House of Cards

House of Cards (2013) 

Money. Power. Power and money. And politics is a means of getting both of them. Fincher spot on as always, Spacey again enjoys his role marvelously. So far I see this very optimistically. Season one: Naively I thought that this would be more encapsulated, but that would be wanting too much. Fincher set the tone, Schumacher moves on in a similar vein, but all those involved in the direction are doing an excellent job. In this beautiful to exemplary insight into the game of high-level politics. You are on Spacey’s side, Kate Mara at last shows her true colors of a little careerist bitch. What is missing when you compare it with The Boss is urgency and greater sympathy with the characters, as if the high-level politics was too perfect and cleansed. This isn’t downright bad, I just want to explain why I prefer the other series (even though it was certainly lower budget and less bombastic). This doesn’t mean that we won’t meet up with Frank Underwood again next season. Quite the opposite, I look forward to him tapping me on the shoulder again and taking me through that rotten place that goes by the name of the Whitehouse. Season two: A much better-knit game than the last, slowly-dosed season. But Frank is aiming high and he needs a larger screen for his masterpiece. The details undermining his mastery slightly bother me, but the last episode assuages my fears. America is in the right hands. Good things happen to good people. Season three: Political intrigue trampled by the relationship storyline. It is the dynamics of the first couple and mainly of Claire, played perfectly by Robin Wright, that drives this year’s campaign forward. Thanks to the Russians, foreign policy is heavy-duty and, along with probing the Underwood’s marriage, it exceeds all expectations. The ending is brutally open-ended. Season four draws on the very best historical events and decisions by the United States. Things aren’t easy for Frank and Claire, but they manage to pull an ace out of their sleeve when they are waist-deep in quick sand. The finale is brilliant, even though I’m sure that lots of nitpickers will be talking about a departure from reality, but they should brush up on some not so distant history. Barack is no longer a fan. And Donald is becoming one. (04/02/2013)