42/46
Here’s my problem… The lighting stinks
The film adaptation of James Patterson’s series of novels about the complex and brilliant detective Alex Cross. Hodge is the third actor to portray Cross, following in the footsteps of Morgan Freeman, who first played him on screen in 1997’s Kiss the Girls and again in the 2001 sequel Along Came a Spider; and Tyler Perry as the title character in 2012’s Alex Cross, which bombed at the box office and prompted Lionsgate to scrap its previously planned sequel Double Cross. I started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. His performance as the “hacker”; Hardison was brilliant, and I totally buy into his performance as Alex Cross. The writing is strong, the performances are great throughout, and the direction and editing are top-notch.
Three scenes in particular stand out
I don’t know anyone who lives every moment of their life in such darkness. I’m only 40 minutes into the first episode, but I’m already struggling to make out the details of many of the scenes. First, there was the cocktail lounge. I don’t go to cocktail bars or pubs myself, but even the darkest restaurant I’ve ever been to had enough light to see the faces of the other people at the table. Second, there was the bad guy’s lair.
This is a family and friends gathering
Would anyone working with detailed plans and designs really do it in such dim lighting? Of course, a perfectionist would want to be able to see everything they’re doing clearly. Third, it’s the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This isn’t a romantic dinner for two. The entire house is dark—the hallway, the living room, and the dining room.
Why is it so dark?
Also, every room in a police building is dark. Wouldn’t a forensic scientist have a very well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to set a mood, I’m more focused on the visuals than the plot and the dialogue. That’s a choice that a lot of shows have made in recent years. You know, anyone with low vision simply wouldn’t be able to watch it.
My dad certainly couldn’t
That being said, I could be wrong about the darkness. I stopped watching “How I Met Your Father” on another streaming service because it was also so dark that it wasn’t enjoyable. A little digging online revealed that the problem was with the service, not the show. When the show was streaming on the network, the lighting was great.
