The Knick

The Knick certainly isn't the TV series revolution that many critics and viewers proclaim, but it's certainly a testament to the superiority of the auteur series, especially because of how formally unsettling and insular it is in its unkind world. Soderbergh does an excellent job of masking the scant locations (one street and about 15-20 rooms) by constantly changing the camera angles, often using low depth of field to lock the suffering characters away from the outside world, from which each is hiding something, and swooping through rooms and hallways in long unbroken takes, which explains the overall darkness since it's almost impossible to artificially light a scene under such circumstances. And the likes of Clive Owen pretty much makes any episode just by being in it. If he weren't an actor with such unrelenting qualities anywhere he appears, one could certainly talk about this as the role of a lifetime. The Knick, however, suffers from that somewhat tired "no one is what they seem and everyone is kind of the antithesis of what they appear to be" concept. Combined with its repeated (over and over and over) traipsing into contemporary social issues, it kind of forgets that the joke is on them, because then how am I supposed to explain that the film wants me to be shocked that a nun can also be a midwife, a renowned doctor a first-class junkie, or a black man a good doctor? Besides, The Knick has no purpose, it's just a series of relationship episodes and personal dilemmas set against the backdrop of a troubled time where a mask of gentlemanliness, elegant fashions clothes, and ornate house gables belie the abortion clinics, illegal operating rooms, opium dens, and the offices of loan sharks. As one user here wittily remarked, "The Rose Garden Clinic for better folk". Still, I'm happy to delve into that dark, murky world of torment and misery in the second season. (29/07/2018)

It is the ultimate series and for me personally perhaps the most intense experience I have ever seen from Steven Soderbergh. It was raw, brutal, realistic and with acting performances so amazing that it should be receiving awards for at least two more years. Clive Owen versus Andre Holland show such a perfect war of doctors that you simply have to love both of them. However, be careful with this series, more delicate viewers might not be comfortable with some scenes. Even I had troubles sometimes. There is such natural depiction of surgeries that you sometimes get to see things you don’t necessarily need to. For the great premise I cannot rate it any other way than with five stars. I hope it can keep up for as long as possible. (13/09/2014)

A perfect piece of work that most are probably already familiar with, but for those who haven't heard of it before, catch up quickly. An utterly fascinating series that immerses you in the early 20th century and informs you of the advances and inventions in both science and medicine, starring the astonishing Clive Owen, a cocaine addict who literally works magic on the set, breaking boundaries, rewriting history and fascinating the viewer with his skills. The operations are filmed in great detail so there’s plenty of blood and guts and is no shortage of local brothels with courtesans, copious amounts of drugs, the uncompromising racism of the time and a piece of history with a thick dose of information. Most of all I enjoyed watching the advances in medicine, the new inventions, dealing with increasingly difficult surgeries and serious illnesses. A genre gem. Taken in two days in one breath. 10/10 (21/11/2019)

Soderbergh's redemption from the prison called Hollywood and a clear argument for those who claim that TV production in recent years is more interesting and progressive than film. I am no longer surprised by Soderbergh's words that he has finally found the creative freedom in contemporary television that was so lacking in big-studio film production. (07/07/2015)

A hospital at the turn of the twentieth century in an original series where its biggest strength is also its biggest weakness (well, more like just a weakness) because when Soderbergh took all of the clichés from series set in a medical environment and very consistently, bleakly, uncompromisingly and almost cynically turned them inside out, the moment of surprise is lost because whatever motive or storyline comes up, if you turn it one hundred and eighty degrees against what you would usually expect, and you know exactly what’s going to happen. In any case, this criticism fades in the light of everything else; the production design and the accent on disturbing period details to start with (definitely nothing for a nostalgic romantic “those were the times") and to finish with the acting performance (I wonder if Thackery was inspired by W.S. Halsted). Looking at this purely in terms of filmmaking, this is at the very head of the (not only) series pack. If nothing else, I should mention the operations. Soderbergh presents this crude butchery so realistically, with no embellishments, intensively and originally (the rhythm of the shots!), for my life, I can’t remember when I had to turn my eyes away so often due to feeling squeamish; and it’s not just to do with the explicitness of the shots, but also thanks to the fact that it’s all presented so strictly pragmatically that it’s far more effective than if they were operating with emotional blackmail alone. And a special thanks traditionally belongs to Martinez whose seemingly inappropriate and out of place background music does a whole lot for the series. (12/10/2014)