Dustin Hoffman, Michael Mann and David Milch collaborate in HBO’s Luck
Much has been made recently of the apparent conflict between creators Michael Mann and David Milch on the set of their new show Luck. Some reports say Mann has banned Milch from the set completely; others say Mann has given Milch a set of rules to follow. Milch is notorious for rewriting scripts minutes before filming whereas Mann is known for his intense preparation and perfectionism. Combine these two personalities with the iconic Dustin Hoffman (imagine Al Pacino and Robert Deniro from Heat encountering Deadwood’s Al Swearengen and any number of Hoffman’s performances) and you would think Luck would turn out to be a disaster of epic proportions but, surprisingly, it’s not: in fact, it just might be the next big thing.
HBO aired a preview of the pilot episode after the Boardwalk Empire finale last month, which Lindsey reviewed here. I’m not going to try and write about this episode critically (as she already covered it well) but instead I’m going to discuss my thoughts and expectations in general (and then start the proper reviews next week).
Deadwood is one of my favourite TV shows ever. Heat is one of my favourite films. I’ve liked Dustin Hoffman in almost everything I’ve seen him in. These three plus HBO meant I had extremely high expectations for the series. Did it meet them?
Well, sort of. It is just the pilot, after all. If Deadwood was any indication, it takes a while to become fully immersed in a Milch-written show. The pilot throws us into an unfamiliar world (I, and presumably a lot of people, have never been to a horse-racing track in my life) with a large cast of characters that already have connections and relationships and history with one another and who all speak a language we will only be able to understand properly if we watch each and every episode. The pilot is slow but precise and masterfully produced by the two creators. Despite its lack of Hoffman, who plays Chester “Ace” Bernstein (who I’m sure will play a bigger part as the series continues, even though it appears Luck is more of an ensemble show than one with a sole protagonist), the pilot was an impressive debut and a very promising start to a show that I hope will be able to rival Deadwood sometime (unless HBO cancels it like John From Cincinnati, of course).
I’m sure a lot of people will ignore this show despite the talent in front of (aside from Hoffman, we’ve got Dennis Farina, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, Nick Nolte and even Michael Gambon and Joan Allen in later episodes) and behind the camera just because of the premise alone: who really cares about horse racing? However, I assure that most HBO shows (and most Milch and Mann productions) are difficult to get into but ultimately rewarding, no matter what the premise actually is. Stick with it: As Bernstein promises in the trailer for the rest of the season, “there will be blood.”
Image credit: HBO
Craig McQuinn
Craig McQuinn is a poor student currently living in Australia. He was born in New Zealand and had to kill many wild animals to survive. He enjoys almost all forms of pop culture and his interests include superhero comics, TV shows on ...
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