Boardwalk Empire: Season 3 [DVD] [2010]

in a way, this is the bootlegger Sopranos (sprawling, twisted narrative and strong characters, wives brothers lovers and kids included) meets Martin Scorsese's noir imagination and smooth stagecraft. not for the faint of heart, nor for children for that matter - the sex & violence quota is always met and then some; there's some fairly brutal stuff here, artfully staged though it may be. the look of it all is beautiful, beautfully shot and art-directed down to the last gritty, or glitzy, detail; the cast is superb and exhuberant, anchored by Steve Buscemi who at times seems to be in "Stan Laurel as an evil mastermind" mode as the "you can't be half a gangster" prophecy from season one comes definitely true. on the other end of the scale, you have this larger-than-life villain who verges on parody at times but is as scenery-chewing as they come (alla salute, Bobby Cannavale!). the same can be said for the two standout female perfs: Kelly McDonald as the resourceful, strong-hearted woman looking for a way to redemption, and Gretchen Mol as the high-class, manipulative maitresse with a mother's weak spots both deliver top-notch work here. supporting roles are good throughout; it's so cool to find the Omar guy from The Wire as Chalky White here; and the Michael Shannon character is especially memorable, although he was way more integrated in previous seasons than he is here. the parable of the special-agent gone rogue has an impressive climax in this series, but he is almost isolated in a story of his own, making no major dent in the main storyline. still it's always interesting when he's around and somehow you feel they're having him bide his time for some later development in this Hbo epic. altogetherm it's engrossing, high-quality, hardboiled Prohibition-era brew, but with a well thought-out human side. you'll find it especially satisfying if you have a strong taste to begin with.

All disks present and fault free. One of the best programmes ever made in my opinion.

We have have just finished watching this, the 3rd Series of what is without doubt one of the greatest TV series ever made! In fact it seems like an insult to call it a TV series as it's far superior to most major motion pictures out there! The acting from everyone involved is impeccable. The casting is perfection. The direction tight and cinematic. The evocation of the period sublime. The cinematography terrific. The sex and violence is graphic and pulls no punches. Everyone in it is brilliant but it's Steve Buscemi in the pivotal role of 'Nucky' Johnson who truly shines. Martin Scorsese has created something truly special here and once you start watching it you can't stop! I didn't think it was possible to top series 2 (what a shocker of an ending that was) but this series manages to better it! With the exception of Buscemi It really is hard to single any particular performance out but with this series we get Bobby Cannavale who plays the psychotic 'Gyp' Rossetti. What a character and what a performance! Oscar worthy stuff and you get the feeling a new star is born when watching this. He could become the new De Niro! He's that good! We can't wait to see Series 4!

After the end of season 2 I wondered where the adventures of Nucky Thompson et al. could go. It's been nearly a year since I last watched season 2 but helpfully there is a season 2 recap to bring you up to speed on the characters you may have forgotten about. Season three focuses mainly on the storylines involving Nucky, Margaret, Gillian and Richard Harrow. Characters like Al Capone, Rothstein and Eli are still there but play a much smaller part within the series arc. This series is a great addition to the first two, and the pace really steps up in the final three episodes where you don't know what will happen next. As usual my plan to watch only one episode an evening just didn't happen as I kept saying 'one more episode' and before I knew it the box set was completed in four days. The blu-ray quality is fantastic, the menus are easy to navigate and there are plenty of features containing 1920s newsreels and documentaries if that interests you as well as the usual commentaries. The picture quality is as usual fantastic really taking you into the look of 1920s America. If you've enjoyed the previous two series you won't be disappointed. I just now can't wait for season 4!

Just love this show and it just gets better and better - the last few episodes had the right amount of tension and thrills to fill up most other shows. Maybe season 2 was a bit slow at times, but that is never an issue with this. Just great. Can't wait for season 4.

I have just finished season three today, having enjoyed the first two seasons tremendously. Yes, it is a slow starter and in the middle a slow burner, but overall absolutely deserves five stars. Every minor character gets a moment in the sun, including Luciano, Lansky, Rothstein, Margaret, Owen, mayor bader. The Richard Harrow character shines especially and there will be moments where you will be crying out in excitement and joy at what he does and says. a special favourite is a scene from episode 10 with his friend's father - yes, Richard has a girl friend. In episode twelve, Richard absolutely rocks and has what I would describe as an "Arnold Schwarzenegger" moment. Eddie Kessler, whom I have often wished to see developed, gets his moment and his scenes with Nucky in episode 11 will make you emotional, if you have any feeling at all for the characters. It is in the development of these and other characters which takes time over the early episodes. Without such development, there would be no pay-off. I regard the story-telling as superb and the period atmosphere has never been better. There are several outstanding moments with Van Alden, including possibly the funniest scene the series has ever had, which you have seen coming from the word go in episode one of series one. There is also, of course, a scene-stealing, joyful, comic, over-the-top performance from Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rossetti. You may remember him from his turn in the Station Agent, ten or eleven years ago. He's even better here. An air of surpressed menace follows him and he has the sort of psychopathic tendencies all good villains should have. You'll see a couple of cameos from some brilliant American actors, who have been in other films and series. One turns up as Andrew Mellon, another as a Washington fixer. Every actor gives a performance which is nevr less than very good and often awesome. i absolutely recommend this season, altough do try to lower your expectations for the start. The pay-off will be worth it.

Enter Gyp Rosetti, a psychotic mobster quick to take offence. (Even wishing him good luck can provoke a speedy, painful demise.) In church he harangues Christ on the cross when all does not go his way, for good measure thumping the priest as he leaves. Now he intends to rule Atlantic City, which is bad news indeed for Nucky Thompson. Arguably this is the most powerful season yet, with twelve episodes ever intensifying their grip - scriptwriters and directors adept at springing major surprises. As always, the cast is terrific. Steve Buscemi's Nucky veers from the heights to complete vulnerability, deserted by allies who regard him a risk. This is by no means a one man show, all concerned with memorable moments. Relish, for instance, when bullied Nelson literally turns the tables, and when disfigured Richard heroically determines to rescue his young friend. Not all is violence (although it does tend to dominate). Note the stylish extravagance of the New Year's Eve party, sundry evolving family emotions depicted in the Easter Day episode. Also to be savoured are the one-liners. (Example? Nucky thrusting money into someone's hand with the words, "Go buy a personality".) Fine bonuses include a helpful fourteen minute summary of Season 2 (for obvious reasons, best watched first). The main directors interestingly reflect on what they achieved (a chance to see again key sequences). Martin Scorsese considers the latest developments. With no signs of flagging, the series continues to recreate with style the decadent Twenties. Prohibition more than ever proves a ghastly mistake, many to perish as gangsters engage in a bloody battle for supremacy. Gripping fare.

This show just keeps getting better and better. There are some surprising and sad departures of characters, one of whom was a particular favourite of mine. (No spoilers here). Steve Buscemi leads an exceptional cast. The plot keeps getting more convoluted and I was really sad to get to the end of the season seemingly very quickly. I wanted to search for another disc in the hope that there was more and I'd missed one. One complaint... I do wish that HBO would setup their discs to allow the 'Resume play' function to work. It really is frustrating to have to go through the copyright info, the studio indents and the menu when you restart a disc that you've been watching the previous day. (The same gripe applies to Game of Thrones discs).

Excepcional serie producida por Scorsese y Mark Wahlberg. Esta es una temporada a un precio increíble con castellano en los audios.

Boitier abîmé. La photo montre un blu-ray, or c'est un format DVD, à la limite de la tromperie.