ABC's "Scandal"

After reading a previous blog post about ABC's political thriller "Scandal," I decided to check out the series for myself -- now I can't seem to get enough! I absolutely fell in love with this drama.

The show stars Kerry Washington as the famous Olivia Pope, who leaves her position in the White House after a secret affair with the President.  She starts her own crisis management firm, where Olivia and her associates work hard to protect the reputation of various public/influential figures.  Olivia's love and passion for the President seems very real, and it's clear he's her kryptonite. Olivia Pope is most famous for her sharp instincts; she's almost always able to find the truth by following her gut reaction.

Each of her employees come from somewhat broken backgrounds: Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield), an investigator for Olivia Pope, was hired after Olivia worked her case for domestic violence.  Abby's husband brutally beat her, and Olivia was able to get her the best divorce attorney in town.  Another character, Huck, was found homeless on the streets by Olivia.

What I love most about the show is Olivia's independence.  While she still does fall weak to her remaining strong feelings for the President, she does her best to overcome them (so far!).  She's a bit harsh at times, yet all of her employees are willing to bend over backwards for her.  This speaks volumes about Olivia, proving her a trustworthy, but strong character. However, at the same time, she's not completely solid.  Her feelings for the President do sometimes cloud her judgment as she tries to do the best thing for both her and the President.

That being said, while I am fascinated with the storyline, the acting isn't necessarily the high point of the show.  Kerry Washington almost seems like she's trying too hard to seem confident and intimidating.  In addition, some of the stories/cases seem stretched ... but that's why it's a fictional show, I suppose.  The decent acting doesn't kill the show by any means, and the many twists and turns keep me tuned in.

Scandal

     Scandal is in its third season on ABC, but I only started watching this show this week. I have seen friends post on social media about the show, particularly about the main character, Olivia Pope, and their posts and the commercials I've seem have grabbed my interest.
     I can't decide if it's the characters, the quick, witty dialogue, or the editing that draws me into the show most. The characters each have very intriguing personalities, and when they come together it makes for a very interesting character dynamic. Their relationships can be both professional and personal at the same time, and you're drawn into both stories without missing a beat of either one. The dialogue can be incredibly quick and witty, which is a characteristic I appreciate in television and film. I love the fast pace. It keeps my attention the whole way through.
     The types of shots and editing also fascinate be because editing is what interests me most about this field of work. There are a lot of really quick cuts and really mind-blowing shots. The directors, cinematographers, and editors get very creative with how they show you things, rather than just blatantly showing you the obvious. Instead of getting a shot of a security camera to let you know that a character is being watched, they show you a shot through the security camera. When a character is looking at something on a computer screen, the shot appears to be taken from behind or inside the computer, showing you what's on the screen as well as the character's face. This is not only a fascinating method, but it also allows you to see the character's reaction to what they're seeing on the screen.
     In just one episode, the show has grabbed by interest and made me want to watch more. Shonda Rhimes has definitely created a successful show. I cannot wait to see more.

ABC Guilty Pleasure

Kerry Washington is one of the most beautiful and graceful actresses in today's world of film and TV.  And she is becoming quite the powerhouse.  Her previous film credits include Ray, The Fantastic Four, and The Last King of Scotland, and most recently Django Unchained.  Washington starred in Quentin Tarantino's latest Oscar winning screenplay as Broomhilda, the wife of Jamie Foxx.  (Note: this is the 2nd time she is playing the wife of Jamie Foxx) This isn't the only big development in her career, she currently stars on the ABC drama Scandal.

Scandal stars Washington as Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert to the President of the United States, as well as other political figures.  The show, created by Shonda Rhimes, is a very popular ABC prime-time soap opera that airs on Thursday nights from 10-11pm.  Shonda Rhimes has created many other popular ABC dramas including the smash hit Grey's Anatomy and it's very popular spin off Private Practice.  The political-thriller focuses on Olivia Pope who is loosely based off Judy Smith, the former administration press aide to George Bush.  Smith also serves as a co-executive producer.

The show is a very guilty pleasure of mine, and it must be to others as well, it scores pretty well in the ratings usually gaining an audience of around 7 - 8 million viewers an episode. (Most of those viweres are not in the 18-49 demographic)  The show is critiqued for it's soapy concepts and plot twists, but it is still a fun time and Washington's performance is beautiful and won an Image award for her performance as a leading actress.  The show really heats up when Washington's characters plot develops into a love triangle with none other than the President of the United States.  Although it might not be ABC's smartest drama or have the following of Grey's Anatomy or LOST, I think this show is one to watch for as it continues it's second season.  And Kerry Washington is definitely one to watch for at the award shows.

Django!

Quentin Tarantino is truly a bold filmmaker. If you couldn’t tell he really, loves spaghetti westerns. But for his version of a spaghetti western, he doesn’t just explode the conventions of the genre; he uniquely and creatively molds all aspects of the genre into a sincerely fun experience. 

Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as a slave who is purchased by a roving dentist/bounty hunter named Dr. King Schulz (Christoph Waltz), who agrees to free him and help him find his wife (Kerry Washington) if in return he will help track down a trio of killers called The Brittle Brothers. What proceeds is the growth of an unusual friendship and a whole lot of violence and excitement. 

This film is beautifully constructed in which, Django goes from being a slave to being not only a free man, but also a professional bounty hunter, trained by Schulz and becomes his partner. There are encounters with an amusing predecessor of the KKK (played by Don Johnson), a small town sheriff who is not what he seems and, the very proper southern plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), along with his right hand man, house slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), who is absolutely hilarious in every one of his scenes. 

Frequently, Tarantino gets us to laugh at the most outrageous situations and then we stop for a second feeling uncomfortable, just before going ahead and laughing at the next shocking situation. But there is not that is exactly the reaction he wants. 

He also wants the audience on the edge of their seats in tense moments and very emotionally touched in others, and it’s his use of completely inappropriate humor in such a deliberate manner, and to such a brilliant effect, that makes his films what they are. His ability to do this is just one of the things that separates him from his imitators. 

Another one of his great qualities is his ability to fold quotes from other films (and even his previous work) into his movies. In this film there’s one particularly moment that comes directly from Kill Bill. The moment takes barely a second, but it’s a moment of great violence and beauty.Tarantino also uses music from his favorite other films and recreates them in clever ways to enhance his unique way of directing even more. The soundtrack for Django Unchained makes use of music from a number of westerns in a mix with a few original songs and splendid mash-ups but everything seems to flow together genuinely. 

Django Unchained is kind of a typical Tarantino film in that it’s a lot of violent, bloody fun, BUT also in that it deals with a very serious topic in a mocking manner. Nevertheless I advise everyone to go see this film whether you like Tarantino or not!