It's Difficult NOT To Enjoy This Movie

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The first must-see film of the year.

Had no idea what to except, never heard of the author or the book this is based on but once I watched the first episode I got it, was hooked and wanted to keep watching, this series is unbelievably good, nothing you will see elsewhere and a great science fiction treat! The visual/special effects /cinematography was flawless that I thought it must have been made somewhere in Germany, but no, here in the UK. I watched it through 3 times over, I loved it that much! Watch/enjoy/discover something different.

In Ralph Ellison's novel The Invisible Man he convincingly describes a society where he is not seen. This happens today all over. Aborigines are invisible to white Australians. Muslims are invisible to Christians and on it goes. The City just takes reality a little further and has a state imposed invisible "other class". If you don't follow the plot first time (you are not alone) I recommend a second look and you will pick up the subtle detail in a better appreciation of the fabric being woven here.

City and the City is an odd blend. There's a little hybridised "checkpoint Charlie" style thing on offer here. A juncture between cities that have a East Germany meets West Germany vibe. This is married up to a gritty police procedural drama that, in turn, has a sci fi physics/metaphysics make over. Whats really weird is this weirdness works well. This tale is just familiar enough to offer up something convincing and grounded your rational sane side can hold onto but also irrationally, insanely different enough to upturn long held conventions.It does this quirky series no harm either to have decent refreshingly intelligent narrative and characterisations, backed by a quality cast. A cast that includes David Morrissey, in the lead role, who I fondly remember from The Walking Dead.9/10 from me.

I think the writer and producer and director are largely at fault here. Script development and appreciation of source material is so poor and shows that it takes great skill to convert a novel to the screen. Too many assumptions are made, that the viewer will know the world into which we descend. Far too much inappropriate swearing by actors who look lost and vague, with those who are chain smoking clearly I'll at ease with the poisonous habit and as such fail to convince us that they are real smokers so it creates scenes that look incongruous nay ridiculous. The plotting is clumsy and laborious. The photography/ lighting is reasonably well done, but spoiled by the rest of the ingredients. It doesn't look like much money was spent on the production, which is probably a blessing for the tax payers, but really the whole thing shouldn't have been given the go ahead.