Gotham Episode 3 "The Balloonman" Review

by Snow Drift

  On this episode, directed by Dermott Downs and written by John Stephens, a mysterious killer nicknamed “Balloonman” (Dan Bakkedahl) is strapping Gotham’s corrupt public figures to weather balloons and sending them to the sky to die. Detectives James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) are on the case, but Bullock is no longer as safe from suspicion of being corrupt as he though.

  I’m honestly a bit conflicted about this episode. On one hand, I found it a bit jarring that the method of the murders by the Balloonman clashed with the atmosphere of the rest of the series. However, when I thought about it, I realized that the murderer and his method worked to portray the state of desperation of the citizens of Gotham. A regular adult man, who had nothing remarkable to his name, decides to take it upon himself to save Gotham with his only talent: balloons. This episode showed that a citizen of Gotham had finally had enough. Nevertheless, I still would have liked it if the episode had handled the portrayal and direction of the murders to better match the dark and gritty atmosphere of the series. 

  Among the subplots, the one matching Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) is an interesting one, for it brings out to the forefront the romantic relationship between these two women and who they were before the start of the series. It also portrays the powerful force of doubt that prevails throughout the innocent of Gotham. Those that are not corrupt doubt the system, forcing them to live on the edge.

  Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot’s (Robin Lord Taylor) indiscriminate murders throughout Gotham and his visible presence makes it a bit unbelievable that very few people know that he is still alive. I’m surprised that only one person has discovered him and that there hasn’t been any talk of the random murders in and around Gotham. However, I am still glad that his false murder is still a topic that connects Gordon, Montoya, Crispus Allen (Andrew Stewart-Jones), Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and the rest of the criminal underworld to each other and further expands on their conflicts.

  In addition, Alfred Pennyworth’s (Sean Pertwee) portrayal in this episode was, in my opinion, better than the last. His extreme discipline upon Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) worried me, yet in this episode he is shown trying to make Bruce happy in his own way, which is a bit more consistent with the essence of his comic book counterpart. 

  All the while, I do like how Bruce, even though he outwardly seems to be in the process of moving on from his parents’ murder by having a bit more fun, while still holding unto his anger and fear. He lashes out at times and seems to be taking every event that happens in Gotham personal. 

  McKenzie’s and Logue’s acting was more convincing than before, which may be based on the fact that they’re getting used to their characters or the script itself. The villains acting was relatively well, but it could have been better. The rest of the cast was consistent with the last two episodes, although I have to say that I love Pinkett Smith, for she portrays a character that feigns a relative goodness, yet makes it known to everyone around her that she is not one to mess with. 

  The episode in its entirety could have been better directed to portray the sense of terror from being forcefully lifted to the sky. However, I liked the elements that were implemented into the series and the fact that events that have happened in previous episodes are affecting the future.

Gotham Episode 2 "Selina Kyle" Review

by Snow Drift

  On this episode, Patti (Lili Taylor) and Doug (Frank Whaley), a strange duo, of snatchers, work together to capture homeless children from the streets of Gotham to take them to their boss, the mysterious Dollmaker. When given this case, Detectives James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) have to work together to save these children, if with several problems along the way.

  Plot-wise, the episode began to gather momentum as the snatchers captured the children and were eventually discovered by Gordon and Bullock. However, the episode ended anti-climatically. Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), or Cat, simply slipped away from their clutches and was saved by a deux ex machina-like arrival of Gordon. There was no tension if Gordon would have arrived on time to save the children; he was just suddenly there, right on time, with no explanation as to how he got inside a building that had armed guards around. The viewer is told to believe that the police were just that good in the nick of time. 

  Besides that, I liked the rest of the subplots. The power struggle between Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Carmine Falcone (John Doman) and even Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), with his viciousness and cruelty, makes for an interesting dynamic and view of the criminal underworld. The corruption and lack of care from the mayor and most of the police department in regards to the well-being of the homeless and delinquent children help to readily show an environment of hopelessness and selfishness, all of which help portray Gotham as having a darkness that goes beyond mere physical violence and murder. 

  In a way, this episode felt more like a prelude to another than anything else. The importance of the snatchers was based more on giving information on a potentially new future villain and Selina Kyle’s presence in this episode seemed more to be about showing her skills, ruthlessness, cunning, and significance as to the identification of the Wayne’s killer than anything else. However, Kyle’s actions do help to establish the kind of person she is and how that might develop in future episodes.

  Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) character development seems fascinating, for he, although already succumbing to the determination, and possible obsession, of his future self, still acts like the child he is. He does not know much of how the world works, nor how he must move on from the tragedy. He wishes for an answer and a way to help the innocent, but is still too young to understand how to reach the conclusions to those. 

  Alfred Pennyworth’s (Sean Pertwee) attitude on this episode was disconcerting, to be honest. His way of treating Bruce is a bit too harsh for his character, even at this stage of his life. One thing is being disciplinarian and attempting to stop Bruce from going too far with his antics, but it is entirely another to be constantly harsh to him at nearly every moment. However, he does show compassion towards him, but it would be nicer for the sake of his character for his attitude to be a bit more humbling.

In terms of acting, I’m still not entirely convinced by McKenzie’s and Logue’s; its seems as if Logue is trying to be as outwardly corrupt in attitude as possible to the point of it being a bit exaggerated, while McKenzie just seems to still need to get into his character. The acting of the snatchers, although successfully unnerving at times, felt a bit forced during others, as if the actors were trying a bit too hard to sound and look creepy. The rest were relatively good for the portrayal of their respective characters, Bicondova especially portraying her character as young but used to the horrors of Gotham, to an extent.  

Overall, the episode was decent, although it could have had a better-handled ending. The possible mafia war and the existence of Dollmaker do help establish the possibility of much more to come throughout the series.

Persepolis: The Story of a Return Review

by Snow Drift

 

Persepolis, an autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi and originally published by the French comic book publisher L’Association, concentrated on Satrapi’s life during the Islamic revolution in Iran and later its war against Iraq. Previously, I had reviewed the first English volume of the series: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood; however, it is my pleasure to present my review of Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. 

While the first book centered itself on the injustice, repression, and violence in Iran and how this affected the growth of Satrapi in an episodic manner; the second graphic novel concentrates on Satrapi’s personal life in her years away from her home country. However, this does not mean that Iran and Satrapi’s family did not influence her during her teenage years and early adulthood. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return gives a more personal and intimate factor to Satrapi that indirectly, in one way or another, involves Iran. 

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return blossoms from Satrapi having to live in Austria as a foreigner. Adolescence settles into Satrapi’s life and puzzling terms like her identity and sexuality linger in the background. It is during these years that teenagers feel the most vulnerable, for they become extremely aware of the social structure surrounding them, and the need to be accepted by friends and family arises. Satrapi was no different. She felt inadequate with herself. Satrapi wished to belong, but the constant discrimination and racist remarks thrown at her did not help her self-esteem.

Marjane Satrapi, struggling against peer pressure and in the pursuit of love, had to endure suffering in the form of insufficiency. Away from any familiar consolation, Satrapi had to withstand isolated, which led her to a more independent and introverted lifestyle. She was forced to live a life frustrated and angry at the injustice in the world. And it is because of her social conscience that Satrapi got involved in the Iranian Society, instead of just being an observer; not only does she become a voice against the atrocities happening in Ian, but an active agent.        

  During her teenage years, friendship, romance and parenthood become important aspects of Satrapi’s life. They are a glimpse on how the world works and how she, as an individual, fits into the world. Readers are given the chance to witness Satrapi’s jealousy, depression, anger, and happiness throughout her interactions. Satrapi slowly begins to understand the differences between people and the characteristics that make their actions either praise-worthy or shameful. But above all the injustices, prejudice, and racism, be it in Iran or in Austria, there is a clear message: the importance of family and the need to have someone in one’s life that will always support them and be at their side when they need help. In Satrapi’s cause, it was her grandmother.

Just like its predecessor, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, the art, dialogue, and narrative form truly shine. There is simplicity to Marjane’s style that permits the readers to concentrate on the characters themselves rather than getting distracted by detailed visuals and spiffy wording. While other art styles would have emphasized certain physical characteristics, Satrapi satisfies herself with just simple clues. The hairstyle, body type and facial structure, along with each character’s respective clothing, are enough to evoke the author’s perception of them. This minimalism also works with the gore and horror imagery that is also included in this volume. There is no necessity to portray with great detail the stump of a missing arm, the near-nakedness of a couple, or the aging of a woman; what is necessary for the reader is to understand, through the narration of the protagonist and each character’s facial expressions, the feeling of a scene.

But beyond the artsy layer, there is a new topic: sex. As Satrapi grows older, she is exposed to the sexual aspect in her life and those that surround her. Furthermore, when Satrapi returns to Iran, a world of veiled adult women, she successfully portrays these women as diverse, in body and facial structure, without needing to see beyond their veils.

The scenes presented in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return are crucial to Satrapi’s growth and to the reader’s perception of her. All that she says, all that she perceives, is what changes her and molds her into who she must become. Through her strife and suffering, Marjane Satrapi experienced a life that when portrayed in a graphic novel has given the public a glimpse of Iranian society. She is, and always will be, an Iranian woman who, no matter what happens during her life—be it good or bad—, will always be proud of her heritage.

Series Review: Fargo

By Snow Drift

Fargo (2014) is an American, crime-drama television series inspired by the 1996 film of the same name directed by the Coen brothers. Created and written by Noah Hawley, the show stars actors such as Billy Bob Thornton (Lorne Malvo), Allison Tolman (Deputy Molly Solverson), Colin Hanks (Officer Gus Grimly), and Martin Freeman (Lester Nygaard). The story centers on assassin-for-hire Malvo, who arrives at the town of Bemidji, Minnesota and influences Lester to indulge in violence and malice. When a series of murders happen in a short time, Deputy Solverson puts it upon herself to investigate and find the real culprits of the crimes.

One of the aspects I loved most about this mini-series, along with the original movie, is that the situation is self-contained and low-key, to an extent. While in the movie the murders were exclusively contained within the boundaries of the small towns and its few characters, the TV series lifted its limits a bit to indulge itself in more out-of-town characters, from the FBI to a mafia-like organization in the town of Fargo. However, it is still within certain limits, the mini-series giving the viewer the opportunity to observe the few characters of the show. It is with these limits that each character can be explored to its completion without the show worrying about having to develop dozens of them at a time. The self-containment, furthermore, assists in not over-complicating the plot, which may distract the viewers from what is important.

While multiple TV series and/or films attempt to portray every murder as fantastical, exaggerated, and even surreal, Fargo decides to ignore those tropes and leave each murder as simple and to the point. It is with this technique that the mini-series could guide the viewers’ attention away from the grotesqueness and gore of the murder victim and towards the living characters themselves. The fear and interest is not on how many people have died and the manner in which they did: it is in the worry of what might happen to the rest of the characters. After watching various murder-related stories, one would believe that everything would become a sort of murder-fest or free-for-all. However, Fargo concentrates more on the emotions and mentality of the characters and how these are affected and developed as the series progresses. It is not about Deputy Solverson’s possibility of dying or of uncovering a complex conspiracy: it is about her investigation, her determination, her horror, and her disbelief at what she is witnessing. Along with the other characters, it is not simply about saving or killing or an end-justifies-the-means situation for heroes, villains, and anti-heroes: it is about the concept of inaction; the willingness to not only do what’s right, but to face the horrors of reality, accept their truth, and still be willing to fight against dangerous men. It is also an exploration of how small-town people deal with extreme situations without turning the story too overly dramatic. Although Malvo, Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg), and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) give the story an aspect of the extraordinary, they are limited within their own boundaries too: they are highly trained assassins, but are clearly mortal and vulnerable to any attack. It is in fact their personalities that make them unique and not particularly their skill-sets.

Furthermore, the dark comedy of the series helps avoid submerging the series into an extreme level of psychological “grim and gritty.” With the humor, the viewer will not have to always perceive the world as a constant stream of death and lies. It is within this dark reality that people can still laugh and have joy, even if it’s just an attempt to levy their fears. This humor is accompanied by a sense of realism that the story has, seen how many of the characters react to their particular abnormal situations with a sense of confoundment; there is no exaggerated or extreme reaction to what is happening in their lives. Instead, each character attempts to access the situation with what they perceive is rational to them. Instead of screaming and having hysteria, the characters get to go through shock. Additionally, it is in this silent observation of their situation that the audience can see the characters project their inner fear: for with just a few heavy breathings, widening of eyes, mumbling and stumbling in their speech and particular choice of words is enough for the viewer to understand who these individuals are. 

All in all, Fargo is a fascinating series for the type of viewer that enjoys self-contained and low-key crime dramas that concentrates heavily on the character development than on the murder victims and their mode of dying. It is short and to the point, without delving too much in multiple subplots.

(Warning: Fargo contains violence, blood, gore, and sexual scenes.)

Comic Review: Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood

 By Snow Drift

Persepolis is written by Marjane Satrapi and originally published by French comic book publisher L’Association in four volumes between the years 2000 and 2003. The comic is the autobiographical graphic novel of the author’s life, first during the Islamic revolution in Iran, and later during Iran’s war against Iraq. I’ll be dividing these reviews according to the two-volume version, published by Random House: Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. 

A particularly fascinating aspect of the graphic novel is its art style. It’s very simplistic, with basic use of black and white and avoiding any aspect of natural shading or lightening. However, the way that Satrapi implements this style is enough to express the emotional narrative of each scene. The cartoonish style gives Satrapi the opportunity to portray comedic scenes with exaggerated facial expressions or physical movements, sentimental and gentle ones with a simplistic visual imagery of emotional responses, and horrific ones as well. The lack of blood and gore helps the reader prioritize the person itself. It’s within these fundamental aspects of the drawings, where the author avoids displaying background details, which helps the reader pay attention to the main events and characters of the scenes. Satrapi avoids distractions, putting her message front and center for all of the readers of her work. 

The narrative style and the dialogue are major factors in the plot of the graphic novel. Each chapter is made to demonstrate the development of the characters and of Iran. It’s straight to the point, avoiding distractions to the story. Random events in the author’s life, even if they had an impact on her, are not a priority to the narrative of the story. Like its art style, the story has no subtly, symbolism, or metaphorical aspects to it; Satrapi wants the reader clearly see the conditions of her life and of her country. Its content is raw and the dialogue was written in just the right way to not only demonstrate simply the point of the characters’ messages, but to also distinguish each character as unique. Just like the art, there is no decorative aspect to the plot. 

Although this is an autobiographical graphic novel, Satrapi doesn’t entirely concentrate on herself. The story also explores her family and Iran. Her uncle Anoosh, her grandfather, and even her maid Mehri are not only influences in the author’s development, but they are also their own people, demonstrating the horror, injustices, and repression of Iran’s society during the 1980s. The pasts of the country and of the individuals, play an important role in Iran’s current state of affairs, and of Satrapi, who grew up with a historical, religious, political, and societal baggage on her shoulders, which is further explored in her second book, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. Since Satrapi is a child for most of the first book, she perceived the world as a child would. Everything seemed black and white, good and evil easily discernible. However, the horrors she witnesses will lead her to understand that the world is made of shades of grey, and that good people don’t always triumph. By the end of this first book, Satrapi has a keen understanding of what is true injustice and suffering, and won’t merely repeat what other adults tell her about Iran and the world.

Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood successfully portrays groundwork from which Satrapi had to stand on during a time that should’ve been of innocence. The heavy political and horror-filled atmosphere that she lived through will follow her throughout her life, especially when she confronts other cultures and their prejudiced view of her culture.