Dirty, Sexy, Money – The Complete First Season (ABC DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Episodes: B-
Without
sounding cliché, the series is dirty, it is sexy, and all about money. Apparently there has been a recent trend for
television series to delve into the convoluted lives of the “All American
Family.” Now what varies is what “All
American” means.
The
Darlings are a family of New York billionaires who seem to come with more
psychological and physical baggage than any one family could ever hold; but I
guess that is what doormen are for. The
series kicks off when Nick George, a mild mannered and seemingly honest lawyer,
finally thinks he is rid of the Darling family forever. You see, Nick’s father was the Darling family
lawyer for years and Nick had to unevenly share his father with them as he ran
to their every beck and call. Nick grew
to resent the family and their eccentric lifestyle with every once of his
being; and it would take his father’s death to be rid of them. It is when the head of the Darling family,
Tripp (Donald Sutherland), makes Nick an offer he can’t refuse that he gets
sucked right back into the life that he thought he had buried with his
father. Against his better judgment, Nick
now must deal with each of the Darlings to the bitter end. The family is composed of the matriarch
Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) and many other troubled children; including Patrick
(William Baldwin), Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), Jeremy (Seth Gabel), Karen (Natalie
Zea), and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong).
The world
of Dirty, Sexy, Money is
fantastically outlandish, the pilot reminding this reviewer of a family similar
to that of the Bluths on the now classic series Arrested Development. The
series starts off funny, with a taste of drama that makes the series feel very
promising. After the pilot there are
elements that work and others that don’t, but overall the series can be called
interesting. Much of the time the drama
element of the series is overdone and sets up many chaotic relationships that
are not very interesting. It is the
eccentric, yet funny behavior of the family, however, that keeps the series
lively. With the actors taking charge
the series moves along in an interesting and entertaining way, each episode
holding something new for the viewer to enjoy and be shocked by. Between the skills of Sutherland and William
Baldwin Dirty, Sexy, Money creates a
balance between a comedic charade and a drama with a twist. The richest family in America needs help
staying out of jail, the headlines, and trouble; but that doesn’t mean they
don’t enjoy parading their filthy money or behavior.
The
technical features on the First Season of
Dirty, Sexy, Money are not
fantastic, but like most series released on DVD recently they are adequate and
get the job done. The picture is
presented in a 1.78 X 1 Widescreen that has a clean and crisp image with colors
that are as vibrant as the personalities on the series and blacks that are as
deep as the troubles that they get themselves into. The sound quality is adequate as it mostly
comes from the front (heavy on dialogue) in its Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
track and uses a good music sound track that highlights many of the scenes on
this up and coming series.
The extra
features are nothing fantastic, but include such special tid-bits as a
featurette on the mind and talent behind Dirty,
Sexy, Money, a On-the-Set Tour, a look into the series lavish costumes
featurette, Bloopers, Audio Commentaries, Deleted Scenes, and a featurette
entitled Candis Cayne: The Other Woman (you have to see the series to
understand). The extras are good
overall, but far from the best money can buy.
Don’t let
the name fool you…there is nothing Darling about these people…
- Michael P. Dougherty II
