Really Surprised!

Excellent, a Must See

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Truly good and unforgettable series with strong, believable characters you can't help becoming obsessed with. Tightly and delicately woven down to the smallest details, littlest characters that make a splash with just a couple of exchanges delivered in the perfect tone, with the perfect look and authentic feel. All is very well thought out to make you feel like a tiny fly in that world, observing its rawness and the evolution of the story. Very entertaining premise of a crime family with adopted, now adult children, all so different from one another but one and all caught in the web that is their given world. Would like to see a continuation as I can't get enough.

I saw this program listed on Netflix. I knew nothing about it. Brian Cox was the only actor in the series I had ever heard of.I have watched the first ten episodes - and was mesmerized. It is one of most well scripted series I have seen in longer than I can remember.In this type of program, the script drives everything else - and it is very well done. The ensemble cast is totally believable from start to finish. They sell the script in a completely convincing way.Another great perk is that this series is filmed in Queensland Australia,. Each episode is brim full of incredibly beautiful scenery and the local flavor and culture.

I am generally a fan of Australian productions. I also get Australia's deep historical roots in working-class crime. I even liked the American version of this genre, The Sopranos. That was then; this is now. There is a difference in this series. The Montebello clan have no redeeming characteristics at all. They are all selfish and ruthless. There is no innocent among them with the possible exception of Coco the dog. They all lack charm in their corrupted misery.I am surprised by Brian Cox in this series. He usually plays evil with panache. His character in this show is lack-luster at best. Rena Owen plays Kitty with similar restraint. Her usually fiery persona seems to smolder throughout the show with little expression. This gives her the air of a suburban housewife-gone-native in reverse, rather than an authentic power broker of her tribe. Emma Lung as Lola provides some intrigue in a generally boiler-plate plot line.The production values are decent. Tropical vistas. Interesting views of a glossy Queensland existence. Cramer Cain as Eddie is a bright spot with his goofy shtick. However, I cannot say I would recommend this to anyone.

Every society has its underworld and gangster aspects, many of which are portrayed in film and TV. The USA had its Godfather and Sopranos; the Irish with the IRA; the English with the Krays. And, who can forget the Italians and Russians with their mafias?So, I was reminded of those precursors when series one of this look at the state of gang warfare in far north Australia finished on TV recently. With the help of Brian Cox – always a great heavy, in my opinion, as local 'mafia' boss Harry Montebello - portraying a long-time Pommie immigrant who runs a family of smugglers and murderers based in Cairns, this series presents a realistic panorama of events that show how family and blood ties matter, especially within the black community.And given a surname like Montebello, it's not surprising that Harry is not a guy to be messed with.The series also shows how parental guidance – and misguidance – shapes the offspring into a life of crime, bringing them to accept and work with it despite the obvious contradictions. Recall, for example, how Michael Corleone (in the 1972 Godfather movie) very readily resorted to violence and omerta when his father is almost assassinated by another mob. Montebello's sons take up a similar challenge when he is almost done in by an imported hit-man hired by a local Hell's Angels group. Or...was it the Hell's Angels? So, the story line/plot here is not too much different to other great efforts of the gangster genre. What sets this apart, though, is the degree of distrust and internecine fighting that ensues after the attempted assassination of big Harry. How all that pans out is very entertaining and quite realistic, I think.Of particular note is Harry's daughter, Sissi (played by Suzannah Bayes-Morton), as the squeaky clean apple of Harry's eye, and the one whom he trusts the most to succeed in her studies to lead a normal life. Well, apart from Sissi, Harry's got a few other surprises in store, especially about his sons, his wife and his lover.But, it takes ten well produced and well acted episodes to reveal all of the shenanigans of this crowd of no-goods of the far north of Australia. As a piece of Australian culture, it's probably close to what could happen, given the context and circumstances.And, for me, what is deliciously entertaining are the ironic twists that the writer, Louis Nowra, injects into this sordid tale of family woe. Indeed, there is a touch of Greek tragedy in the final episode that lifts this story into an arena I didn't expect: I'm actually looking forward to the next series.Highly recommended.June 17, 2012