K Street -The Complete Series  (2004)

Rating: NR

Distributor: HBO Home Video

Release Date: July 20, 2004
Review posted: July 14, 2004

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

SYNOPSIS

K Street is an experimental fusion of reality and fiction--an entertaining, fly-on-the-wall look at government, filmed in and around the corridors of power in Washington. The series ventures inside the world of powerful political consultants--a world that few people ever experience first-hand. Produced on location in Washington, D.C., the largely improvised ten-episode series combines fictional characters with appearances by real-life political figures, all centered around the biggest political news of the week. K Street stars Mary McCormack, John Slattery, Roger G. Smith, James Carville, and Mary Matalin, among others.

CRITIQUE

I didn't watch K Street on HBO. I've heard of the good reviews, but the pilot episode didn't get me hooked. Perhaps I didn't have the patience at the time. In any case, I watched all ten episodes of the series on DVD during the last three days, and I realized I missed something good. However, the benefits of DVD is that you can watch as many episodes of a show as you want. Effectively, it makes watching TV shows much more enjoyable than having to sit through commercials (not on HBO, of course) or waiting a week for a new episode.

I think K Street is more enjoyable and interesting when you watch several episodes in a row, basically because the flow of information and the pace at which the viewer gets to know the characters increases. For some reviews the show may be a little bit tough to get into while watching the first two or three episodes, more than several things as well as the characters are not yet clear or known. However, this did not apply to me. In fact, I got into it rather quickly, which made me enjoy the series as a whole.

The show's concept is pretty interesting; it takes place at a fictional consultant firm, called Bergstrom Lowell, that's headed by James Carville and Mary Matalin who star as themselves. Series director/exec producer Steven Soderbergh films K Street in a documentary-like style that mirrors the fly-on-the-wall feel of, say, Curb Your Enthusiasm, another HBO series. In effect, K Street is right there next to the people and the meetings.

The characters, usually either Carville, Maggie Morris (Mary McCormack), and/or Tommy Flannegan (John Slattery), will confront or question a certain political figure outside a building or on the street on a certain topic or issue. Some of the interview footage is not very interesting and most of the politicians' answers tend to run on. In other instances, the firm holds meetings with the senior staff to discuss current events, and also meets with possible clients to discuss representation.

The series also focuses on the private lives of its characters, but primarily on the fictional ones. Maggie leaves a number of messages for a woman named Gail, and it becomes apparent soon after that she's in a relationship with the woman, although it's a fragile one. Tommy is having marital problems, and on his off time looks elsewhere for entertainment. Meanwhile, Francisco Dupré (Roger G. Smith) is kind of a mystery, although the viewer finds out more about him over the course of the series (but only in snippets). Dupré is the "get-it-done" type of person, yet the way he speaks (whispery and slow) and moves around (in and out of the offices) makes Maggie and Tommy a bit wary.

K Street is quite convincing despite its half-fictional nature. The "fictional" side is probably scripted in some form, and it pays off as the plot threads regarding Maggie and Tommy, as well as the "twist to the story" that involves the FBI, are generally involving and interesting. Moreover, James Carville and Mary Matalin are both commanding on screen, their involvement and enthusiasm for the various topics and discussions are clearly evident. The "actors" are also very good, McCormack and Slattery are really good counterparts to Carville and Matalin. Roger G. Smith is good but not impressive, plus the nature of his character is a bit off. A lot of the political figures that show up play themselves (and sometimes have too much to say or explain), and there are also some guest appearances, such as Elliot Gould as Bergstrom and Robert Prosky as Tommy's dad, for example.

Not everything about K Street works, however. Some scenes run on and should've been shortened. Also, the fact that one episode equals one week limits the potential to continue a story thread. Also, most of the time an episode ends on an open note (too ambiguously one might argue), which at first I didn't like, but later it didn't bother me too much. The series finale tries to wrap things up as best as possible, but it leaves certain things a bit too open ended, and I would've liked a little more explanation. This is especially true for the last shot with Bergstrom at the airport; I sort of get it, it's a twist that's interesting but not explained at all. Maybe some of you are interested in discussing what happened, e-mail me.

The series breaks down into ten episodes spread across two discs. Here is a brief synopsis for each episode.

Disc 1:

Week 1 - Tommy Flannegan (John Slattery) accepts a job offer James Carville to prep Gov. Howard Dean for the September 9 Democratic Presidential Debate in Baltimore, a choice that upsets Mary Matalin and Maggie Morris (Mary McCormack).

Week 2 - The firm looks to represent the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and discusses the ramifications of the latest news of illegal music downloading.

Week 3 - Amnesty International protestors march outside the firm's office, and the firm discusses whether they should reconsider representing the client ("The Council for Mid-East Progress") whose ties to Saudi Arabia brought on the protest.

Week 4 - A flashback to the last week of July and the origins of the Bergstrom Lowell firm.

Week 5 - Mary Matalin defends herself against rumors that she may been the source of the recent leak of a CIA agent's identity.

Disc 2:

Week 6 - "The Leak" has the firm on edge and Carville staring up at the ceiling vents; Tommy has a marital crisis.

Week 7 - The FBI puts a scare into the employees of Bergstrom Lowell and on the advice of legal counsel nobody can talk about what's going on.

Week 8 - Carville meets with the Department of Justice and finds himself in the hot seat.

Week 9 - Flashback: After a long and strange August night, Tommy Flannegan talks with the FBI.

Week 10 - Mary and James are forced to sell the office furniture as Bergstrom Lowell's reputation plummets.

Thanks to HBO's K Street website for the synopsis.

THE VIDEO

HBO presents K Street in 4:3 format, at least according to the back cover. The video is not fullscreen or anamorphic widescreen, but the aspect ratio looks more like 1.77:1 or close to that. Image quality is good, no scratches or artifacts appear. There is constant grain throughout the show, but that's because the series is shot digitally and in natural light. Sharpness and detail are good if not mediocre. This is perfectly fine presentation considering the material. Optional subtitles include English, French and Spanish. There are no chapter stops for the shows, and the menu offers no "play all" option either.

THE AUDIO

HBO presents K Street in English 2.0 Dolby Surround. Dialogue is generally quite clear and easy to understand. The front speakers emit the audio just fine, although there are some overlaps in dialogue happening in the discussions of the people. Natural sounds come across well enough. The audio is not too strong overall so I turned on the subtitles a few times. But for this type of series, the audio presentation is just fine and I can't complain.

THE EXTRAS

There are none, which is quite disappointing. A look at how the show was shot, created, and executed could've been real informative. Each episode runs about 29 minutes. The menus are easy to navigate. The two discs arrive in a keepcase with a paper insert.

FINAL THOUGHTS

K Street is a well-rounded show in terms of giving the viewer a generally good look at the politics from the inside. And, essentially, the viewer becomes part of a discussion, depending on the individual viewer's involvement, of course. Not everything about the show works, but most of it is interesting. In short, I believe it all depends on what your game is with politics and such.

According to news executive producers Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney are planning to make a similar series in a different venue sometime in the future. I, for one, will anticipate the announcement and premiere. In the meantime, you can check out K Street, which comes recommended, and at roughly $19 it's affordable.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

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