An American in Paris: a review of the mini-series "Franklin"
Michael Douglas as the founding father exhaustingly retells "Wikipedia".
1776. The war for independence of the American colonies is in full swing. Benjamin Franklin arrives in France with his grandson Temple (Noah Jupe). The founding father of the United States asks King Louis XVI for help in the conflict with Great Britain. Over the next eight years, Franklin will do anything for strategic victory, diplomatic ties, and his own gain, than change the course of history forever.
The Apple TV+ streaming service never reveals the viewing figures for its shows. It should be, because the statistics of "Franklin," about one of the most prominent figures in American history, are probably of much more interest than the show itself. Its creators, including director Timothy Van Patten ("Game of Thrones") and screenwriter Howard Corder ("Underground Empire"), are testing viewers' patience and spending studio millions for the sake of a depressing (and soporific) eight-hour spectacle. The events of 250 years ago are not analyzed in any way; they are powdered, dressed up in wigs and camisoles, forced to draw strained parallels with reality. Diplomacy does not help "Franklin": the project about a brilliant strategist whose face still adorns the hundred-dollar bill turns out to be a parody, a bland, unformed statement with no definite goals.
The war between the colonies and Great Britain and the emergence of the United States as a superpower are offered from the perspectives of several participants: Franklin himself, who secretly comes to Paris to establish connections and ask for arms, his 17-year-old grandson Temple, who is experiencing the love torments of his youth and is just beginning to learn about the world, and other participants in the behind-the-scenes intrigues - from royalty to the secret police and court jesters. Sometimes the authors briefly demonstrate the battlefield, so that the audience does not forget about the people dying for ideas and honor. In between - turtle runs from one meeting room to another, comparisons of politics to the game of chess (on which the entire narrative will be built), parties at Versailles, dinners, mournful faces and Franklin's gassing. It turns out that in real life, the politician was extremely fascinated by the process of bloated bowels and devoted an entire study to it. We should thank the creators for including this detail in the plot - without it, it would have been unbearable to follow the pointless tossing of the characters.
This isn't the first time Douglas, who escaped from Marvel's captivity ("Ant-Man"), has found himself in the TV spotlight: in 2013, he helmed Steven Soderbergh's brilliant TV movie "Behind the Candelabra," for which he won more than one award. Franklin in his performance is a rash of quotations from textbooks and other online resources, a privileged official, sometimes sly and servile, but completely impersonal. Dramaturgically, the character is barely elaborated. Compared to "Franklin" and in the context of other figures in American history, "President Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" doesn't seem like such a bad idea.
Noah Joop showed creative growth by attempting to remedy the situation by adding some lively emotion to the series among the dull (and mostly elderly) contingent. Ludivine Sanier and Eddie Marsan occasionally appear in the background as John Adams, the leader of the American Rebellion. Instead of "Franklin," it's better to appreciate the 2008 HBO mini-series "John Adams" starring Paul Giamatti. "Franklin" would have seriously benefited from reduced timekeeping (from 8 to 2 hours) and at least some outdoor activity. "Time is the fabric of which life is made," said the wisest politician. Apple TV+ subscribers should take heed and switch to another show.
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