MIDNIGHT REVIEWS A Man in Full Episode 1–3 Review
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
A Man in Full Episodes 1–3
Series created by: David E. Kelley
Featuring: Jeff Daniels, Diane Lane, Tom Pelphrey, Aml Ameen
Synopsis: An Atlanta real estate emperor faces a billion dollar bankruptcy. While trying to ensure everyone else thinks everything’s okay, he scrambles to secure either the money or the political clout to make his problems go away.
Review: For every serious/drama role that Jeff Daniels takes on, there is someone commenting that it is very different to his work on Dumb & Dumber. It is an irrefutable law.
Here, his performance as Charlie Croker could so easily have been self-indulgent, but there’s the right amount of loud bluster, quiet threats and moments of near-introspection that show Daniels put in the hard work.
Charlie Croker is our main character, but he certainly isn’t our hero. Summoned by the bank and asked where a billion dollars is, isn’t exactly something an everyday person goes through and it’s in this meeting where we see Croker in a microcosm, which is funny because he’s larger than life. But he’s also a billion dollars in the hole and calling for his private jet. Clearly, this is a man who is trying his best to play by his own rules.
Any moment with [Bill Camp] onscreen is a delight.
Aml Ameen has one of the juicier roles as Roger White, in-house attorney for Croker. Full of confidence, pride ultimately ends up as his failing and it’ll be interesting to see where his story goes considering the multiple internal and external complications. A character who could have the spotlight on them exclusively and still hold up under examination.
Others are equally as memorable. Tom Pelphrey as the grinning, gurning Raymond Peepgrass is great. A perfect name for a snivelling, angry, petty man who stalks in the bushes and watches, but is unable to do anything substantial himself. He lives vicariously through his boss, easily the most entertaining character as played by Bill Camp. Any moment with him onscreen is a delight — a true highlight, seemingly guaranteed.
It’s unclear whether there’s enough meat on these bones to be substantial.
Sarah Jones, who is given very little to do, does well to both amuse and suggest there’s more underneath as Serena Croker. Diane Lane, though featured semi-prominently in advertising, doesn’t feature too much in these episodes. Perhaps there is more for her to do.
The show aims to be a twisting, turning, by-the-minute thrill ride. However, at times I wished it would lean more heavily into the comedic side of things and allow the editing to calm down for a few seconds. At times I see latter-day Suits, other times potential for more. Certain scenes are edited to try and make it feel like time is running out, but ultimately I was left with a strong wanting for them to play out in front of me without so many distracting cuts.
Come episode three’s end, it’s unclear whether there’s enough meat on these bones to be substantial, despite the entertaining performances. Even with the bog-standard use of an A plot (Croker trying to get his billion dollars) and a B plot (anything else happening in the episode), the fact the story is slight cannot be hidden. Perhaps if these separate plots affected each other in any significant way, but this is apparently not to be for these episodes.
Charlie Croker is an unlikeable human being who we’re not meant to support, but there isn’t anything cutting to the show either. Seeing him as a fool isn’t saying anything about other real-life figures in the same position, nor is A Man in Full (ironically enough) a full enough character study to be deemed weighty.
There’s good stuff; I’m just struggling to feel full after digging in.
Matthew D. Smith likes to overshare his views on movies and TV shows whenever and wherever he can. Indulge him, and follow him on Twitter or listen to the podcast he co-hosts with Leslie Wai.
