LeonardOsborneKael Review of Entourage

Entourage (2004–2011)

Way beyond BRILLIANT - as good as it gets in modern entertainment

[10/10 · 8 April 2011]

This show sets the bar so high there may never be another production, film or TV, to match it. They could have easily gone for a fine one-hour drama with this much delicious content - but instead they maxxed-out the impact by compressing a stunning array of great scenes into a completely dazzling half hour. Everything here is top-of-the-line: writing, directing, casting, acting, sets, cinematography, sound, editing, music - it is a tour de force of excellence. And there is not a single performance in this entire series that does not rate AT LEAST an A+. Some of the character work is in the stratosphere. Debi Mazar is outstanding as Shauna Roberts, the brassy go-getter publicity agent who every now-and-then reveals a touching vulnerability just below the surface. Often she's held to only a few seconds of screen time yet accomplishes everything necessary to etch a great character on your memory forever. Constance Zimmer conjures up the very soul of Dana Gordon (the earthy, "climb up the career ladder whatever way you can" studio exec) - she is so seamlessly perfect you literally cannot believe she is an actress! Jeremy Piven as the complicated, ass-kicking, no-holds-barred, turn-on-a-dime, win-at-all-costs, beat-the-odds alpha-male agent is 100% IN THE ZONE! I have never seen a performance outside a Shakespearean theatre that matches this in virtuosity. Every molecule - every atom of Piven's being resonates to Ari's larger than life character! Thinking of coming to L.A. to work in the glittering world of the Hollywood entertainment biz? It may be cranked up a notch or two, but this IS the Hollywood of today. Are you ready for the blissful highs and devastating lows? The duplicity, the betrayals, the moments of self-confrontation, the unpredictability, the irrationality, the insane risks, the amazing rewards, the fragility and fleeting nature of success? This is the way it is for the young people who come to scale the heights - or be gutted by the merciless system. As a new actor in town, you should be so lucky as to draw the attention of lovable scumbag Ari Gold!!! All the characters in this show are as real as you will ever see anywhere. You could spend an afternoon on the Sunset Strip any day of the week and come up with multiples of ALL OF THEM. There has never been a better series on television.