Jeri Jacquin
Coming to DVD from HBO Home Entertainment is another highly
successful series from HBO about Barry.
Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) is a hit man who is making ends
meet living in the midwest. Working for Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root), he is
sent to Los Angeles
for his next hit. Meeting with Chechen mobster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan),
Barry discovers who the next mark is, an actor named Ryan.
Following the hit, Barry finds himself walking in on the
middle of an acting class. He is mesmerized by what he is seeing, especially
with Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg) center stage doing an intense scene. Teacher
Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) wants the best out of his students and is
equally intense. Barry is taken in and Gene announces he must do a monologue if
he wants to stay in class.
Determined to finish the hit-job, he isn’t to happen when he
discovers that someone else got to the target first – the Chechens. They aren’t
through with Barry or Fuches kidnapping them and pulling a little torture to
get another hit out of the hit-man. Meantime, Gene announces to the class that
Ryan is dead and the distraught class plans a service. Barry freaks out at the
funeral and Sally is a little unnerved that he won’t sleep with her.
Barry gets his next order from NoHo but has to bide his time
but there is a twists coming for them both. The police question the students in
Gene’s class while Barry helps Sally prepare for an audition for a show she
really wants. When he gets the chance to take out NoHo’s target but instead
Sally calls begging for him to come see her when the audition doesn’t go as
planned.
Fuches is still getting work and tells Barry his next hit
has Bolivian ties and he isn’t happy about it. Barry is, however, falling for
Sally and wants to help her all he can. He also sees a future with the lovely
blonde but doesn’t really have the disposition to deal with anyone cutting in
on the action. Of course the first step of letting Sally know should have been
a hint for him when she gets angry at his claim on her.
The police are still on the case and come back to talk to
the acting students and they are interested in Barry but he has an alibi. In
return Fuches tells Barry that he has to take out his Marine buddy Taylor (Dave
Pavinski). Making the hit together it is clear that Taylor does most of the work and he rats on
Barry to Fuches about it all.
The Bolivian drug lord is to arrive in the desert where
Barry and Fuches keep watch and the boss still wants Taylor gone. Barry would rather Taylor take
over his job so he can go back to acting class and a new life only later to
discovers a stash of money in his backpack put there by his ‘good’ buddy. Going
back to the airfield, the men discover an ambush and only Barry and Chris
(Chris Lucado) make it out alive. That’s not going to stop Barry from going to
the Shakespeare rehearsal but is in such a state that he is about to hear it
all from Gene.
Gene has a houseguest as Detective Moss (Paula Newsome)
knows that they could both be in trouble if anyone finds out. Moss believes
that Barry is her suspect but she can’t prove it. The Chechens and drug lord
Cristobal Sifuentes (Michael Irby) says he will gladly share the money but you
know there is no honor among thieves. Barry prepares to deliver an emotional
performance at Shakespeare night and all because he did the one thing he didn’t
want to do.
Barry wants out but Fuches isn’t about to let that happen
without a fight – literally. That means a little bit of a war between employer
and employee as Fuches puts it out that Barry needs to go. NoHo puts a dent in
Fuches’ plan because he wants to become bigger in the dangerous world he lives
in.
Now that the police aren’t looking at Barry, he feels great
about acting class and his relationship with Sally. Gene decides to have a
couples weekend and brings Det. Moss, Sally and Barry out to his home in the
country. It doesn’t take long before the cop in Moss comes out and she begins
to piece together who Barry is. Trying to stop her from continuing on with her
suspicions, Barry has to again do the one thing he is trying to get away form.
Hader as Barry gives a performance that is so different from
what most of us are use to seeing. Known for his comedy, this is a darker side
to his acting career and I love it. As the killer Barry he has no problem
drawing his weapon with a cold steel look but on the flip side, Hader’s
portrayal of this character has moments of simplicity, a gentleness and the
want of a life he can only imagine. He takes everything in and with this new
life isn’t sure how to work it all out and Hader gives us every emotion that
goes along with that.
Goldberg as Sally is a woman who wants an acting career so
badly that she is forced to reach deep
inside to prove it to everyone. Her friendship with Barry is sweet and fun but
she is confused as to why he doesn’t make a move while at the same time
professing that it’s not a good idea for him to make a move. She supports Barry
to come to class and leans on him when her auditions don’t pan out. Goldberg
rides this role with ease.
Root as Fuches is the poor-man-hit-man’s boss and he just
cracks me up. I’m sure I’m supposed to take him somewhat serious but I have a
hard time doing that. What I do know is that he certainly uses Barry and sees
everyone as a way to make money. Root is such an amazing actor and this role
shows why. Carrigan as NoHo wants to be the king of everything and, like
Fuches, will do whatever it takes and take out who ever it takes to make that
happen. Another character who cracks me up!
Winkler as Gene is a joy to watch every moment he shows up
on screen. As Gene he is overblown, over exaggerated and over the top as the
acting coach that his class seems to need. Seeing something special in Sally,
Gene reaches her in the deep recesses of her insecurities and brings out the
best. His relationship with a cop makes things a little tense, especially for
Barry. I am thrilled Winkler has a role like this where he can go all out and
I’m all in!
Other cast include Gleen Fleshler as Goran Pazar, Darrell
Britt-Gibson as Jermaine, Andy Carey as Eric, Rightor Doyle as Nick, D’Arcy
Carden as Natalie, Mark Ivanir as Vacha, Marcus Brown as Vaughn and Nicholas
Johnny as Theo.
HBO Home Entertainment has an extensive array of
critically-acclaimed and groundbreaking programs found on Bluray, DVD and
Digital HD. They have provided viewers with some of the most amazing programs
with huge fan bases that include the shows
True
Blood, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, True Detectives, The Wire, Entourage and
Game of Thrones. Launched in 1984, HBO
is world wide in viewed entertainment in more than 70 territories around the
world! For more of what they have to offer please visit
www.hbo.com.
The DVD includes the episodes Chapter One: Make Your Mark, Chapter Two: Use It, Chapter Three: Make
the Unsafe Choice, Chapter Four: Commit…To You, Chapter Five: Do Your Job,
Chapter Six: Listen With Your Ears React With Your Face, Chapter Seven: Loud
Fast and Keep Going, and Chapter
Eight: Know Your Truth.
Barry was created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader and has won
two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for
Bill Hader and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Henry
Winkler. Both well deserved and, if that isn’t enough, BARRY has been green lit
for a second season.
I truly enjoyed this series because it is so different,
unexpectedly twisted, funny, and never lets Barry take a moment off. Watching
Hader take this character through all the hoops to get away from his profession
is filled with pitfalls and emotional pratfalls.
The cast is exceptional together and make it look so smooth
with all the twists and who wants who rubbed out. Watching Barry transition
into what he thinks is a normal life, what better way than trade the drama of a
hit man to the drama that can be found on stage and screen. His fellow students
have their own drama to bring to the table so musical chairs of it all is the
best of the series BARRY.
In the end – he is a hit man searching for some direction!
