I am having the best time watching "The Brink." It's a funny, clever, fast moving half hour of t.v. If you're not paying attention, you'll miss so many great lines. Tim Robbins is hysterical as Secretary of State. Reminds me of Charlie Wilson; womanizer, drinker, but smart as heck. Jack Black is not my favorite comedian but he is winning me over in this series. John Larrouquette plays the fanatical religious ambassador to perfection. Pablo Schreiber is a lovable screw up. I don't think of Esai Morales as a comedic actor but he plays comedy really well. I could go on and on about each character so I'll conclude with this. Each and everyone of their performances knocks it out of the park. I applaud the writers of this great show. If this series is not picked up for a second season, I'll be terribly disappointed.
56 Reviews
just one season?? where's the next chapter?
ksf-25 April 2021
Tim Robbins is Walter Larson, on the cabinet to the U. S. president. State department worker Alex (Jack Black) and fleet driver Rafiq ( Aasif Mandvi) go tooling around town, in search of fun and excitement...that is, drugs and girls. As things heat up in Pakistan, they try to keep a lid on the violence and anti-U. S. activity, which could turn into war. Pilot Zeke Tilson has taken too many pills, and is flying around in very expensive equipment. John Larroquette is the ambassador. It's a good mix of political drama and humor. Sadly, there's only one season, having been canceled already, after the first season. This is currently on HBO/Max streaming channel. Check it out! If enough people like it, maybe it will come back!
I love it
snusenx6 July 2015
Finally, a new comedy I can enjoy. Tim Robbins is great as usual, and Jack Black has managed to tone down his usually way too hysteric performances, and does very well too. Its funny and sometimes clever, and nowhere near as stiff as almost any comedy nowadays.The pace is good, and it has well managed timing.
Its well casted with a lot of familiar faces. I hope this gets to continue, it has potential to get even better. It will never be Big bang or Friends or anything like the huge 10 season successes, but it has potential to be almost great.
I recommend it. Enjoy yourselves.
Its well casted with a lot of familiar faces. I hope this gets to continue, it has potential to get even better. It will never be Big bang or Friends or anything like the huge 10 season successes, but it has potential to be almost great.
I recommend it. Enjoy yourselves.
Someday They'll Be Sorry They Cancelled The Brink
riveralex5 March 2017
Tim Robbins, Jack Black and Jerry Weintraub brought this superb satirical series, created by Roberto and Kim Benabib, to the screen via HBO. It ran one season, was renewed, then suddenly cancelled because "they could not do it justice," which may mean that it was expensive. (Well, yes, there are a lot of planes.)
A "Dr Strangelove" for the new millennium, this pacey, dark political farce fairly rips across the screen. It's superbly written, beautifully cast, and artfully performed by everyone from its stars to its bit players (though I feel that Aasif Mandvi, Pablo Schreiber and Eric Ladin deserve special mention.)
I cannot recall ever laughing so hard at anything, or seeing Cabinet in-fighting illustrated so credibly and outrageously.
Now that we Americans have a President who could never have got the part via Central Casting, I fear that The Brink's apocalyptic take on politics and antics at the highest levels may be closer to the truth than we would ever want it to be.
When the End of Days is upon us, it'll be a shame that we won't be able to go out watching at least three seasons of The Brink. Boo to whoever made this decision, because this show is a classic and deserved better.
A "Dr Strangelove" for the new millennium, this pacey, dark political farce fairly rips across the screen. It's superbly written, beautifully cast, and artfully performed by everyone from its stars to its bit players (though I feel that Aasif Mandvi, Pablo Schreiber and Eric Ladin deserve special mention.)
I cannot recall ever laughing so hard at anything, or seeing Cabinet in-fighting illustrated so credibly and outrageously.
Now that we Americans have a President who could never have got the part via Central Casting, I fear that The Brink's apocalyptic take on politics and antics at the highest levels may be closer to the truth than we would ever want it to be.
When the End of Days is upon us, it'll be a shame that we won't be able to go out watching at least three seasons of The Brink. Boo to whoever made this decision, because this show is a classic and deserved better.
Brutal satire that makes me come for more
etienne-710456 July 2015
This show is not for the fainthearted or those who get offended easily.
I would consider it more a satire than a comedy as it deals with a very sensitive and frightening topic in a "goofy" manner. The characters are not "trying" to be funny, they are just exaggerated stereotypes which, mixed with the situations they are thrown in, can cause a few chuckles and a couple head shakes. The producers are definitely bold without being vulgar or condescending, so far... That said, it is very graphical and uncensored.
The way the show is filmed really puts you in the action with the characters and add to the experience.
The actors are all very good in their roles. Tim Robin plays an excellent perv Secretary of State and Jack Black's performance is toned down but still very enjoyable. I also like the way the Pakistani family is portrayed.
All in, I really got hooked when I first saw the preview and the show did not disappoint. Through their personality flaws, the characters still manage to get things done and I just can't wait to see the next episode.
With some of the lame shows out there, I find this one very refreshing and I hope they will stick to their plan and finish it right instead of selling out until it's not worth watching anymore.
You should at least give it a try.
Enjoy. E.
I would consider it more a satire than a comedy as it deals with a very sensitive and frightening topic in a "goofy" manner. The characters are not "trying" to be funny, they are just exaggerated stereotypes which, mixed with the situations they are thrown in, can cause a few chuckles and a couple head shakes. The producers are definitely bold without being vulgar or condescending, so far... That said, it is very graphical and uncensored.
The way the show is filmed really puts you in the action with the characters and add to the experience.
The actors are all very good in their roles. Tim Robin plays an excellent perv Secretary of State and Jack Black's performance is toned down but still very enjoyable. I also like the way the Pakistani family is portrayed.
All in, I really got hooked when I first saw the preview and the show did not disappoint. Through their personality flaws, the characters still manage to get things done and I just can't wait to see the next episode.
With some of the lame shows out there, I find this one very refreshing and I hope they will stick to their plan and finish it right instead of selling out until it's not worth watching anymore.
You should at least give it a try.
Enjoy. E.
Excellent! practical & pristine
theknownames10 March 2020
Could Such a Fear Be So Funny!?
ehavard26 July 2015
Satire is a dish only served well-done for it to work. And the boy's at HBO (Kim Benabib & Roberto Benabib) have done just that! From the first 60 seconds of the first episode I have not stopped laughing at what is hurting this world so much! Jack Black has always been a few shy and we all love him for it, but I had no idea that Academy Award winning actor Tim Robbins could ever be so funny! With roles like his in my all time favorite SyFy movie "Code 46" not to mention movies like "The Shawshank Redemption", and "Jacob's Ladder" that his portrait of Secretary of State Walter Larson, a sex crazed, no brain-mouth filter deep down good guy who has had too much to drink most times is so out-of-pocket that it is such a joy just to hang on for the ride! With all the racial, social, sexual, and political land minds they dance on each and every show, not one has been off color. Once again, waiting for Sundays and HBO is back on the menu!
I really liked the first two episode, i think it is a good start .. the script looks strong and funny in most of the scenes..
Aktham_Tashtush1 July 2015
So weird i loved the first two episodes,, the minute i'v read the reviews i was so scared even to watch the pilot , but the series is way far from those bad reviews, The Series is organized, the plot is smooth and easily understandable and the dialog is fast in a tense intriguing way ... the screenplay seems to be strong and tightly written considering the shortage of experience of Kim Benabib and only with 14 episodes of Weeds written by Roberto Benabib the script turned out unexpectedly connected and catchy.
The script or let me be more general .. the story basically revolves around three characters; the naive careless low level state department employee Alex Talbot with his dream to be a CIA operative , Walter Larson who seems rational and thoughtful on the table but also a drinker sex-addict and mouth full of "bad" comments and finally Zeke Tilson the drug-addict fighter pilot who always needs the combination of money and drugs to keep himself sane on the Jets-Reg ... see all of those three have a mission to stop world war 3 from happening... in a funny but thrilling development of events the series looked really strong.
As for the cast, well the threesome of Jack Black, Tim Robbins and Pablo Schreiber works amazingly here in a dumb, sarcastic but dreamy funny way.
So Overall, the series really caught my attention in the those first two episode ,, it is a comedy based on fictional so i think people who say its full of Zionist propaganda should just chill out a bit and i do think it has a bit of "Veep" in it but i believe it is a good thing for the show, i mean who doesn't love Veep but now with a different story and different characters.
The script or let me be more general .. the story basically revolves around three characters; the naive careless low level state department employee Alex Talbot with his dream to be a CIA operative , Walter Larson who seems rational and thoughtful on the table but also a drinker sex-addict and mouth full of "bad" comments and finally Zeke Tilson the drug-addict fighter pilot who always needs the combination of money and drugs to keep himself sane on the Jets-Reg ... see all of those three have a mission to stop world war 3 from happening... in a funny but thrilling development of events the series looked really strong.
As for the cast, well the threesome of Jack Black, Tim Robbins and Pablo Schreiber works amazingly here in a dumb, sarcastic but dreamy funny way.
So Overall, the series really caught my attention in the those first two episode ,, it is a comedy based on fictional so i think people who say its full of Zionist propaganda should just chill out a bit and i do think it has a bit of "Veep" in it but i believe it is a good thing for the show, i mean who doesn't love Veep but now with a different story and different characters.
Can't believe they cancelled this
huebler-marcel711 August 2018
a Dr Strangelove type of thing with good cast but poor substance.
Dr_Sagan22 June 2015
"The Brink" is most certainly a political satire and not a comedy. The exaggeration and the ridicule is obvious from the start. But sadly not far from the truth...
It's about a fictional U.S. government which must deal with a foreign crisis. Its first season focuses on a crisis in Pakistan. The show was conceived that each season will follow a different crisis somewhere in the world with the same characters. (IF it gets a 2nd season that is!).
There are a few main characters. An alcoholic Secretary of State played by Tim Robbins, a lowly Foreign Service officer in Islamabad played by Jack Black and lots of other known comedic actors in various roles.
It is mildly funny because of these talents but if you go for the satire you might need a sharper bite. It seems like the creators went for some kind of Dr Strangelove type of thing, but fails short to deliver any real political messages.
Overall: Basically I would say "Meh!" but the cast is good so I will keep watching for now.
UPDATE (after watching the whole season): It gets better and 9th and 10th (season finale) episodes are GREAT! Highly Recommended!!
It's about a fictional U.S. government which must deal with a foreign crisis. Its first season focuses on a crisis in Pakistan. The show was conceived that each season will follow a different crisis somewhere in the world with the same characters. (IF it gets a 2nd season that is!).
There are a few main characters. An alcoholic Secretary of State played by Tim Robbins, a lowly Foreign Service officer in Islamabad played by Jack Black and lots of other known comedic actors in various roles.
It is mildly funny because of these talents but if you go for the satire you might need a sharper bite. It seems like the creators went for some kind of Dr Strangelove type of thing, but fails short to deliver any real political messages.
Overall: Basically I would say "Meh!" but the cast is good so I will keep watching for now.
UPDATE (after watching the whole season): It gets better and 9th and 10th (season finale) episodes are GREAT! Highly Recommended!!
25% Homeland 75% Veep
jbleezy22 June 2015
If your hoping for an awarding winning drama akin to Homeland-- you'll feel underwhelmed & unsatisfied.
However, if you enjoy Veep for it's witty dialogue & situational comedy then this show will surprise you with some quick laughs.
The first 10 minutes were a bit shaky.
From the beginning of the pilot; all I was trying to figure out was "how serious" this show was going to try to be...
Thankfully this show doesn't take itself TOO serious, which is the only reason its enjoyable.
I enjoy it for what it is, and what it could be...
I wrote this having only seen the pilot episode, so it's too early to determine anything.
I'll update after the season finale.
However, if you enjoy Veep for it's witty dialogue & situational comedy then this show will surprise you with some quick laughs.
The first 10 minutes were a bit shaky.
From the beginning of the pilot; all I was trying to figure out was "how serious" this show was going to try to be...
Thankfully this show doesn't take itself TOO serious, which is the only reason its enjoyable.
I enjoy it for what it is, and what it could be...
I wrote this having only seen the pilot episode, so it's too early to determine anything.
I'll update after the season finale.
I Love this Show! I'm very hopeful that the second season is announced before the World Blows Up!
bobbyneil127 July 2015
First, This is my kind of fun, Guilty Pleasure viewing. I see it as the West Wing meets Shameless... The impressive cast, somehow rises above some of their feature film work, and Tim Robbins is clearly having a great time.. And his character is who I've decided I want to be when I grow up. But, Props go to the entire ensemble.. The Teamwork Works.. Do not tune in if you are new too the show without starting with episode #1... I'm pleasantly addicted, and can't go to bed on Sunday Nights without seeing the new episode... If you don't get satire, my condolences... But this show is a ride, and most importantly it's pure entertainment. HBO does it again... It (the show) has left me with that "Please keep going thing"... More Killer less Filler. HBO More please?
Political lols
mozgers25 July 2015
Well it is probably because i studied international relations and politics at collage i find this show entertaining. Jack Black is one of my favorite musician so that was a bonus for me. Best part is all political dialogs are well written with lots of hidden information in them and people who are having this conversations are doing it in an informal way. Aside from pilot part all the political riff raff is lot of fun if you are interested in eastern politics. If you are not into that kind of stuff this show will probably bore you to death. I'm glad someone took politics down to a comedy level because people tend to get very tense about it. It is safe to say whole show is a parody of world politics. Fun to watch, Jack Black is Jack Black as always doing weird stuff and all. If you like all these above you are probably waiting for the next episode already
Disappointed!
desire-marketing124 June 2015
Oh I had a lot of hope for this Show. Clearly The producers and the writers of this Show never cared to visit Pakistan at least to do some research. Now I am not saying that Pakistan is some heaven on earth but this show made it look like I live in a Hell Hole. They hired all the Indian Actors to play Pakistani's . We don't Have Indian Accents!! They Showed people in Islamabad (the Capital city with all the embassy's etc) riding donkey carts and 3 wheeled Auto Rickshaws. People, Islamabad = No Donkey Carts. For Gods Sake there are more Ferrari's in Islamabad then there are regular cars. Again As i said I am not saying that Pakistan is the most advanced country in the world but they made it look like we live in Medieval times.
Now about the Acting Jack Black is great along with Mays Jackson but the whole Setting along with the script of the show kills it for me. I wouldn't waste my time if i were You.
Now about the Acting Jack Black is great along with Mays Jackson but the whole Setting along with the script of the show kills it for me. I wouldn't waste my time if i were You.
Shame on HBO for bowing to government pressure
johnklem17 August 2018
I always look forward to the next episode
fishdo19 August 2015
I ain't into production values or acting prowess etc... I just judge a programme or series on whether I enjoy it or not... the satire is an added bonus but understanding it all isn't necessary for enjoyment...and whether its biting enough makes no difference either ... to me anyway.. maybe that dumbing down as a satire as some mention is satirical in itself and more a reflection on the viewers themselves..
I am not sure how many episodes there are left now as I type and hopefully it will end as well as it has developed...
This is one series I do enjoy and at the end of each episode I always look forward to the next...
Overall its worth some investment of your time and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone...
I am not sure how many episodes there are left now as I type and hopefully it will end as well as it has developed...
This is one series I do enjoy and at the end of each episode I always look forward to the next...
Overall its worth some investment of your time and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone...
~~Show starts off strong and is funny in almost every scene, highly recommend~~
Shengalang14 August 2015
HBO's new show "The Brink" tells the story of the U.S. government and their attempts at foreign affair through dark comedy and satire. Without spoiling anything, the show brings you around the world as you follow characters like Alex Talbot (Jack Black), Walter Larson (Tim Robbins), and Zeke Tilson (Pablo Schreiber) through U.S. government and military scramble to prevent World War 3 from happening.
It's been a long time since I actually found a TV show this funny. The cast in this show are fantastic; Jack Black, Tim Robbins, and Pablo Schreiber really sell the show for me along with many other supporting actors. When I first saw Jack Black, I thought his performance was going to be over the top with crazy expressions and hand gestures, but I'm glad that he toned it down. Don't get me wrong, I love Jack Black. I just didn't think that his performance in Tenacious D was going to work in here. Compared to the movies he usually does, The Brink combines a serious, suspenseful, and playful tone at the same time.
In conclusion, the pacing in this movie is really good, this is not the type of show that has a lot of background story in character development. They are more concerned with the present and fast paced movie that gives you suspense and a good laugh. Overall, I'm really impressed with this show and I hope it goes on for many more seasons!
It's been a long time since I actually found a TV show this funny. The cast in this show are fantastic; Jack Black, Tim Robbins, and Pablo Schreiber really sell the show for me along with many other supporting actors. When I first saw Jack Black, I thought his performance was going to be over the top with crazy expressions and hand gestures, but I'm glad that he toned it down. Don't get me wrong, I love Jack Black. I just didn't think that his performance in Tenacious D was going to work in here. Compared to the movies he usually does, The Brink combines a serious, suspenseful, and playful tone at the same time.
In conclusion, the pacing in this movie is really good, this is not the type of show that has a lot of background story in character development. They are more concerned with the present and fast paced movie that gives you suspense and a good laugh. Overall, I'm really impressed with this show and I hope it goes on for many more seasons!
Seriously Fun
afamaral17 July 2015
It has been an exceedingly rare quality in people I have met in my more than half century of life who do not enjoy laughing. Whenever I have met someone incapable of freely indulging in one of the healthiest of human expressions, I have experienced a deep sympathy for whatever it is inside them that has been so badly broken. I believe most emotionally healthy people feel similarly about those poor souls who cannot for the life of them, allow their polished and fragile veneer become softened by levity. I believe the sheer volume of comedies produced throughout the world of entertainment television stands as a testament to this fundamental human need to cope with a world so seemingly beyond reason.
Every season it seems we are presented with a plethora of choices to placate this critical bone in our anatomical coping mechanism. Every season we find almost all but a few of these attempts at tickling our spirits fade away into forgotten obscurity. Given the sheer number of comedy shows network stations churn through on an annual basis, one can only imagine how high the number is which comprises the sum total of efforts at succeeding in this venture. It is stunning to realize upon reflection, just how few actually succeed beyond mere survival as a viable production spanning years of business success.
Upon surveying the landscape of comedic offerings throughout the decades, one cannot help but be stunned by the shockingly rare few which manage to transcend transiently entertaining humor which placates our humour needs beyond the duration of its production run and survives as legendary comedy for decades. This is not to say that there have not been successes which continue to find new audiences through the churning of rerun programming, only that few of the many offerings stand as a testament to comedy greatness that are celebrated long after the creators and cast members have departed our plane of existence.
Sure, there are many clever offerings which embed themselves within niche market demographics to live on in the hearts of those for whom that show finds appeal. There exist an exceedingly sparse number however which manage to combine enough of a range of comedic elements to surprise and delight audiences across demographic boundaries. A show like M.A.S.H. for example, is the sort of comedy masterpiece which manages to remain relevant and funny long after the issues and sensibilities of the day spawned its creation.
I believe The Brink has managed within only a few episodes to demonstrate a potential to achieve this stratospheric class of legendary status. It serves up a delectable mix of both intelligent insight into the issues of our day while treating them with the sort of timeless irreverence that pushes an audience beyond mere chuckles and into rip roaring laughter. It is a combination of a critique into the sorry state of today's global political environment and the sort of zaniness which stops short of being tirelessly repetitive slapstick.
The large cast of characters comprise many well known stars who have entertained us with both laughter and heart-wrenching drama for decades. Perhaps it is this mix which adds to the dimension offered by the show but it never lets us as an audience, to wallow in the gravity of a premise based upon a widely expected and feared ultimate conflict between nations. The Brink is about a series of events occurring across the globe in a semi-stable, semi-democratic nation taken over by a coup which sets off a chain of events to threaten our world with a global war. No topic could be more serious to us a species struggling to establish a global form of social stability than this fundamental fear we all share. Not once however, are we as an audience concerned with the sheer volume of acts of stupidity engaged in by the various characters as they face crisis after crisis; and many due to their own ineptitude, negligence, or sheer myopic vision. We simply shake our heads and speculate on how remarkably accurate some of the scenes might be in rendering what feels otherwise like plausible scenarios - at least in the sense that the events themselves are credible. The reactions of and interactions between characters however represent a form of lunacy which could not occur in the manner they do if these were real people facing real life situations and I believe this contrast between deadly seriousness and cartoonish behaviour is what lends itself to a concoction of humour rife with potential for years to come. In some ways, this blend reminds me of the early years of M.A.S.H's run and its subject matter certainly does lend itself toward introducing moments of poignant gravity which we have yet to experience, and which I believe if done properly, can establish this show as a socially transformative masterpiece in a similar way.
I am certainly not looking forward to being hammered with an object lesson in the penitent state of our global politics because I am enjoying the feeling of laughing out loud to a comedy in ways I rarely have an opportunity to do. I do note however, that an unrelenting diet of insanity can overwhelm the senses in a way which makes the experience of being an audience member one that can begin to feel repetitive. I think we are far from being in danger of this happening because the stage has only begun being set in these first few episodes while the raunchiness has been steadily increased in a measured manner to leave much room at the top of the dial before breaking the red line into the danger zone of ridiculous.
Of all the comedic offerings I have seen and enjoy, this is the only one to grab my attention on the day of its release and leaves me panting for more.
Every season it seems we are presented with a plethora of choices to placate this critical bone in our anatomical coping mechanism. Every season we find almost all but a few of these attempts at tickling our spirits fade away into forgotten obscurity. Given the sheer number of comedy shows network stations churn through on an annual basis, one can only imagine how high the number is which comprises the sum total of efforts at succeeding in this venture. It is stunning to realize upon reflection, just how few actually succeed beyond mere survival as a viable production spanning years of business success.
Upon surveying the landscape of comedic offerings throughout the decades, one cannot help but be stunned by the shockingly rare few which manage to transcend transiently entertaining humor which placates our humour needs beyond the duration of its production run and survives as legendary comedy for decades. This is not to say that there have not been successes which continue to find new audiences through the churning of rerun programming, only that few of the many offerings stand as a testament to comedy greatness that are celebrated long after the creators and cast members have departed our plane of existence.
Sure, there are many clever offerings which embed themselves within niche market demographics to live on in the hearts of those for whom that show finds appeal. There exist an exceedingly sparse number however which manage to combine enough of a range of comedic elements to surprise and delight audiences across demographic boundaries. A show like M.A.S.H. for example, is the sort of comedy masterpiece which manages to remain relevant and funny long after the issues and sensibilities of the day spawned its creation.
I believe The Brink has managed within only a few episodes to demonstrate a potential to achieve this stratospheric class of legendary status. It serves up a delectable mix of both intelligent insight into the issues of our day while treating them with the sort of timeless irreverence that pushes an audience beyond mere chuckles and into rip roaring laughter. It is a combination of a critique into the sorry state of today's global political environment and the sort of zaniness which stops short of being tirelessly repetitive slapstick.
The large cast of characters comprise many well known stars who have entertained us with both laughter and heart-wrenching drama for decades. Perhaps it is this mix which adds to the dimension offered by the show but it never lets us as an audience, to wallow in the gravity of a premise based upon a widely expected and feared ultimate conflict between nations. The Brink is about a series of events occurring across the globe in a semi-stable, semi-democratic nation taken over by a coup which sets off a chain of events to threaten our world with a global war. No topic could be more serious to us a species struggling to establish a global form of social stability than this fundamental fear we all share. Not once however, are we as an audience concerned with the sheer volume of acts of stupidity engaged in by the various characters as they face crisis after crisis; and many due to their own ineptitude, negligence, or sheer myopic vision. We simply shake our heads and speculate on how remarkably accurate some of the scenes might be in rendering what feels otherwise like plausible scenarios - at least in the sense that the events themselves are credible. The reactions of and interactions between characters however represent a form of lunacy which could not occur in the manner they do if these were real people facing real life situations and I believe this contrast between deadly seriousness and cartoonish behaviour is what lends itself to a concoction of humour rife with potential for years to come. In some ways, this blend reminds me of the early years of M.A.S.H's run and its subject matter certainly does lend itself toward introducing moments of poignant gravity which we have yet to experience, and which I believe if done properly, can establish this show as a socially transformative masterpiece in a similar way.
I am certainly not looking forward to being hammered with an object lesson in the penitent state of our global politics because I am enjoying the feeling of laughing out loud to a comedy in ways I rarely have an opportunity to do. I do note however, that an unrelenting diet of insanity can overwhelm the senses in a way which makes the experience of being an audience member one that can begin to feel repetitive. I think we are far from being in danger of this happening because the stage has only begun being set in these first few episodes while the raunchiness has been steadily increased in a measured manner to leave much room at the top of the dial before breaking the red line into the danger zone of ridiculous.
Of all the comedic offerings I have seen and enjoy, this is the only one to grab my attention on the day of its release and leaves me panting for more.
A Capable Satire of Current Events
mattpope38430 June 2015
The Brink shows promise as a capable satire of current American foreign policy.
The HBO dark-comedy seems to aspire to the tradition of other TV shows and films that used dark humor to explore national angst, such as the early seasons of M*A*S*H* (and the Robert Altman movie that inspired it) that spoke to America's ambivalence about our Cold War interventions in Eastern Asia. And of course The Brink has already been compared many times to Dr. Strangelove.
The Situation Room scenes capture a "seat-of-the-pants" approach to a major foreign crisis that is probably more authentic than many of us would care to believe. There is no rule book for the President to follow, only the gladiatorial combat of Cabinet secretary egos.
The three principle characters are a hard-drinking Secretary of State with a penchant for call-girls played by Tim Robbins, a middling foreign service officer at the American Embassy in Pakistan played by Jack Black who devotes more time to scoring weed and hitting on female colleagues in the international diplomatic corps than he does to the clean water projects he is ostensibly there to work on, and a U.S. Navy fighter pilot played by Pablo Schreiber, who is up to his neck in personal and financial problems and who supplements his income by selling (and sampling) prescription drugs supplied by his pharmacist ex-wife.
As an editorial: the Schreiber character, Lt. Zeke Tilson, requires the greatest suspension of disbelief. For pretty much the exact reasons depicted in the show, the Navy has many layers of regular fitness evaluations, flight physicals and random drug screenings to make sure a screw-up like Tilson would never get near the cockpit of a $30 million F/A-18 fighter-bomber.
Robbins admirably walks a fine-line between affability and smugness. For all his character's excesses, his Secretary of State Walter Larsen is developing as someone fiercely committed to peace and diplomacy and keeping bloodshed from spiraling out of control.
Jack Black is good in these darker roles and he infuses what could easily be a one-note character with a compelling sense of appreciation for the gravity of events he suddenly finds himself in.
The show is rounded out by an excellent supporting cast who all shine in their secondary roles. Esai Morales is convincing as a chief executive who has to think about what seems presidential while trying not to let on that he feels in over his head. Maribeth Monroe is excellent as Larsen's chief assistant and confidant who knows that if she can manage her bosses many human failings, he may actually be able to do some good in the world, and some of the show's best comedic lines have been delivered by Eric Ladin's Glenn "Jammer" Taylor- who rides shotgun as Tilson's naval flight officer- stoned out of his gourde on morphine while his finger is literally on a trigger that could start World War III.
Aasif Mandvi is fantastic as Jack Black's embassy driver and local connection. His character Rafiq is a great stand-in for young moderates throughout Central Asia who hope to see their nations move towards modernity and who often feel trapped between the volatility in the own country's leadership and their suspicions about feckless interference from the West.
So far The Brink has delivered some good laughs, but not as consistently as the similarly satirical Veep. The cast is all very good and their chemistry seems to be gelling.
While The Brink won't achieve the iconic status of a M*A*S*H* or Dr. Strangelove, it may one day be a program we can look back on and get a good sense of the angst and uncertainty of a time when drone-strikes, the toxic mix of nuclear weapons and religious zealotry, and America confronting the limits of its military "solutions" was front-and-center on the minds of those who set policy, those who carry out policy and those who have to live with those policies.
The HBO dark-comedy seems to aspire to the tradition of other TV shows and films that used dark humor to explore national angst, such as the early seasons of M*A*S*H* (and the Robert Altman movie that inspired it) that spoke to America's ambivalence about our Cold War interventions in Eastern Asia. And of course The Brink has already been compared many times to Dr. Strangelove.
The Situation Room scenes capture a "seat-of-the-pants" approach to a major foreign crisis that is probably more authentic than many of us would care to believe. There is no rule book for the President to follow, only the gladiatorial combat of Cabinet secretary egos.
The three principle characters are a hard-drinking Secretary of State with a penchant for call-girls played by Tim Robbins, a middling foreign service officer at the American Embassy in Pakistan played by Jack Black who devotes more time to scoring weed and hitting on female colleagues in the international diplomatic corps than he does to the clean water projects he is ostensibly there to work on, and a U.S. Navy fighter pilot played by Pablo Schreiber, who is up to his neck in personal and financial problems and who supplements his income by selling (and sampling) prescription drugs supplied by his pharmacist ex-wife.
As an editorial: the Schreiber character, Lt. Zeke Tilson, requires the greatest suspension of disbelief. For pretty much the exact reasons depicted in the show, the Navy has many layers of regular fitness evaluations, flight physicals and random drug screenings to make sure a screw-up like Tilson would never get near the cockpit of a $30 million F/A-18 fighter-bomber.
Robbins admirably walks a fine-line between affability and smugness. For all his character's excesses, his Secretary of State Walter Larsen is developing as someone fiercely committed to peace and diplomacy and keeping bloodshed from spiraling out of control.
Jack Black is good in these darker roles and he infuses what could easily be a one-note character with a compelling sense of appreciation for the gravity of events he suddenly finds himself in.
The show is rounded out by an excellent supporting cast who all shine in their secondary roles. Esai Morales is convincing as a chief executive who has to think about what seems presidential while trying not to let on that he feels in over his head. Maribeth Monroe is excellent as Larsen's chief assistant and confidant who knows that if she can manage her bosses many human failings, he may actually be able to do some good in the world, and some of the show's best comedic lines have been delivered by Eric Ladin's Glenn "Jammer" Taylor- who rides shotgun as Tilson's naval flight officer- stoned out of his gourde on morphine while his finger is literally on a trigger that could start World War III.
Aasif Mandvi is fantastic as Jack Black's embassy driver and local connection. His character Rafiq is a great stand-in for young moderates throughout Central Asia who hope to see their nations move towards modernity and who often feel trapped between the volatility in the own country's leadership and their suspicions about feckless interference from the West.
So far The Brink has delivered some good laughs, but not as consistently as the similarly satirical Veep. The cast is all very good and their chemistry seems to be gelling.
While The Brink won't achieve the iconic status of a M*A*S*H* or Dr. Strangelove, it may one day be a program we can look back on and get a good sense of the angst and uncertainty of a time when drone-strikes, the toxic mix of nuclear weapons and religious zealotry, and America confronting the limits of its military "solutions" was front-and-center on the minds of those who set policy, those who carry out policy and those who have to live with those policies.
Hilarous
bajaj-sahil5 May 2018
Very Funny, But Wildly Out of Balance
fdbjr30 August 2015
The Brink is seriously funny, and I enjoy it quite a bit.
But, gee! Every Leftish cliché in the book . . . Reagan negotiated with Iran for hostage delay . . . the US created Osama Bin Laden by supporting him in the 80's . . . the West always resolves problems by installing 'friendly'dictators who turn against us . . . a little balance would be nice.
(Reagan didn't negotiate with Iran. The US backed the mujahideen in the 80's for the same reason it backed Stalin against Hitler - lesser evil, dontcha know? The totalitarian states in the MidEast are as much hostile to the West as friendly. And the problems in Iraq and Syria began when the West lost interest in the region - in 2011, the scenario was actually rather rosy).
Still, it's a very funny show.
But, gee! Every Leftish cliché in the book . . . Reagan negotiated with Iran for hostage delay . . . the US created Osama Bin Laden by supporting him in the 80's . . . the West always resolves problems by installing 'friendly'dictators who turn against us . . . a little balance would be nice.
(Reagan didn't negotiate with Iran. The US backed the mujahideen in the 80's for the same reason it backed Stalin against Hitler - lesser evil, dontcha know? The totalitarian states in the MidEast are as much hostile to the West as friendly. And the problems in Iraq and Syria began when the West lost interest in the region - in 2011, the scenario was actually rather rosy).
Still, it's a very funny show.
Pretty Funny So Far...
MovieHoliks2 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched the first couple episodes of this new original series off HBO GO last night, and I thought it was pretty amusing. Jack Black and Tim Robbins star in this show about top U.S. government and military officials who scramble to prevent World War III from happening amidst the chaos of a geopolitical crisis- *possible SPOILER*- basically the pilot of a bomber plane accidentally gets drugged up out of his mind! LOL. Jack Black is playing a mix of somewhere between George Stephanopoulos and Karl Rove! And Robbins seems to be playing a mix of a sex maniac Clinton, and oh, well, just about any one of the Kennedys-?? LOL Esai Morales co-stars as the President.
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Please check out all my reviews, plus lots of good interaction and group discussion about anything/everything movies/TV/entertainment at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/movie.holiks/
Email us at:
movie.holiks@groups.facebook.com
And don't settle for second best!- lots of copy-cat and imitation groups out there, but "the REAL movie-holiks" is THEE original one!
Funny and intelligent. Tim Robbins is great.
craigosenior28 January 2019
Good enough
angelorwez16 August 2022
This show is not bad...not bad at all...the comedy is decent the acting is good...the story is okay...
from the first minutes it completely immerses you into this world...you become invested pretty quick...
it has flaws...with the plot mostly...but i feel like if you don't expect too much...it's a good watch.
from the first minutes it completely immerses you into this world...you become invested pretty quick...
it has flaws...with the plot mostly...but i feel like if you don't expect too much...it's a good watch.
Poor poor show full of Zionist propaganda
Cefur2323 June 2015
Watched the first episode and i was amazed how much it was influenced by Israeli lobby, American president was reporting to Israeli prime minister and the American president seem scared of Israeli prime minister while it shows really bad image of American politics and American Army.
Pakistan has one of the best army in the world and they are nuclear, this show made it seem like its Iraq or Syria which clearly shows a poor knowledge of the region and subject.
American army couldn't even defeat Taliban do you think they can Handle Pakistani nuclear Army?
Poor show with poor political knowledge on the subject and very pro Israeli show... Two thumbs down.
Pakistan has one of the best army in the world and they are nuclear, this show made it seem like its Iraq or Syria which clearly shows a poor knowledge of the region and subject.
American army couldn't even defeat Taliban do you think they can Handle Pakistani nuclear Army?
Poor show with poor political knowledge on the subject and very pro Israeli show... Two thumbs down.
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