The Wire: Season II

[poliphilo]

The deeper you go, the more layers there are. The comparison (which keeps being made) between the Wire and Balzac and all those other 19th century, state of the nation novelists is valid up to a point- but I suppose Baltimore must have a few citizens who aren't ripping one another off all the time. Balzac and his crew would have given us glimpses of those folk; Burns and Simon don't. This isn't intended as negative criticism, more a case of "all proportions kept"- because- within its limits- which are wider than those of most TV shows, but narrower than those of Dickens, Balzac, Zola and Tolstoy- the Wire is fabulous.

I can't get over Dominic West and Idris Elba being Brits.

Comments

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

We've been glued to The Wire - skipping around through episodes as one of us watches or catches up. Fascinating, multi-threaded brilliance.

I knew that Dominic West was a Brit, but had no idea that Stringer Bell was one too. I especially like that they've stayed away from big 'names' to sell it, focussing more on the characters themselves. I adore Omar's single-mindedness, yet with a code of honour. And Lester is fabulous.

The only trouble is the late hour that it's shown - if we're not careful we get sucked into an episode, so record it for the following evening's viewing instead.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We've been watching it on "catch-up" TV.

If Dominic West doesn't become a big name there's no justice. Same goes for Idris Elba.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

I think he (Dominic) was in The Devil's Whore as Cromwell, if memory serves.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes he was. That was a very fine performance too- and so very different.