Fall TV Preview – “Boardwalk Empire”

The glamorous nightclub patrons count down from ten, their shots and cocktails raised. They cheer. Couples embrace, kiss, and lovingly finish their drinks with somber faces as “Taps” sounds off. It is the eve of January 16, 1920 — the inauguration of Dry America, and the era of “Boardwalk Empire.”Created by Terence Winters, the pen behind more than a few episodes of “The Sopranos,” this latest drama by HBO follows Atlantic City Treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (a spot-on Steve Buscemi) in his crooked life as a mastermind political boss and cutthroat gang leader during the early years of Prohibition.However exciting a ‘20s-gangster-synopsis may be, the complex, multi-faceted ball of “Boardwalk Empire” gets rolling rather slowly; two hour-long episodes in and we still don’t know what to make of all the pieces. Nucky meets with crime bosses, hires young gun Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), counts some bills, shouts at house servants, befriends a pregnant Irish immigrant (Kelly MacDonald), inspects his bootlegging partners, comes up on the FBI’s radar — in short, a lot is going on, and it’ll be some time before it comes together. “The Wire” also had a similarly slow and methodical start, but brilliant performances and a realistically busy story made the wait for developments all the more worthwhile.Martin Scorcese, who co-produces the series, directed the pilot episode that aired Sept. 19, 2010. We have him to thank for the ambitious (yet solid) start of “Boardwalk,” for not only did he create the basis for a hopefully exciting plot, but also set the artistic tone of future episodes. For one, the violence is tasteful; guns remain holstered for more time than one would expect from a gangster show, and the only shootings one does see are the necessary ones.Period dramas like “Boardwalk” also require a certain aesthetic, and Scorcese doesn’t fail to deliver. A good portion of the pilot episode’s roughly $20 million budget undoubtedly went toward constructing a 300-foot long replica of the historic Atlantic City boardwalk, not to mention the gorgeous intricacies of classic ‘20s fashion. Scorcese’s sweeping pans and wide shots also make the most of the lavish production design, successfully embodying the scope of grandeur (and sometimes grit) in each scene.But perhaps the most striking element in the “Boardwalk” mix is Steve Buscemi — not at all out of his element as Nucky Thompson. His widely-acknowledged brilliance as a character actor (“The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo,” “Reservoir Dogs,” etc.) has finally landed him an actual lead role. Yet he isn’t our standard hulking gangster, but rather an impeccably dry, witty crook with a razor of a mind and a weakling affect that seemingly betrays his power.And it doesn’t look like the hype will betray the power of the show itself, either. The advertisement and discussion surrounding “Boardwalk” (not to mention the powerhouse production team and cast) are giving a defining shape to the new series. AMC just might forfeit the title of “best show on TV” to HBO. (Sun., 9pm, HBO).Max TamahoriA&E Editor