what does motherfucker mean?
Set during prohibition in 1920s America this series follows politician Enoch Johnson, the unofficial boss of Atlantic City with a penchant for whores, gambling and bootleg liquor.
This is an incredibly handsome series, the sets and costumes amazing (I love the young men's haircut of shaved undercut with long on top slicked back) it's a fascinating period to spend time in.
Steve Buscemi is fine as Enoch but it's mysterious Michael Pitt as Jimmy who is the star. I've always liked him as an actor since first seeing him on Dawson's Creek and even then he managed to convey psychotic intensity behind a baby face. Like all the great HBO productions it's the eccentricity of characters that make the series and this is no different with the self flagellating obsessive Agent Van Alden and the war vet Richard who wears a painted iron mask and in a stand out scene takes on the role he's born to do as Jimmy's phantom marksman.
It's only the female characters that let this down and prevent it reaching Deadwood heights. The main character of Margaret is a bore and the vile Lucy is a revolting Paris Hilton of the 20s, it's only Jimmy's mother who comes across as smart and tough.
Bring on Series 2 when no doubt we see Al Capone become a mob boss, Enoch and Margaret become King and Queen of Atlantic city before the inevitable Saint Valentines Day Massacre and the end of prohibition.
YES - a noble experiment indeed
