the egg presents quite a lot of mystery. We are

still having difficulty deciding what came first. Is it the egg or is

it the chicken? 

Is the Dome a reference to a struggle between adherents to the Judeo

Christian Beliefs? The most complex relationship to explore in what we

know of a the Old Testament is that of the chosen people and their God

who was at one time friend and at another foe.  

Then there are the challenges of resource scarcity as the community

begins to struggle with a limit on what they can make use of. First it

is food, then fuel and then a series of issues concerning the weather.

The community is also forced to deal with security and production as

well as registration both of populations and weapons. Suddenly the

parts of the population that were responsible for agriculture see

themselves increase in importance and value. 

There is also a question about the nature of the Dome. Is it a

representation of God? Is it conscious? Is it access to an alternate

universe?      

Dean Norris from Breaking Bad plays the role of Big Jim. While Natalie Martinez

from I-land plays a sherrif’s deputy. Alexandar Koch is the ever emotional 

Junior who is pulled back and forth by a manipulative father. 

Peaky Blinders Season 1

Ah they got me again. This work of art is so multi dimensional and beautifully done. It is a study of leadership ethics and morals. It is also the look at the complexities of family relations and the efforts of people to make the best of thier lives after what seems to be a genetic tendency towards crime. 

There are interesting explorations of what it means to be a veteran of a war and in this case probably World War I. There are brief looks at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Opium Use and the Prohibition. There are conversations and fights or struggles between those who go to war and those who send others to war. There is a conversation about what really makes a man a King or Monarch. 

In this regard there is a troubling video on Instagram where one of the Windsors meets the lead actor of the series and ignores him. But there is more to this picture than meets the eye. The choice of names for the brothers is one thing-John, Arthur and Thomas. The first two are names of previous Kings while the third is the name of someone who served a British Monarch (read Cromwell). 

Then there are questions about revolution, communism, democracy and more. 

In our day and age i found it interesting too about how the backdrop of this story was in a poverty stricken city split equally or unequally between Jews, Italians, Chinese, Romani (Gypsy is not a term they like to use), Irish and British groups. 

There is an look at strategy and tactics. Romance and Revenge. There are conversations about Post War England and the crime families that ruled and the countries from where they emerged. Loyalties and alliances and decisions. 

The tough characters are also exposed as human and vulnerable. In this regard watch for Arthur a suitable name for one of the older brothers, given to violence but confronted by a weak mind. He is in many regards trying to reclaim his place as the first born but must deal with the reality that the younger Thomas is really the brains behind the operation. He loves the bottle but is trying desperately to change. John on the other hand takes after his brother Arthur but his unforgiving tendencies look like they will get him in trouble. Polly has a demons too but she is not weak…not at all. She too however seeks change and the surprise appearance of someone in her life might change the way she thinks. 

Then there is Grace. Sent on a crazy mission but vulnerable as we all are to the realities of life and love. 

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, Helen McCrory as “Polly”, Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle S Ada Shelby and Joe Cole as John Shelby. 

Reacher Series

Just started to watch a series based on the movie film that features Tom Cruise. I must admit that i was a bit weary of watching a new player on this role. I am a little accustomed to seeing a shorter and often despised Tom Cruise turn the tables on his foes who usually out number him. But Alan Ritchson really pulls it off. He gives us anotjer angle to this character. 

While it might be exhasting to watch another show that gives you an unlikely hero and has a scene where the president and his men pour through a redacted file where they find details about a war hero and multi-skilled trained operative. The series is nonetheless enjoyable. The dialogue is a masterwork of witty Southern phrases rich in expression. There is also an exploration of the protagonist’s life prior to this dilemma in Margrave and a look at his life with his brother. Some of these conversations and scenes help the viewers gain a better understanding of the thinking behind this chunk of man. 

Willa Fitzgerald (who plays Roscoe Conklin) does an amazing job and reminds me of Julia Garner (who palys Ruth Langmore in Ozarks). The two take on roles of Southerners complete with accents and knowledge of obscure facts such as the type of grass that grows in the fields as well as weeds and cow feed. 

The interactions between the new entrant and the detective from the north are also great to observe as is the Northern/Southern racial conflict in the background of all the convesations that are taking place. It is unusual to see a guy this big being portrayed as intelligent. Often the stereotype of chucky guys is that they play sports and are not particularly smart but Reacher is different. He is observant…to an almost neurotic level. This makes his initial meeting with his new boss quite entertaining. 

There seems to have been a gaff in Season 1 Episode 3. There is a conversation between Finlay and Roscoe where the latter defends the former after an embarrasing incident at the local jail. Her reaction is animated and includes a few expletives. He urges her to take it down a little. Later on, Finlay has an exchange with Kilner Sr. his reponse is far from diplomatic. On leaving the premises Reacher reminds Finlay about a previous conversation-only what Reacher is reminnding Finlay of is a conversation that he was not a part of :)

Euphoria Season 1

People who are smarter than me and that studied literature (read my sister), tell me that romance and eros is often used in literature in critical parts of the story to draw the audience’s attention to particular subjects or ideas. I say this because accross the series Euphoria after someone on twitter mentioned it but emphasized that it was ‘porn’. If you view it through this narrow lense you will miss the point. 

It is a deep dive into the complex lives of teen and pre-teen students in post 911 America. The parents of these children were witnesses of the tragedies of September 11th 2001 and so the series serves as an exploration of these young people. 

First off, the narrative style is really appealing and we have Zendaya (Rue Bennet) of Spiderman fame to thank for that. Everything about this season revolves around her and those who form her inner circle. She is cast as a tomboyish slightly troubled (mentally) young person who goes through life trying to make sense of all the difficulties that she has gone through after the death of her father. In her household is her younger sister played by Storm Reid (Gia Bennet). Gia adores her sister and has every hope of becoming just like her. The trouble is that her ‘mentor’ is really troubled and struggling with addiction challenges. We have a single mum managing the affairs of this household with Nika King (Lesslie Bennet) handling that well. She is supportive and firm performing spot checks (read piss tests) on her daughter but the younger version of herself is often much too smart for mum in that regard. 

Throughout this work, i am amazed at least the writer (Sam Levinson) wants us to realise just how informed this generation is about the medications that exist and what each can provide in terms of fixes. 

The drug related problem is aided in part by two individuals. One surprisingly young and imaginative, is nicknamed Ashtray (played by Javon Walton) but the muscle of the operation is a sentimental and on the surface weak minded Fezco (Angus Cloud). In later parts of the first season there is a sad confrontation between supplier sand addict where name calling and abuse is exchanged but a calm keen minded Fezco responds with maturity in a scene that almost brings you to tears. 

Later one we are introduced to other characters that will make the season as exciting as it is revealing. We have the family that is supposed to have it all together (The Jacobs Family with Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi). The new girl (Hunter Shaefer) from out of town who comes in to shake things up. Her backstory is heart wrenching with neglect and abandonment from noneother than her mother. Later issues she faces will stem from this one incident. 

Then we have the slightly ovwerweight young girl who evolves into a confident person after realising that she has quite an audience online keen to gaze at her semi-dressed pictures and sessions. The writer also labors to read into the psychology of a generation that is getting used to leaking and or sharing nude images in a sense pleading with his audience to be more gentle with our judgements. 

The rest of the season is animated by some difficult but well acted scenes of blackmail and arm twisting that leave you asking for some divine power to intervene in the lives of these young victims. 

All in all a thumbs up for me!