Boardwalk Empire: Season 1

Thus far, this is an excellent series. I had heard of it before and even watched an episode or two on HBO. However, I had no idea what was going on in the story. It is that type of series, but I love that type since the longer you watch, the more rewarded you feel. I have always been a fan of the gangster story and this one fits quite nicely. It is 1920 and prohibition has just been passed. Steve Buscemi(always reliable in anything) plays Nucky Thompson, the treasurer of Atlantic City. The new law only provides him and his cohorts with the ability to charge more for precious liquor which will be all on the black market now. As you can imagine, chaos ensues from the sides of the law as well as criminal enemies. Oh this is very much a history lesson as well. Nucky Thompson was a real gangster in the 1920s which boggles my mind since I had never heard about him. Also on the cast of mugs is a young Al Capone, Myer Lansky, Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and Arnold Rothstein. There is a black crime boss named Chalky White, but I found out he was based on the boxer Albert "Chalky" Wright. But let me tell you. White like all the characters on here, has many layers and is always fun to watch. As for the time period, I think I prefer the 1940s to the 1920s. However, the era is the perfect backdrop for this show. It's almost like watching New Jersey about a hundred years before the Sopranos took it over. While much has changed, the rackets were always there. The acting is all spot on and these characters will get a reaction out of you either way. I am hooked and will definitely order the rest of the seasons!

This wasexcellent quality & purchase. I real enjoy The Roaring Twenties films and TV shows. I handed planned on this purchase. But sorry I waited for rainy day. Very entertaining my next purchase will be the complete series. Excellent color great sound quality. Even on my 2012 Sony Bravia 60"

I have nothing but praise for this series. It is dramatic, well-written and researched. There are always refreshing moments of humor furnished by the incredible Steve Buscemi. He keeps surprising me by his range of acting skill and abilities. I especially was drawn in by the clothes/costumes. They really did a deep dive and covered this in an exceptional manner. Boardwalk Empire is a Winner.

When I fist saw a promo for Boardwalk Empire on Foxtel cable TV, I knew I had to await the arrival of the DVD on Amazon,as I didn't have the movie channel designated to showing it, in my package. It was obvious this would be something special. The total "look" of the series, the clean cut clear camera shots,the wonderful detailed backdrops, the lighting,and superb costuming are all the ingredients that made the BBC peerless with their period dramas. HBO series' are proving to be every bit as alluring,and entertaining. The Sopranos was testament to that. Now Director Martin Scorcese - the man who made so many unforgettable movies with DeNiro in the 70's, and many others after that - is back doing what he knows best, a study of American life,this time in the magical prohibition era. Steve Buscemi dominates Boardwalk Empire in Series 1, portraying the lead character Enoch "Nucky" Thompson who runs Atlantic city with a firm hand. Nucky is part gangster,part politician who overseers speakeasies, gambling,men's clubs and prostitution. He also takes care of the the battlers upon whose vote at election time he calls in to support the candidates of his choosing. Nothing happens without him knowing about it, and he is backed up by an odd collection of men. His own brother,Elias (Eli) - played by Shea Wigham - is a surly character who has a high position in the police department,and keeps his brother informed with what is going on within the department - giving Nucky an inside edge on his competitors. Unfortunately, Eli is suffering from the chronic disease of jealousy, and this eats away at him, especially when he has to rely on Nucky to get him reelected as Eli doesn't have the leadership qualities,character,and charisma of his brother. This is the wound that festers throughout series 1 and will no doubt be dealt with at some level in Series 2. There are some outstanding performances in Boardwalk Empire that deserve being noted. Michael Pitt (always with the same hair cut regardless of the role he is playing) is Jimmy Darmody, a dangerous character who can change from being gentle,kind,vulnerable, to a vicious cruel mobster in the blink of eye. He has returned from WW1 an emotionally broken man, and his behaviour becomes more erratic as the story progresses. Michael Shannon plays Agent Nelson Van Alden,a taxation officer who crosses the line by thinking the wrath of God should be brought down on the heads of these people involved in speakeasies,flop houses,and prostitution. He believes he has been designated by God to see they are all punished. Despite being pulled into line more than once by his superiors,Van Alden is obsessed with the evil he sees and becomes fixated on Mrs Schroeder, a widow with two small children,who is befriended by Nucky Thompson and later becomes his mistress. Kelly Macdonald,a Glaswegian born actor, gives an excellent performance as Mrs Schroeder. Gretchen Mol shines as Gillian Darmody - Jimmy's mother and a woman who has been around enough powerful men in her life to know how they think. And finally, Paz de la Huerta who is outstanding as Lucy Danziger,a prostitute who loves the good life, which her man Nucky Thompson can easily provide. Her confusion at being replaced by Mrs Schroeder was superbly enacted by de la Huerta, as she tries to regain her former standing. Gangsters from Chicago and New York are eyeing off Atlantic city as being the next place for them to expand their own business interests. The young, fearless newcomers with names such as Capone,Luciano and Rothstein realise that Nucky runs Atlantic city and he is too smart for them to topple - yet. The next series promises some interesting confrontations. I look forward to it.

If cable TV crime shows had a template for success then 'Boardwalk Empire' hits on every mark. The high-production values, the strong writing and performances, a more than decent amount of nudity and violence, this show has everything you'd expect from a big-budget production on HBO. Unfortunately Boardwalk Empire doesn't do a whole lot different either and at times it stumbles for it's own identity. If there's one time period I'll always find engaging it's the roaring 20's and 'Boardwalk Empire's' setting in Atlantic City as Prohibition comes into effect is an engaging one. Enoch "Nucky" Thompson is the county treasurer who has his hands in politics and bootlegging. His driver, Jimmy Darmody is a 22 year old WWI vet who's adjusting to life at home and wants to have more power and status with Nucky. Both these characters run into prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden who's religious beliefs fuel his determination (and brutality) to bring law and order. The overall plot sees these characters forming alliances and relationships, making power-plays and questioning their own actions. This season stays interesting to watch and certainly kicks things into gear in it's final episodes but I can't say there's anything in the character or story developments that I haven't seen in shows like Deadwood, Rome or Brotherhood. While the narrative may not be that original the performances go a long way to selling the stories. Steve Buscemi has always been an excellent actor and he's terrific playing the morally ambiguous Nucky. Kelly Macdonald matches him as Margaret Schroeder, an Irish mother who comes to Nucky for help and ends up getting sucked into his world. Van Alden seems an easy target and not that convincing as an antagnonist but Michael Shannon raises him above the usual religious cop archetype and is always fun to watch. It took a few episodes to warm up to Michael Pitt as Jimmy, which I could blame on him being a distant character but at the end I'm very interested to see what the show does with his character. Along with the outstanding set pieces which draw you into 'Boardwalk Empire's' time period, the music stands as the show's greatest accomplishment! The opening is easily HBO's best theme and while the music may seem a little out-of place (most of it's re-recorded) but it's always rousing and really brings the show to life. Boardwalk Empire' may not do anything new for HBO (or crime-drama in general) but what it DOES do it does well. I think as long as your expectations are level with what this show's offering 'Boardwalk Empire' is well worth your time.

When BE first appeared in the trade papers I remember people questioning whether Steve Buscemi could carry an entire series as did the late, great James Gandolfini. I think he has proven beyond a doubt that he is one INCREDIBLE actor. I ordered this Season because I somehow misplaced (lent?) it to someone and so had to replace it. I have seen the entire 5 seasons and each one was a winner: great characters, great performances, incredible sets and camera work, tremendous writing, brilliant directing. Some of the actors took a little taking used to, especially Vincent Piazza as Lucky Luciano, Steven Graham as Al Capone and the actor portraying Bugsy Seigel (sorry buddy,, your name momentarily escapes me). A NY native (via Brooklyn) I found Piazza's "Newyorkese" a bit too exaggerated with it's sibilant "s" but over time grew to rather enjoy his increasingly nuanced performance; I've heard Piazza in other films and with the exception my earlier criticism, thought the manner in which he modulated his voice quite commendable. I was ambivalent about Steven Graham's performance of Al Capone which was quite over-the-top; granted Capone was addicted to cocaine, was suffering from what would eventually become tertiary syphilis (while being treated in a way today which would have been deemed malpractice and was the actual cause of his death) but I doubt he was that much of a clown and that off-the-wall to have survived as long as he did as Public Enemy #1. You don't rise to the top of that heap by being a dolt.Ruthless, vicious, Yes. Out of control, irrational, no. He stayed on top because his men feared him and they would not have feared someone they felt was crazy, outlandishly narcissistic as he is portrayed in most of the episodes. Along with their fear there was also a certain amount of respect for is position. these men don't want a "cowboy" running things I pretty much found Graham's Al Capone to be the same performance he gave as Baby Face Nelson in "Public Enemies"" and yet, as the series went on, his family scenes especially with his deaf son, and the one when he tells Jimmy that his son can't hear him when he plays the mandolin and sings to him, having need to touch his throat but never hearing the sounds were quite touching. I found his final scenes provided a balance to his earlier ones when resigned to his fate, he "plays the role" for his public while realizing it's only his farewell moment of "Glory" and his slight nod to the undercover cop who brought him down an admission of respect and defeat. Nice touch. I also doubt that Bugsy Seigel would have ever survived as long as he did if he were ever the eternal juvenile; they simply weren't tolerated by those who controlled organized crime in the day. I also doubt he had that whiny voice. He was called Bugsy because he was psychopathic with a hair-trigger temper, a lot like Abe Reles, so I found his characterization unbelievable however that is a question of interpretation and doesn't mean the man is a poor actor as much as it was the way the role was conceived by others. As for the rest of the cast, just as in "the Wire", "The Sopranos" and "Godfather's 1,2" and "Goodfellas" what makes these series and films so great aside from what I mentioned above are the other supporting actors and brilliant character actors and this entire production from Series 1-5 had an abundance of these: Kenneth Williams, Kelly MacDonald, Michael Pitt, Gretchen Moll, the various children...all too many to mention but each one perfect in their roles. Boardwalk Empire? ONE OF THE GREAT ONES.

This is a remarkable piece of work in the world of pay for view television. The writing and the actors are excellent. The story is set in the 1920's and is historically accurate. It's always fascinating to see how producers incorporate a fictional story into a historical background, and this is done beautifully. Ultimately, the most impressive and intriguing aspect is the character development and interaction of those characters. You find yourself studying them, analyzing why they are who they are as you learn the history of each. This is an intellectual production with a fascinating storyline. If you want action, this is probably not what you're looking for. If you value cinematic discourse, have an interest in US history (particularly around 1920), and are curious about the origin of organized crime in America, you'll like this.

This show is a great one. I am in awe of how many times HBO has knocked it out of the park with a series. The pilot episode alone cost 18 million to film. The show was created by Terrence Winter, who wrote about 25 episodes of the Sopranos. If you are a fan of the roaring 20's than this is the series for you. They have changed around some of the characters names and added in a few but all of the main players are there. You get to watch how the mob started, and how Al Capone started to come into his own. The attention to detail this show has is second to none. One thing I wish I did more was read up on the 1920's and some of the characters first. If this is something you do, it will help guide the show better. Read up on Capone, Luciano, and my favorite - Arnold Rothstein. Even if you just brush up a little I think it will really help, because I watch my wife struggle with alot of it, but she still loves the show. Thank you HBO for another amazing show.