Anthony Boyle. Louis Partridge
“HOUSE OF GUINNESS” (Netflix):
Rich people misbehaving.
It’s not exactly a groundbreaking notion in the world of television (“Dynasty,” “Dallas,” “Succession”), but “House of Guinness” tosses in a few nifty variations on a familiar theme.
Plus it may be the most perfectly produced/photographed/edited miniseries I’ve ever seen.
Set in the 1860s, this series from Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) zeroes in on the Guinness family of Dublin, brewers of a stout that remains a favorite of barflies the world over.
It begins with the death of the brewer’s founder and the power struggle that ensues.
As the oldest son, Arthur (Anthony Boyle) inherits the factory and the family fortune. But he’s spent the last decade in London engaging in a decadent gay lifestyle and knows almost nothing of the business.
Second son Edward (Louis Partridge) has lived at his father’s elbow and knows brewing inside out. He’ll continue running the biz while Arthur reluctantly campaigns for Parliament and searches for a wife who can provide cover for his true proclivities.
The third son, Benjamin (Fionn O’Shea) is a hopeless dipsomaniac barely sober enough to remain upright at the funeral.
The one daughter, Anne (Emily Fairs), is stuck in a joyless marriage but is determined to use some of the family fortune on social projects.
These familial struggles unfold against a background of political upheaval. The Guinnesses represent the Protestant, Brit-leaning rich who control Ireland; they are opposed by a growing army of Irish rebels, among them the charismatic fire-breather Ellen Cochrane (Niamh McCormack) who, improbably enough, will find romance with a member of the Guinness clan.
There are several breakout performances here. Boyle (“Masters of the Air”) is fascinating, infuriating and a bit heartbreaking as Arthur, whose true nature is constantly at war with the facade he’s expected to maintain.
James Norton
James Norton steals virtually every scene as Rafferty, the brewery foreman and fixer who’s not above brutality in protecting the family name and fortune.
And I find my thoughts returning often to Danielle Gilligan’s Lady Olivia, who marries Arthur knowing they’ll never share a bed.
A real left-field surprise is Jack Gleeson. This young actor was hated the world around for his portrayal of the spoiled, vindictive King Joffrey Baratheon in “Game of Thrones.” Here he’s almost unrecognizable as Hedges, a sort of leering human leprechaun who talks his way into becoming the Guinness brand’s agent in America and gradually takes over the clan’s political fortunes.
So, yeah, it’s a bit of a soap opera. But an imminently watchable one.
John Cena
“PEACEMAKER” (HBO Max):
We’ve already got one ultra-violent, gleefully profane genre-busting superhero series in Prime’s “The Boys.” HBO Max’s “Peacemaker” is in the same ballpark, but more overtly comic.
Now in its second season, this James Gunn-created series centers on one of the peripheral characters in the DC Universe. Christopher Smith — aka Peacemaker — is a brawny, not-too-bright vigilante with a collection of masked headgear that impart to him special properties.
The joke here is that Peacemaker (John Cena) is so thick that he’s ready to kill as many people as possible in the name of peace (nothing more peaceful than a corpse, right?).
He’s abetted in his often misguided efforts by a gang of fellow misfits (Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee) and a foul-tempered pet eagle (brilliantly animated). He’s also got a slow burn crush on a government spy/assassin (Jennifer Holland) who can’t decide if she likes or hates the big hunk.
The show’s comic tone is set with the opening credits, a huge dance number featuring most of the cast members in costume. That about half of them cannot dance to save their lives only makes the experience more pleasurable.
Season One found Peacemaker and crew battling an alien invasion. Season Two centers on an alternate universe which appears far more copacetic than ours. In this parallel world Peacekeeper never killed his brother and their father is a hero rather than a thuggish peckerwood.
Much of the fun comes in watching the characters interacting with their parallel universe doppelgängers. Not to mention an absolutely wonderful late-in-the-season reveal — turns out this isn’t the utopia Peacemaker hoped for.
Actually, our hero seems to be getting smarter and more empathetic. Nice to know he’s capable of change.
Not for the kiddies, put perfect for guys still working their way out of adolescence.
“ALIEN: EARTH”(Hulu):
So much has already been written about this series that there’s not much I can add.
I will say that the first couple of episodes left me cold…I was tempted not to keep watching.
Glad I did. The series finds its voice by episode four and the final four installments offer an ever-tightening narrative noose.
Plus I’d watch Timothy Olyphant in anything…even as an emotionless cyborg.
| Robert W. Butler
Butler's Cinema Scene 