Damages

NYPress.com

DANSON IN THE DARK
Ted is deep in ‘Damages’

Glenn Close’s performance is the least interesting aspect of the FX thriller “Damages,” which speaks to what a nice job the ensemble cast and crew have done in developing this cinematic tale of power and blood stains in the upper echelons of a greedy, litigious and claustrophobic NYC. The ice queen attorney Patty Hewes is the kind of character Close can do in her sleep. A touch of Fatal Attraction here and a dose of Reversal of Fortune are there as she manipulates colleagues, opponents and her own son. She even gets to channel her 101 Dalmatians brute Cruella De Vil when she arranges a little doggy murder to freak out a witness, then tosses the telltale collar into the sea.

Less predictable—and in perhaps the brightest career move ever by a TV actor—Ted Danson takes on the villain role of Arthur Frobisher, a zillionaire CEO out to screw over a gaggle of blue-collar workers involved in a class action suit against him. In “Cheers,” and forgettably in his other long-running series, “Becker,” Danson never felt as lovable as one would hope. His 6-foot-3 frame, chiseled features and pleading voice all worked against him. But when called upon to rule an evil empire, these same assets enhance his understated delivery, and his familiar face makes the ruthlessness all the more chilling.

Still, the lesser-known Australian actress Rose Byrne, as Ellen, does the show’s keenest work. When first seen, Ellen is dazed and splattered, wandering the city in an overcoat and panties. Smoldering murderess or torn asunder victim? Who can say.

Flashback six months and Ellen is Hewes’ newfound protégé. Here she’s moral to a fault, with a doctor fiancé and good-girl wardrobe. As the story zips back and forth across time, Ellen’s pristine world runs red and Byrne pulls off an entirely entertaining transformation.

Todd A. Kessler, who co-wrote and produced some of the best of the early “Sopranos” episodes, and his brother, Glenn, are the writer/producers along with Daniel Zelman. All three are well-versed in live theater, which perhaps explains the show’s immediacy and attention to character.

- Stan Friedman   August 22, 2007

The Business / ...Jackie Woodman

NYPress.com

INDIE-FENSIBLE
Two IFC comedies are wide open

On August 5, IFC begins a study in contrasts as two of its original comedy series, “The Business,” and “The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman” return for a second season. Viewed back-to-back they provide a lesson to budding producers on the perils of having too much freedom, demonstrate that naked does not mean sexy, and prove that, in low-budget TV, nothing matters more than good writing.

“The Business” drowns in a dreck of its own making. It’s the story of Vic’s Flicks, an indie film company that, having succeeded in porn production, now aspires to loftier cinema. But the show itself never rises above soft-core standards. Vic is an offensive Jewish stereotype who spends the entire second episode with a full erection and utters sterling witticisms like, “Who wants to bang?” His gorgeous business partner, Julia, is of course sexually repressed. The company accountant, Wendell, is gifted with more than mathematical ability as several full-frontal scenes, one involving a stapler, demonstrate. The shameless creator/desperate co-producer/uninspired writer is Canadian director Phil Price. In addition to sabotaging a potentially rich premise by employing dialogue about topics like “going number two,” he enjoys inserting sight gags that involve the use of two melons and a banana.

Alternatively, “Jackie Woodman” knows when to use restraint and how best to go over the top. It makes fun of itself, and various social issues, without dumbing down the action. Jackie, a struggling screenwriter who also writes for a tabloid and indulges in any drug at hand, is the creation of comic Laura Kightlinger. While last season’s episodes sometimes felt too much like a stand-up act, this year Kightlinger blends it right, setting up run-ins with an all-lesbian SUV road club and a group of Christian environmentalists who name sinners to a “holy shit list.” She scolds Hollywood with lines like, “Praising and practicing affirmative action are two different things,” and practices a charming neurosis, telling her mother, “Don’t encourage me, you’ll only discourage me.” When Jackie rants against a writer whose only comic idea involves being “whacked in the nuts,” one can only hope that Phil Price is watching—and taking notes.

- Stan Friedman   August 15, 2007