Perched up and decided to watch this to see the late, great Ray Liotta's final performances. As usual, he exceeded my expectations and went out in a blaze of glory. His Big Jim scenes with Little Jimmy are riveting and emblazon themselves on the mind. The problem is this show is a little too light on Liotta. In the brief scenes he's in, he truly elevates the show. He's always had that sort of continuous intensity, piercing no bs eyes, and a laugh for the ages. Conversely, Egerton drags it down with his stiff acting that grossly lacks tonality or nuance. I suppose the washboard abs got him in the door. It's tough to shoot a gritty show with a polished lens, but hey, they pull it off mostly. It can be unflinchingly real and too close for comfort at times. I was reminded of prison movies I watched with my pop growing up. Movies like Short Eyes and Midnight Express. They scared me straight for dang sure. You won't get so much as a misdemeanor out of me. This filmic show kind of does the same. Especially fine acting by Moafi, Kinnear and Hauser. The darkness, too, can bloom and sing.

See other user reviews