"BILLIONS"

I rented the 4 x DVD set of the first season of Showtime's "Billions" last week, we watched it over 4 nights - 3 episodes a sitting. I'd been keen to see it due to its leading actors: Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, two of my favourites. The series' subject matter (the world of high finance and hedge funds) isn't one that fills me with enthusiasm, but with these two in leading roles I'd watch absolutely anything!

Messrs Giamatti and Lewis didn't let me down - they never have, never will. Two first-class actors who put acting before celebrity, and can play perfectly just about any role presented to them.

In "Billions" Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, US Attorney for New York's southern district, an intense, determined, occasionally with peculiar quirks, is the major foe of Bobby Axelrod (played by Damian Lewis), a self-made billionaire, from humble background. Axelrod's obscene wealth comes from shady manipulations of financial markets. It's a tale with classic pedigree - think along the lines of Jean Valjean & Javert (Les Miserables), or Captain Ahab and Moby Dick, and you'll have the story's general theme of cat and mouse - but in this case which is which?

The series' other DNA strand is the anti-hero genre, one that has become popular of late. Viewers feel they should seriously dislike Bobby Axelrod ("Axe") the billionaire, but he's too charismatic, generous and nicely humane in so many ways that it's difficult. US Attorney Chuck Rhoades has moments of rage, moments of sweetness, moments of peculiarity, yet retains integrity, keen sense of justice, and humanity. These men are both multi-layered, strong characters - it takes great actors to play them. I'm not convinced that the whole story-line is quite up to standard, we're required to suspend disbelief here and there, but it does, just about get by, confidently carried by the actors' undeniable talents.

"Billions" has many quirks all its own, as became obvious from the opening scene of episode 1 when we saw US Attorney Chuck Rhoades bound and gagged, about to have a stiletto heel imprinted in his chest with something warm to follow!

The wives of US Attorney and billionaire provide good foils to all projected "alpha male" goings on: Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, a psychiatrist/performance coach who works for Axelrod's firm, and Malin Aker as Lara Axelrod who runs her own restaurant.

Matters of high finance are a closed book to me, even after having seen other movies with a similar theme. I had to learn again, as the 12 episodes unfolded, what is "a short", "insider trading", a "squeezed short" etc.

It's not easy to see how a second series of Billions could follow; if a follow-up is intended. I'm wondering if, perhaps, it'd be in the same vein as the second season of True Detective: different cast of characters, same broad theme.

I'm glad to have added Billions to my list of "seen" performances by Giamatti and Lewis, and now look forward to their next outings, whatever they may be.

It's Music Monday - staying with a theme cat & mouse chases, though in very different environment:

"Pancho and Lefty" - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard

Band of Brothers, Nudge Not to Forget & Astrological Quirk .

We're currently watching a box-set of VHS tapes of the TV series from 2001: Band of Brothers. I bought it on our last trip, realising that one of its prominent actors was Damian Lewis who became even better-known through his role in the later TV series Homeland. I'd first become aware of Damian Lewis in an updated version of The Forsyte Saga, in which he played Soames Forsyte, a not particularly pleasant character yet one who, in the hands of a talented actor, can still manage to evoke some sympathy. There was a hint of that same "feel" in Lewis's role of Nick Brody, suspected terrorist corroborator in Homeland.

In Band of Brothers we are never in doubt as to the stellar character of the man Damian Lewis plays, Lieutenant/Captain/Major Richard Winters, a person of absolute integrity, undisputed courage and quiet leadership skills...John Wayne he ain't, and all the better for it! Major Winters himself, as well as others of "Easy" Company, 101st Airborne Division, contribute their thoughts at the beginning of each episode..

Before the end of this post I intend to mention something astrologically interesting about the way Damian Lewis was chosen to play Major Richard Winters - just reminding myself !

We finished watching the 10 episodes of Band of Brothers this week. There could be no thought of "binge-watching" this series though, it's far too potently disturbing. I did feel we needed to watch it, to refresh our minds about what war truly amounts to in real human terms. We must never forget! Repeating: We must never forget! (See this from Common Dreams yesterday, 16 May).

I owe a debt of gratitude myself to the American servicemen who, during my early childhood during World War 2, came to the aid of Britain. Many fell in action, and the majority of those who were fortunate enough to return home will by now have passed on. Without their assistance to our own brave soldiers, sailors and airmen in those dark days, it's hard to know how Britain, as we know it, could have survived. That was a true war, World War II, not the custom-built, made-for-profit wars of the 21st century.

Main setting of Band of Brothers is mainland Europe, with a couple of early episodes in a training camp in Georgia, USA, and some fleeting glimpses brief stop-overs in England. As the title suggests, the series tells in detail what the war experience was like for a group of US servicemen from "Easy" Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. The series was an adaptation, with some dramatic license involved, of Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 book of the same title.

When I bought the box set of Band of Brothers I hadn't realised that we are heading towards the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the drama and horror of the original is superbly depicted in an early episode.

I hadn't realised, when we began watching the tapes, that it was as long ago as 2001 when the series was first aired on HBO in the USA and, I understand, it was just days before that dreadful date now known as 9/11. It's not surprising that the series lost much of its impact at that time. It gained a "second wind" on later repeat showings though, and especially with the release of VHS tapes and DVD recordings.

I'm not a fan of war movies in general, especially of war movies made in the USA, especially of war movies starring John Wayne who, apparently, won the war practically single-handed. I've named before the scant handful of war movies I admire, top of the list is The Victors directed by Carl Foreman (see post HERE). Band of Brothers reminded me of the tone of that movie at times. It's honest, raw and painful to watch.

In reading a few online reviews I have seen some unpleasant comments on the series - I rather wish I hadn't stumbled upon them. There are still a few people around with twisted ideas about World War II, possibly encouraged by some modern revisionist historians - and bigots like Mel Gibson. It's best that I refrain from further detail because steam is starting to exit my ears already!

 Major Richard Winters

 Damian Lewis as Major Winters

Now, back to the interesting tidbit about Damian Lewis being chosen to play Major Winters, who is "the spine" of the series, as described by the actor in a set of 6 interview videos on YouTube. (The link is to Part 1, other parts are listed to its right on YouTube).




Lewis, as Winters, appears at some point in every episode, even though every episode's story focuses upon a different character. He describes the way he handled depicting such a heroic and well-respected leader. Over the 9 months of production, he recalled, the actors, especially those who appeared in multiple episodes, began to feel almost schizophrenic from living inside their characters' lives so intensely for so long.

During the interviews Lewis is asked how he was chosen for the part of Winters. He describes how the interviews were conducted, broadly at first, with up to to 100 actors reading randomly for all/any parts, the actors then were gradually filtered to the point when Lewis was being earmarked to play Richard Winters. He admits that he was very surprised to be chosen for the part. Damian Lewis is English, though he does an American accent better than any non-American actor I've heard. The casting director told him that he had known from the first few lines Lewis read on the very first day of auditions that he was "the one". It was this remark that led me to look at the dates of birth of Richard Winters and Damian Lewis.

Without times of birth exact Moon positions and ascendants are not known. Charts below are set for 12 noon.

Both natal Suns in Aquarius! I need go no further. It's enough for me to see the Aquarius link. The casting director must surely have, all unknowingly, had a strongly aligned astro-antenna, or maybe a list of dates of birth of the auditioning actors and an interest in astrology. I wonder!

Major Richard Winters: January 21 1918, New Holland, Pennsylvania. He died in January 2011.

Damian Lewis : February 11 1971, London UK

 Damian Lewis with Major Winters

"And then a hero comes along...." - Or maybe not

Last year's post, Thoughts on Crime and Morality, touched on something that has continued to tease my ponderings, especially while watching DVDs of two seasons of Showtime's TV series Homeland. This is another acclaimed and award-winning series without the traditional "hero" figure at its core. A cluster of such series has emerged during the last several years, some I've watched in full, or in part, others I've only read about. Critics and reviewers tend to group these series together as shows with an "anti-hero" figure as lead character. Breaking Bad's Walter White was a classic example, as was Tony of The Sopranos. I understand the lead character of Dexter was another, and the same goes for the lead in Wired. Mad Men's Don Draper character kind of fits, but without quite as much murder, mayhem and bloodshed. There are others too.

Homeland has as its anti-hero a mentally scarred, damaged and conflicted marine sergeant and former prisoner of war in the Middle East, Nicholas Brody. Also in the photograph below, the bi-polar but brilliantly talented and insightful CIA agent Carrie Mathieson. Damian Lewis and Clare Danes play those parts superbly.

I wonder whether the cluster of these ...call 'em "anti-hero series" for want of a more accurate term, came about due to writers copy-catting, keeping up with another channels' award-winners? Or was it simply a communal need by writers and audiences to get away from old well-worn patterns of white hat/black hat, good/bad, hero/heroine syndromes ? Or... was it perhaps something even deeper, affected by events in the real world?

Anti-heroes have, of course, been around since early man first told stories to listeners sitting around fires under the moon. Anti-heroes have popped up here and there in literature throughout the centuries, as well as in film and TV nearer to our own time: think of, for instance, Rhett Butler and/or Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind), Captain Ahab (Moby Dick), Paul Kersey, the vigilante in the Death Wish film series, "V"in V for Vendetta. However, the current crop, or indeed glut, of anti-hero series, has been a definite, noticeable trend.

In past decades, movies and TV had been honour-bound to follow a code of conduct aimed at protecting the morality of audiences. The first ‘General Principle’ of the Code was :

No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.

Could the recent widespread popularity of anti-hero tales be a reflection of life as she is currently lived, or at least perceived, by the masses? After World War 2, in mid-20th century there was a definite moral tone around, a clear difference between right and wrong was easy to discern. The ultimate evil of Nazi atrocities was still fresh in memory; returning soldiers, airmen and sailors were templates for heroes, families were re-united, better ways of life were envisioned. During the ensuing Cold War there were tales told of spies and counter spies, with a passing anti-hero involved here and there, but as the exception rather than the norm.

From the late 20th century to today, things have not been clear-cut. We've seen undeclared wars, conflicts and occupations, with no well-defined enemy. Without much imagination, the US and the UK could even have been seen as anti-heroic nations: think Vietnam, Korea, Northern Ireland, Falklands, constant mixes and matches in the Middle East (too many to list), coming right up to Afghanistan and Iraq. There was moral ambiguity aplenty, in those conflicts, not to mention on the home front where lies and manipulations from high places came thick and fast. Sex scandals wall-to-wall, Watergate, surveillance, drone strikes, the rot and corruption at the heart of things was becoming clearer as time passed. The scales have fallen from our collective eyes...or should have! The world isn't a chummy-scrummy ol' place where Pollyanna would feel at home, with police wearing white hats, and criminals decked in black, wrongdoers, especially those in high places, always getting their just deserts. We know this, because we've seen it - not on TV or on the silver screen - but in real life.

Is there really any wonder then, that TV shows such as Breaking Bad and Homeland resonate so well for so many?

I was fascinated by both the Walter White and Nicholas Brody characters, thanks in no small part to the talent of actors Bryan Cranston and Damian Lewis.

In Breaking Bad Walter White's first steps on his "road to Hell" were taken due to his terminal cancer diagnosis, and the need to spend most of his savings to obtain the best possible treatment, meaning there'd be nothing to leave for his wife and his two children's education and welfare. Root cause: shitty US corporate healthcare system. His first steps to cooking meth, though misguided, were capable of eliciting audience sympathy due to his motive. Once elicited, that sympathy was quite hard to let go!

In Homeland's story, the audience had to feel sympathy for marine Brody, a returning POW, after 8 years of imprisonment and torture in the Middle East. We initially resented the idea that he had been "turned" - broken - by long-term tortures inflicted upon him. Through plot twists and turns our loyalties wavered a wee bit, but once some details of his captivity came to light, I for one was rooting for him all the way to the end (which we haven't actually seen, as season 3 isn't available on DVD yet, but I've read spoilers). A secret US drone attack which killed 80 children was involved in what made Brody into the damaged and conflicted man he was to become.

Those two anti-heroes were the kind of anti-heroes I prefer.

I didn't warm at all to Tony and The Sopranos, that series didn't impress me one bit. We watched most of 3 seasons, had no wish to see more. Mad Men and Don Draper were interesting for the first 4 seasons, but it since has lost its sheen and novelty. There was no initial moral motive present in either of those series, just selfish greed for satisfaction, revenge or power. For my taste, without some semblance of a motive for which I could find sympathy, those two anti-hero stories failed. It's understandable why Mad Men has been successful, but for reasons unrelated to its anti-hero figure(s). It still remains a mystery to me why The Sopranos was such a huge hit for so long though.