Wednesday, October 20, 2021

She was a woman with a Virginia Ham under her arm complaining about not having any bread.


Nick called me out on my bad review of the "Many Saints of Newark" in that I didn't compliment the performance of Vera Famiglia as Livia Soprano. He was right. She did a great impersonation of Nancy Marchand who played the original role. She used some of the phrases and dialogue that Nancy used in the series. But more importantly she channeled the attitude and the hurt that was at the base of that character. She was spot on in her impersonation and should have been a model for the rest of the cast. The other actors were really doing something else. Well except for the guy who played Silvio. He also had it down. But the others were big disappointments. 

I didn't have a problem with young Gandolfini as I knew he was very limited as an actor since I saw him in "The Deuce" so I didn't think he was up to the task. But Corey Stoll who played Uncle Junior was a bitter disappointment. Considering how vital he was to the plot it was a bad miscasting. I think he was chosen because he was bald. He was good in other roles but he was terrible here. 

When you a doing a prequal and portraying beloved actors you really have to work at getting the character right. Vera did that. The others really did not. We will see if the actors playing the Ricardos and the Mertz family can do better.

They better not fuck up Fred. 
 

3 comments:

ndspinelli said...

I agree about Corey Stoll being a good actor but horseshit in this role.

Unknown said...

You easily lead deserve easy leading leaders.

Flaws and all William Frank Buckley wasn't easy.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

It was hard for me to remember he was Junior, even being bald.

Livia did well.