Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler, Paula Newsome, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Carrigan, Dale Pavinski
You likely wouldn't think of Bill Hader playing an assassin-for-hire. Well, guess what? Barry Berkman (Hader) probably never thought he would be one. He was a Marine who fought in Afghanistan and now kills people for a living. His boss, Monroe Fuches (Root), assures Barry that he is killing scum of the earth, which eases Barry's conscience for a little while. But soon, the job gets to Barry and during what should be a routine hit in LA, he discovers acting by accident and learns that he loves it. He takes an acting class led by the energetic hack Gene Cousineau (Winkler) and decides he would rather recite the Alec Baldwin monologue from Glengarry Glen Ross than shoot people.
This is the setup for Barry, but not the destination. Barry finds leaving his old life behind isn't that easy, especially when he fouls up the hit and kills his Chechen client's associates. This can't go unpunished, and Fuches (who sees Barry as the son he never had) won't let Barry go so easily. If Barry hadn't followed his target to the acting class (his would-be victim is an actor who takes the class) and run into aspiring actress Sally Reed (Goldberg), then maybe his life wouldn't be so complicated these days.
But, Barry falls for Sally at first sight and sees a way out of his conscience-killing existence. Did I mention that Barry is a comedy series? A dry, uneasy one which doesn't exactly fit the mold of traditional comedy, but it is fearless. It is not afraid to be dark and satirical at the same time. It is quite the balancing act which series creators Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) and Hader mostly pull off. Sure, Barry is at times preposterous and goofy, but we find ourselves pulling for Barry as he tries in vain to pull away from his old life and start anew. For a time, he succeeds, but those moments are fleeting and in the eighth and final episode of the first season, Barry finds he has to go back on his word more than once that "he is out...starting right now." We at times forget that Barry is a HITMAN.
Throughout the eight-episode season, there are plot twists we don't expect and some we do. But, no matter, because the show loves these characters and all of their hyper absurdities. Hader is mostly the straight man in his own story, and does so effectively and sympathetically. The best performance comes from Winkler, who plays Cousineau as an acting coach filled with self-importance and confidence, even if we aren't sure why he has so much of either. He writes books about acting technique even though no one has ever heard of him. Cousineau is the living epitome of the saying: "Those who can...do. Those who can't...teach," and gives us the show's biggest laughs, especially when he romances the detective (Newsome) who is investigating the murder of Barry's would-be target.
Barry ended on a dark note and there will surely be more to come in Season 2. It doesn't devolve into silliness, but where it leads follows inexorable logic and consequences of previous actions. Barry, the show, doesn't let Barry the character off the hook. I admire Barry for having the courage to go where it must and allowing itself to be about not-so-lovable people.
No comments:
Post a Comment