Boardwalk Empire

Channel: Showtime
Day & time: Sunday, 8.30 p.m.

When a show is created and written by Terence Winter, the Emmy Award winning writer and producer of The Sopranos, you have a good feeling about it. When the pilot is directed by Martin Scorsese, you start to really become excited. When you find out it’s the most expensive TV pilot ever made, you simply can’t wait to see it. When it wins a Writers Guild of America Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Directors Guild of America Award, you start to wonder just why you haven’t seen it yet. HBO’s Boardwalk Empire is about to finally hit Australian screens – and it more than lives up to the hype.

Set in the 1920s Prohibition era, Steve Buscemi is Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a politician who rises to prominence to become one of Atlantic City’s most powerful men by bootlegging liquor. He’s corrupt, ruthless, and a playboy but with a troubled past and a compassionate side – a complex man. Buscemi gives, without doubt, the best performance of his career. With his honesty and charisma, he brings instant likeability to a character that should be despised.

Nucky’s brother, Eli Thompson (Shea Whigham) is the also corrupt Sheriff of Atlantic County, allowing free passage of the illegal alcohol and also enlisting the rest of the force to carry out some of his brother’s dirty work. Not only does he have the police on his side, but Nucky strikes up a business partnership with such underworld figures Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg), Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and Chalky White (Michael Kenneth Williams).

No powerful, corrupt individual would be complete without a protégé. Michael Pitt plays Jimmy Darmody, a veteran of World War I who returns home and sets about climbing the slippery ladder towards influence and wealth under Nucky’s tutelage. Still haunted by his experiences in the war, he displays a cold ruthless streak. There’s more to Jimmy than meets the eye though, the former Princeton student devises a cunning plan to prove himself to Nucky, strikes up a friendship with Al Capone (Stephen Graham) and has a wife Angela (Aleksa Palladino) and young son to take care of.

It’s not all smooth sailing for Nucky and has comrades though. He must contend with the attention of a determined Federal Agent, Nelson Van Alden (Michael Shannon), intent on stopping the illegal liquor trade. On the other side of the law though is rival bootlegger Mickey Doyle (Paul Sparks). Furthermore his life is complicated by his compassionate side, brought out by Margaret Schroeder (played superbly by Kelly MacDonald) who comes to him for assistance.

The casting is flawless. The narrative is driven forward by the powerhouse performance of Buscemi and he’s supported without fault. Michael Pitt plays the haunted and intriguing Jimmy very convincingly, while Kelly MacDonald brings a quiet dignity and innocence to the role of Margaret. The chemistry between all is mouth-watering, and in a show involving powerful characters, no-one is thoroughly outshone or lost. Furthermore, you the sense that there is much more than meets the eye to each character – you know they have secrets and you know they’ll be juicy.

Shows like Mad Men have set a new standard for production design, but if anything Boardwalk Empire raises that bar even higher. The pilot cost about $18 million to make, and it’s not hard to see why. The sets are extensively detailed and every scene is a visual feast, yet also subtle and not overawing. The soundtrack is also faultless, generating an immersive atmosphere throughout.

Boardwalk Empire is not for the faint hearted though. There’s the full-frontal nudity, jarring violence and profanity that is not unexpected for an HBO production. It’s not gratuitous though - Boardwalk Empire simply doesn’t hold back.

It’s impossible to find anything wrong with Boardwalk Empire. It has everything: an engrossing story, compelling and intriguing characters, powerful performances, atmospheric and immersive design and superb direction. There’s even a midget fight.

Mat Kelly