Billions ticks all the boxes as a hot and edgy new TV series. Think along the lines of The Wolf of Wall Street for the small screen, writes Debashine Thangevelo
BILLIONS is one of the most-talked about shows on TV at the moment. The trailer alone, with Hollywood heavyweight Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man, 12 Years a Slave) and Damian Lewis (Homeland, Wolf Hall), is priceless – as far as boosting TV ratings go.
You can sense the slow-brewing tension and antagonism between the two characters. One being a powerful US attorney – Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti), vying to take down one of the wealthiest criminals in town – hedge fund tycoon Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis).
The backstory to that is that Bobby’s life changed after 9/11. He inherited the hedge fund as the sole survivor of the attacks. He is the perfect husband to Lara (27 Dresses actress, Malin Akerman) and their kids. He is also regarded as an upstanding citizen of the community, especially with him magnanimously paying the college tuition of the children of his deceased colleagues. That’s not forgetting his numerous charitable contributions.
At face value, he is an astute businessman and some might even go as far as calling him a philanthropist.
But wealth breeds attention… of the unwanted kind. And we aren’t talking about the tax man here.
This is where Rhoades comes in on his virtuous horse, so to speak. Of course, taking down a big fish like Axe would be a sweet victory for him – on the personal and professional fronts. Especially with him feeling terribly emasculated by successful wife Wendy (Maggie Siff, Sons of Anarchy) and her seriously connected father.
Lewis, in Homeland, proved his prowess in delivering the duality of a character. And he delivers with gravitas with this new urbane character. Giamatti is a legend in any role. His beard alone should get its own award for influencing his poker-faced facial expressions.
The first episode masterfully weaves the groundwork for the narrative. And with it being co-written by finance journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, the story has more legitimacy.
A chuffed David Nevins, president of Showtime, proudly commented: “The dynamic star pairing of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis is matched by an equally exciting team in the writing of this show. Andrew Ross Sorkin, one of the pre-eminent financial journalists of our time, has joined forces with Brian Koppelman and David Levien, two of Hollywood’s most- accomplished writers. With this calibre of writing and acting, I think the show’s authenticity and insider look will have great appeal to discerning audiences.”
As the tagline of the series says: Power is the ultimate currency. And when a US attorney has an Axe to grind (pun intended), it makes things very interesting – The Wolf of Wall Street kind of interesting (wink, wink).
WHAT INTERNATIONAL CRITICS ARE SAYING:
This is a wildly over-the-top but thoroughly entertaining soap opera, and it works because it follows the same philosophy Bobby does: if you want to succeed, you don’t have to be the smartest one in the room. You just have to be shameless. – Entertainment Weekly
Like Ray Donovan, Billions is addictive, bold, amusing, well-crafted, and rather facile, too. – Boston Globe
Billions has the posture of socio-political exposé, the mechanics of a soap opera and the morals of grave robber. In other words, it’s irresistible… The biggest reason to watch Billions is the acting talent, something which even the endlessly expository dialogue and absurd characterisations can’t totally quash. – Wall Street Journal
Billions airs on M-Net Edge (DStv channel 102) on Tuesday at 9pm. For those who can’t wait, it airs express at 2am.