I hate to say it - and I realize that judging one episode of The Wire is like reading an isolated chapter of a book - but I was disappointed on Sunday watching the show. Not so much in the storyline, which I knew I wouldn't understand - but in the acting and atmosphere in the school scenes. For the most part, the kids' acting was wooden and unnatural. They were mostly obviously way too old to be playing middle school students, and the distracting inauthenticity of the classroom - the small class size, the quiet - totally threw me for a loop. I know it's middle school and not high school, but that doesn't excuse the acting or the lack of "school noise." I enjoyed some of the dialogue, particularly the discussion of North Avenue ("They know how to use a chainsaw."), but figured that Ed Burns would do a better job of re-creating what it's like to be in a Baltimore school.
Maybe it will all mean more to me when I watch this entire season on DVD, sometime next summer. But my dad always loved the gritty realism of the TV cop shows depicting his profession, and maybe I just can't handle it; I focus on the things that aren't realistic, and can't focus on much else. But I just couldn't get past it.
And did I mention the acting by the kids...? For someone weaned on My So-Called Life (one of the five greatest TV shows ever), I'm used to teens being able to really act well on television. It's not happening here, at least this Sunday.
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5 comments:
Heretic.
I think classroom scenes are tough and agree with you that they are not as tight acting-wise, but the main characters kids (Michael, Randy, Naiman (sp), Dookie) seem to be developing nicely. I thought the opening scene where they are all talking about zombies was great. I thought popping open Prez' car was also well acted. I thought the little girl telling Prez that Dookie's clothes were sold by his people was well-delivered.
I do miss some of the characters from the other seasons, which is one of the reason I think I've not been as wowed so far this year as I was by the final arc of last season (don't want to give it away to those who have not see it - what I consider some of the best acting ever - the actors playing Stringer and Avon were robbed by not being nominated for something). Sorry so long...
Anon:
I agree with you on all those scenes being well acted.
The three most egregious poor acting scenes were the following:
1. The looks-way-too-old girl telling off Prez and throwing her stuff to the ground.
2. The kid who came to Bubbles' side when he was beat up. I know this kid in real life, and was surprised how much he seems wooden onscreen.
3. The kid telling off Prez in class and getting put out.
I was pretty happy with the bald man, who just exudes this palpable menace. He's a fine actor, as are most of the adults (don't much care for Prez, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt right now.)
I think that the class scenes were kind of real and reminded me a lot of my middle-school in many ways and I think the kids are all bout that age in real life. I think that season will show, that in America the 7th and 8th grade determines whether you are going to college or the pen, I know it did for me.
Well, I know two of the kids, and they're both 18, and playing middle school kids. I can't say for the rest of them, but they sure look old as well...
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