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Teslaphile
Reviews
Comrade Detective (2017)
Welcome to Bucharest, baby!
This show is awesome. Tongue firmly in cheek, Comrade Detective chronicles the patriotic exploits of good Communist cops Greghor Anghel and Iosif Baciu, while turning the American cold war era flag-waving capitalist propaganda we know and love on its head in a most satisfactory manner. For instance, the ominous music that plays when the American embassy is shown perfectly matches the Hollywood trope of letting the music tell you who the bad guys are.
The characters, being creations of the communist state, of course take every opportunity to praise the glorious nation of Romania as well as communism, and remark on the greed and corruption of the capitalist west. For instance, when Anghel remarks that an American woman is dressed like a prostitute, Baciu replies with the line, "She's a capitalist; isn't calling her a prostitute redundant?" When busting a criminal Anghel explains that Americans put drugs into black communities to weaken and control them; why would he bring American drugs to his fellow countryman? When he's told "because I want money," the grizzled detective is nonplussed; isn't the perp's healthcare, education, and food provided by the glorious state? What more does he need?? Later when he's anxious to question a suspect who he's put in the hospital-- in case he doesn't recover-- the doctor patiently explains that, "of course he'll recover; he's receiving the best healthcare in the world."
The plot is what you'd expect from such a show. The cops must stop whatever American killer is on the loose, not only to stop him killing again, but to stop him spreading dangerous, decadent western values! The Romanian cast does a great job, as do the American voice actors. The plot is something that might very well be featured on an 80's Soviet tv show, I guess, and it's actually just a good show. Plenty of action and it's really funny. Now, the funny doesn't come from jokes being rattled off; it's the faux seriousness of the show that's funny. I understand that it's a bit too cerebral for some people who just want to watch a comedy and laugh at constant punchlines. I do recommend this though!
Panchayat (2020)
Funny and heartwarming
I'm not very familiar with foreign movies and TV shows, but for some reason yesterday I decided to watch this after seeing it in my Prime Video suggestions. I ended up watching all eight episodes one after another.
The plot is simple; a young man takes a job as a secretary for the local government in a small village in rural India, rather against his will, as he has no other job prospects. He must adjust to country life and deal with the peculiarities of the people while trying to find a way to move up to a "better" life. This provides for some frustrating experiences. A pleasant mix of comedy and drama with a storyline and cast that keep one interested.
All of the characters are interesting and unique. I especially like Raghuvir Yadav as the Pradhan (or rather, the Pradhan's husband). Chandan Roy is great, too. My only problem is with Jitendra Kumar, who brings as much emotional depth to Abishek as Elijah Wood brought to Frodo in Lord of the Rings. Abject apathy laced with sulking self-pity and the occasional outburst of anger seems to be Kumar's choice for Abishek. Seriously, even a man trapped in a tiny, poor village has moments of joy, but Kumar's character has smiled a grand total of twice in the entire first season. Staring blankly with an air of jaded confusion seems to be his only expression, ever.
Other than that, it's a great show.