The Riches - A Review

Tonight was the premiere of FX' new drama, The Riches, starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver. It came with limited commercial interruptions, thanks to IFC's Grindhouse which premieres April 6^th (I talked about it a month or so back), and was followed by a special Making of event on those flicks.

Izzard and Driver are a larcenous married couple with three kids. Driver's character has been in prison for the last two years, while Izzard and the kids traveled around, ripping folks off. While trying to outrun some folks they double-crossed, they cause another car to run off the road, killing the occupants. The enterprising family then takes their place -- assuming their identities, moving into their house, taking over their lives.

Izzard and Drivers' performances are brilliant, even though Izzard's American accent is flawed and his natural British brogue comes through from time to time. All of the performances in this show are pretty magnificent, in fact -- it's one of its major strengths.

The writing is crisp and interesting, even if it tends toward the incredulous and goes over the top more often than necessary. I found the whole "hillbilly mafia" routine a turn-off, in particular -- silly and just... pointless. I understand the angle and appreciate it and definitely think it makes for a better story, but why did they have to be such rednecks? Driver could still be Southern and have a mob-type family, but the wifebeaters and constant incest jokes are a bit stupid. 

And no, I'm not just saying this because I'm Southern; it's just so over-the-top and the characters are so stereotyped that it doesn't make sense. They seem to be incredibly stupid criminal masterminds -- a concept which is not exactly implausible, just... well, one of the rules of writing is that "real life" just doesn't play well in fiction.

At any rate, the premise, acting, writing, and possibilities combine to make this a really fine show and definitely on my regular weekly TV viewing schedule now.