An Amazon Future Hit: The Last Tycoon

I have recently stated that streaming media is the way forward and one of the companies that are capitalising on the phenomenon is Amazon. The way they're doing it is more ingenuous than the others, by giving viewers the options of watching all the pilots they order and asking them to leave feedback so essentially they choose what the viewers want. This is great because the studio manages to engage viewers even before a show officially launches and if a show is a dud then they find out before they waste time and resources on it. Its such a simple idea and I find myself wondering why more studios and television networks don't do this. This first look is one of the reasons I enjoy using Amazon Instant Video, even more so than Netflix. Yes, I said it. Flame me.

One of the latest offerings the service has is The Last Tycoon which is based on an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Last Tycoon follows Monroe Stahr (Matt Bomer), a film producer, as he tries to make creative and innovative cinema following the death of his actress wife Minna (Jessica De Gouw). The only issue is that it's 1941 and around then there was a little movement called the Third Reich, and during this period they made attempts to interfere with Hollywood productions. As Hollywood was in the midst of it's golden age and other countries weren't focusing on output in entertainment because they were suffering through a war. Hollywood films were what the majority had access to so of course the Nazi's attempted to filter it by making sure nothing defaming about them and their 'cause' was put in the films. They also wished to cleanse the work force in Hollywood of Jews and a lot of studios relented, including Monroe's.

Monroe himself doesn't wish to comply with the Nazi's orders, wishing to make quality films that earn prestige and a wide audience. He sees that giving into the oppressive force will dilute his vision for his pictures as well as his workforce but is forced to adhere to their rules by the studio head Pat Brady (Kelsey Grammer). He attempts to stand by what he believes in and although Brady seems to sympathise with him Pat can only see the bottom line, he doesn't want to cut out the whole German market for his films as his studio is already suffering financially. Monroe finds an ally in Cecilia Brady (Lily Collins), Pat's daughter, who is currently a student but also wants to write and produce films despite her fathers protestations.

Monroe is a compelling lead character, his determination to make films that he wants and sticking to his own moral code is admirable given the time that he is living in. The casting of Matt Bomer is a stroke of genius as he is ever watchable and it's not at all surprising that he embodies his role as Monroe. He oozes sophistication and charisma but his pain at the loss of his wife is ever present. I didn't see Matt Bomer or Neal Cafrey when watching the show, I saw Monroe Stahr. Kelsey Grammer starring opposite him as his father figure and employer Pat also just fits. I've never been into Frasier so I don't have that character stuck in my mind, for me Kelsey Grammer has felt like a stern parent who thinks he's protecting you whilst stabbing you in the back. I get that feeling from Pat. The only person that doesn't completely draw me in is Cecilia. Collins is perfectly competent in the role and has chemistry with the other characters but I just couldn't get over how young she looked. This wouldn't have bothered me as much if one of the subplots wasn't Cecilia's love for Monroe, one that is sure to be explored. I would buy them developing a mentor/protege relationship but they don't look right as a couple, the age difference seems too vast. But that's Hollywood.

Another character in the show is it's setting, 1940s Hollywood. My all time favourite period of time is the 1910s till the 1930s and although this is slightly off it's still close enough for me. It doesn't matter what form I get the recollections of this time, reading about it, watching it or just hearing about it will do. Thinking about it makes me wish I was in Woody Allens Midnight In Paris so I could just hop into a car to the past. Alas, I have to deal with the fictional world and let my imagination plant me into it. The Last Tycoon is aesthetically beautiful, period pieces are a lot more difficult to do because there is so much you can do wrong but the attention to detail in the show is outstanding. If the creators of the series couldn't sell the setting then the whole thing would feel off, I'm glad to say that they've sold it. To me at least.

The pilot episode is not perfect, some subplots seemed forced and it felt like they were trying to get too much into an hours worth of television. It's understandable as it's being used to set up the whole series so I hope in time it'll even out and future episodes won't feel as crammed or rushed. All in all I think this is destined to be a must watch and hopefully it gets picked up for a full season because I can't wait.

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