Re: True detective : Sun May 04, 2014 10:40 pm  

Just caught up with this. Really enjoyed the first two thirds or so but I thought the ending was terrible.

Re: True detective : Sat Mar 28, 2015 7:50 pm  

Finally got round to watching this. On the whole I really enjoyed it, but got to agree the last episode was disappointing. It was all very rushed and cliched, and not in keeping with the style of the rest of the series. From Marty making the green paint link to Rust head butting the killer and saving the day with a desperate head shot. Lots of things about the cult were just glossed over too with barely a mention.

It wasn't a terrible ending, just didn't live up to the rest of it.

Re: True detective : Fri May 01, 2015 8:22 am  

Really enjoyed true detective, one of the few programmes I've watched on catchup that I didn't fast forward the title music, which I thought was great. Hard to see the new series matching it, but we can hope.

Re: True detective : Fri May 15, 2015 11:36 am  

The show was indeed superb until the final third in which it seemed to completely contradict its own narrative.

It is very similar to one of the finest made-for-TV series (three movies, in fact) this country has produced - Red Riding (based on the novels by David Peace).

Unfortunately American cultural norms forced the show's producers to baulk at truly exploring the dark and sinister underbelly of human society it was forever threatening to delve into.

Pity really.

Re: True detective : Sun May 24, 2015 6:10 am  

Mugwump wrote:

The show was indeed superb until the final third in which it seemed to completely contradict its own narrative.

It is very similar to one of the finest made-for-TV series (three movies, in fact) this country has produced - Red Riding (based on the novels by David Peace).

Unfortunately American cultural norms forced the show's producers to baulk at truly exploring the dark and sinister underbelly of human society it was forever threatening to delve into.

Pity really.

Red riding was a quality series. Really enjoyed it. Well written great cast and well acted.

Re: True detective : Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:21 pm  

Anyone seen series two yet? Better? Worse?

Can't say I was thrilled by the selection of Colin Farrell who's been living off an undeserved reputation for the past 10-12 years. Don't mind Vince Vaughn, tho.

And if the script is as bad as what ultimately developed in the first series I won't bother.

Re: True detective : Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:39 pm  

Ferdy wrote: Red riding was a quality series. Really enjoyed it. Well written great cast and well acted. It's interesting that the well-regarded Anglo-American critic, David Thomson, declared Red Riding to be "Better than The Godfather" He took a ton of stick for that claim (no one can criticize Coppola in the States) but I think he's one of the very few critics (along with the late Roger Ebert) who really paid attention to the trilogy. I'm not going to get into silly debates about whether or not RR is "better" or "worse" than TG. My position is that it is a masterpiece. Anyone who has read David Peace's books will appreciate they are not obvious candidates for cinematic treatment. The fact that the trilogy bridged the gap between literature and film whilst retaining the essence of Peace's bleak tale is an achievement in itself. The fact that it did so using three separate directors all using different recording methods is nothing short of astonishing. Peace is a bit of a polarizing author. But he has something different to say about a Britain we think we know and yet really don't. Given the Jimmy Savile revelations (plus others) I think he was absolutely BANG ON THE MARK in his appraisal of Britain's seedy underbelly where sexual abuse is rife and police corruption rampant. True Detective plays at being this sober and serious only to then chicken out at the final hurdle.

Ferdy wrote: Red riding was a quality series. Really enjoyed it. Well written great cast and well acted. It's interesting that the well-regarded Anglo-American critic, David Thomson, declared Red Riding to be "Better than The Godfather" He took a ton of stick for that claim (no one can criticize Coppola in the States) but I think he's one of the very few critics (along with the late Roger Ebert) who really paid attention to the trilogy. I'm not going to get into silly debates about whether or not RR is "better" or "worse" than TG. My position is that it is a masterpiece. Anyone who has read David Peace's books will appreciate they are not obvious candidates for cinematic treatment. The fact that the trilogy bridged the gap between literature and film whilst retaining the essence of Peace's bleak tale is an achievement in itself. The fact that it did so using three separate directors all using different recording methods is nothing short of astonishing. Peace is a bit of a polarizing author. But he has something different to say about a Britain we think we know and yet really don't. Given the Jimmy Savile revelations (plus others) I think he was absolutely BANG ON THE MARK in his appraisal of Britain's seedy underbelly where sexual abuse is rife and police corruption rampant. True Detective plays at being this sober and serious only to then chicken out at the final hurdle.

Re: True detective : Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:24 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

Anyone seen series two yet? Better? Worse?

Can't say I was thrilled by the selection of Colin Farrell who's been living off an undeserved reputation for the past 10-12 years. Don't mind Vince Vaughn, tho.

And if the script is as bad as what ultimately developed in the first series I won't bother.

Watched the first two episodes. I loved season one (even if the ending was for want of a better word, cliched) but this hasn't really grabbed me tbh. It looks nice, and the acting is solid (Vaughn in particular is playing a good part), but very little has happened with the exception of a cliff hanger twist at the end of episode 2 (won't say any more than that).

It's not terrible by any means, and it has the potential to be quite an interesting story, but had I not already been a fan I doubt I would have bothered past episode one tbh.

Re: True detective : Mon Jul 06, 2015 12:44 pm  

1st episode of season two didn't grab me but I thought ep2 moved up a gear. I also won't mention the ending of ep2 but i am looking forward now to seeing ep3 to find out what happens.

Re: True detective : Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:26 am  

Just watched episode 3, the pace is picking up a gear or two. Vince Vaughan gave a superb performance.