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The Riches - Season 1 - Complete [2006]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

British comedian Eddie Izzard (Glorious, Dressed to Kill) brings his raffish charisma to The Riches, a sneaky satirical drama about a family of con artists who lie their way into a wealthy gated community. Wayne and Dahlia Malloy (Izzard and Minnie Driver, Grosse Pointe Blank) are travellers--a kind of American gypsies--who get in trouble with their clan and have to hit the road with their three kids (Shannon Woodward, Noel Fisher, and Aidan Mitchell). When a confrontation with other travellers causes a deadly car accident, the Malloys take over the dead couple's brand-new home--a mansion bought over the internet--and assume the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Rich.

The premise stretches plausibility, but that's part of the fun; any successful con game forces the mark to accept something absurd, because why would anyone tell such a preposterous lie? The pleasure of trickery drives the show. Wayne weasels his way into a job as lawyer to an obnoxious real estate developer; Dahlia persuades a private school to admit her kids after the admission deadline; and the kids find their skills serve them well in the surface-obsessed suburban world. But over the course of the thirteen-episode season, the Malloys' wily architecture of lies grows increasingly precarious, constantly threatened by fear of exposure and vengeful travellers. The final episode builds to a nerve-wracking crisis as someone who actually knows the dead couple comes to visit. Ironically, some of the most compelling moments are flashes of honesty--in an early episode, oldest son Cael realizes that the traveller girl he loves has set him up, and the two stare at each other across a diner table, wordlessly brokenhearted. The entire cast is great--Woodward shines as smart, conflicted daughter Di Di, and Margo Martindale (Paris, je t'aime, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) routinely steals scenes as the Rich's unhappy neighbor. But The Riches rests on Izzard's shoulders; though Driver's acting chops are more polished (and her Southern accent is more consistent), Izzard captures the soul of a man who lives by his wits, a man who navigates the world with a wink and a stream of beguiling words. --Bret Fetzer

HIghly Recommended
Review date: 2008-07-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

Although the over arching story line of "american gypsies" attempting to blague their way into "buffer" society is far fetched, the quality of the acting and the writing demand your emotional buy-in. The characters are emminently believable; the plots interesting with comedy and tragedy balanced to provide true insights into human behaviour. The American Dream is within reach but for this family of gypsies who themselves are con-men the American Dream demands a price which might mean abandoning principles of humanity that are more important than success or even survival at any cost. A truly excellent work.

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Reviews


Essential viewing
Review date: 2008-03-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

The Riches follows a family of travellers and their journey as they take the identities of the Rich family - a wealthy American family starting a new life in the suburbs.
The series if witty, tense, dramatic and emotionally engaging. I couldn't stop watching! I seriously recommend it to anyone who likes programmes such as Without a Trace, ER or any good drama.
It is drama with wit...a killer combination.

Unique
Review date: 2008-02-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

The malloy family are American travellers. When mum,(Minnie Driver), gets out of prison after dad's,(Eddie Izzard), last scheme goes wrong he decides it's time for a change. Running away from the travellers camp after stealing money from 'family' things happen rapidly as while they are being chased by another traveller family they witness a couple killed during the pursuit. Dad decides they are going to take on the life of the unfortunate two,(they were on their way to a new house & neighbourhood where no one knew them when they were killed),.
Once in the new house they begin to interact with those who share the gated community & beyond as work & school comes into play.New names, new friends and new lives take shape.
First the one large negative point. There are an awful lot of coincidences & Dad Wayne is just superhumanly capable at sweet talking the family out of any crisis.
These may seem like major obstacles but in fact they really don't matter all that much as this is a surprising & touching portrait of a totally barmy family.
Izzard does an excellent job of restraining himself and plays Wayne as a man in crisis trying to better his family but unsure how.There are moments though when he quite clearly has had the leash removed & improvises to great effect. So too Driver does an excellent turn as the unpredictable wife who just loves her husband too much to follow her better instincts & hit the road again.
The support is great too with the three children very believable & wayne's boss is spot on as a greasy conman always on the make. So too as the travelling 'family' begin to track them down the tension builds and further characters begin to make their presence felt.
This is very funny but not all the time. It is far more drama than comedy and there are some moments of genuine poignancy and charm.
Well written, well acted, surprising, funny and never stale this is a real innovation in TV drama/comedy and is most welcome. I can't really think of how to compare it but there are many scenes that reminded me of the gothic darkness of Carnivale and fans of the darker humour will not be disappointed with the riches.
The soundtrack is great with some really well chosen tunes, speech is clear & although little used the surround works fine when it needs to. The picture is clear & although it seems to have been shot using a filter the colour is good.
If you are after a change from the mind-numbing reality telly and are looking for a thoughtful, funny & completley different direction then give this a go. Be aware that there ocassional scenes of both a sexual & violent nature & that there are many dark moments.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Gregg Henry
Minnie Driver
Eddie Izzard

Creators:
Eddie Izzard (Primary Contributor)
Minnie Driver (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036036696
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 4
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-02-18
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 591 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006

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