Online Series: George Clooney’s ‘Catch-22’ Lands Series Order at Hulu
- Thread starter Jumptheshark
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KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
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Intrigued. Catch 22 is among my favorite novels ever (if not THE favorite). But it seems like it'd be a bear to fully translate Heller's tone. It walks a line of hilarity and horror that works on the page, but could be tough to move to screen and it would be sad to see its sprawling cast of characters whittled down in anyway. They do have six episodes, which gives it space.
Biggest concern honestly is Clooney. I like him as an actor but he is a garbage writer/director. I like Confessions of A Dangerous Mind and Good Night and Good Luck was ok (but pretty overrated). Since then? Straight trash.
Biggest concern honestly is Clooney. I like him as an actor but he is a garbage writer/director. I like Confessions of A Dangerous Mind and Good Night and Good Luck was ok (but pretty overrated). Since then? Straight trash.
Tkachuk4MVP
32 Years of Fail
montreal
Go Habs Go
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
I'm intrigued. Not as fond of the novel as other people are, but I'm interested to see how they pull it off.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
OTOH, I'd love to see a talented director take a crack at A Confederacy of Dunces. That's one book that I find could translate well with ridiculous comic potential.
Saw the 1st 2 episodes, I like it. It was a long time ago since I saw the movie, and this kind of captures the feeling. Major Major Major Major. 
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,531
- 3,384
Well, that didn’t work. I had moderate hopes. The book is one of if not the all-time favorite of mine. I try to be an understanding evaluator when it comes to adaptations. Books are books and movie/tv are movies/tv. Each has their advantages and their limitations. This is actually a pretty good illustration of that. The key to the book is its tragi-comic tone, the mounting absurdities in action and wordplay. The makers of the show merely convey a Cliffs Notes version of that vibe. It’s there as a sheen, a surface, but not the heart. And that’s where it misses the point.
Many of the characters and events from the book — including several sudden, shocking deaths — are here, but I couldn’t shake how SERIOUS much of it plays on the screen. A constant dramatic score to underline the action, strained and heavy acting. The events in the book (even serious ones) often are responded to with an indifferent shrug or acceptance. The world is crazy. The world in the show isn’t crazy. It’s a WWII movie. Whenever drama is about to occur, the makers suddenly think they’re making Band of Brothers. But the book’s tone is much closer to Monty Python. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding. I hate resorting to a music cliche I’ve used before for other movies/TV, but it really feels apt here — they see the notes, but they don’t actually know how to play the song.
Aside from some occasional verbal back-and-forths (pretty much pulled from the novel), where Heller’s points really shine through, the comedic tone is just lost. The book hops around in time. The show is fairly chronological and worse for it. Without spoiling details the Snowden story in particular is so poorly handled. They make Yossarian pretty much directly responsible for several deaths, which isn’t exactly what I recall from the book and adds an unnecessary amount of responsibility on him (as opposed, to you know, the unpredictable randomness of war). George Clooney (who shepherded the show and directs two episodes) as an actor can’t decide whether or not to be funny or serious in his small role. I only note that because it feels emblematic of the overall issue. The book has such a deep menagerie of quirky characters but only a handful effectively make it to screen in that form. Many are cut (understandable), while the ones who remain just aren’t well established. A few newly created scenes take up needless time I wish was spent elsewhere. The ending is a violation as well, but I’ve harped on enough.
Some positives -- Christopher Abbot makes an ok Yossarian. I don’t hold the dramatic bits against him. I wish he would have been let loose a little more. Kyle Chandler and Kevin O’Connor as Cathcart and Korn are great and honestly might be the only two actors who are in the right show, so to speak. Though I think it’s a near total tonal failure, it’s pretty well directed. It looks good.
The series starts out ok. I think the first few episodes are when it is at its best. The last two are bad.
Many of the characters and events from the book — including several sudden, shocking deaths — are here, but I couldn’t shake how SERIOUS much of it plays on the screen. A constant dramatic score to underline the action, strained and heavy acting. The events in the book (even serious ones) often are responded to with an indifferent shrug or acceptance. The world is crazy. The world in the show isn’t crazy. It’s a WWII movie. Whenever drama is about to occur, the makers suddenly think they’re making Band of Brothers. But the book’s tone is much closer to Monty Python. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding. I hate resorting to a music cliche I’ve used before for other movies/TV, but it really feels apt here — they see the notes, but they don’t actually know how to play the song.
Aside from some occasional verbal back-and-forths (pretty much pulled from the novel), where Heller’s points really shine through, the comedic tone is just lost. The book hops around in time. The show is fairly chronological and worse for it. Without spoiling details the Snowden story in particular is so poorly handled. They make Yossarian pretty much directly responsible for several deaths, which isn’t exactly what I recall from the book and adds an unnecessary amount of responsibility on him (as opposed, to you know, the unpredictable randomness of war). George Clooney (who shepherded the show and directs two episodes) as an actor can’t decide whether or not to be funny or serious in his small role. I only note that because it feels emblematic of the overall issue. The book has such a deep menagerie of quirky characters but only a handful effectively make it to screen in that form. Many are cut (understandable), while the ones who remain just aren’t well established. A few newly created scenes take up needless time I wish was spent elsewhere. The ending is a violation as well, but I’ve harped on enough.
Some positives -- Christopher Abbot makes an ok Yossarian. I don’t hold the dramatic bits against him. I wish he would have been let loose a little more. Kyle Chandler and Kevin O’Connor as Cathcart and Korn are great and honestly might be the only two actors who are in the right show, so to speak. Though I think it’s a near total tonal failure, it’s pretty well directed. It looks good.
The series starts out ok. I think the first few episodes are when it is at its best. The last two are bad.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,531
- 3,384
montreal
Go Habs Go
I didn't read the book but I didn't make it through episode 3 as I fell asleep and just opted not to go back and find the spot I nodded off as it just wasn't very good or interesting or funny.
