Um Cavalheiro Em Moscou

I really enjoyed the first episode, and look forward to the next.

Here's the deal: if you don't know the book, and you're looking for action, this won't be the show for you.

If you do know the book, you'll likely love it.

If, however, you don't know the book, and you enjoy a slow burn with great acting, you may be in luck.

Taking place shortly after the revolution, the plot revolves around the life of one of the last aristocrats of Russia. He's been imprisoned for life in a hotel, if he ever leaves, he'll be killed on the spot. Ejected out of his posh suites, he's forced to live in old servants quarters in the attic.

Episode one shows us a glimpse of his past, and gives us a sampling of his character. The Red Guard are everywhere, and have filled some of the hotel positions with spies, looking for traitors. Anyone deemed a threat is taken out of view and summarily executed by a bullet to the head.

It's a nice balance of whimsy and darkness, with a creature of politics and privilege navigating the murky waters of a revolution in progress. Will he survive? Will he be able to use his connections and intelligence to escape?

For myself, I can't wait to see where the story leads....

This is a well-written and well-acted series. It's nice when a show or movie does not have to depend on special effects and action to be good.

As others have mentioned, I just have trouble believing some of the casting. It's bad enough that most of the actors have English accents. Having more Russian actors, or at least actors that look and sound Russian would have been preferable.

The most unbelievable aspect of the casting is the number of actors of African descent. I have a hard time believing there were that many (if any) people of African origin in Moscow at that time, and I'm sure none that would hold a position like Minister of Culture. Very unbelievable. I know when I visited Russia (including Moscow) around the year 2000, the only African people I saw were young, male African exchange students going to a university, and I saw less in all my travels around Russian than I see in one episode of this TV series.

Not read the book, so based on the drama alone. Very enjoyable yarn with an unusual plot. Generally well cast and well acted. McGregor is excellent and carries the Count's breeding, eruditeness and whimsy well. The supporting cast also work well. I love Johnny Harris's performance - his Osip is scary. I don't mind the varied accents (I don't want cod Russian accents). Unfortunately, I cannot get over the (African) elephant in the room. The black actors are good actors and their performances are good, and in any modern or unspecified setting i am happy with "colour blind" casting. But, even though the story is fiction, it is a historical drama and so has a "mise en place" - it must reflect the historical setting and have some realism (a black minister of culture in 1930's Soviet Union?).

I loved this series, especially Ewan McGregor is as excellent as always & so was the actor who played his captor. The set was magnificent!!!

My only complaint for a beautifully written and Art Directed series is the utterly ridiculous and insensitive "diversity " casting. What an insult to all Russians that their culture is trivialised by casting people of all different ethnicities in roles that are historically completely incorrect. Millions died in this revolution and each culture deserves the respect by movies and TV to not smother it in silly PC characters. Would they remake ROOTS with an Asian cast? No, because that would be an insult to that culture. It's also so distracting as you cannot suspend your disbelief when the clang of the casting smothers every scene.

I LOVED the book LOVED IT . I have anxiously waited for the adaptation .

1) DEAR PRODUCERS ... stop rewriting history !! The Black actors were great ! BUT there were basically no black in the Soviet Union then and now . This drives me CRAZY. Something campy like Bridgerton, I could ok , let it go . BUT not in a serious show where the HISTORY is central to the plot .

2) I was not expecting Ewan McGregor as Rostov. I am DELIGHTED by his performance. I think he did FANTASTIC .

3)The directing and cinema photography was sublime.

4) The actor that plays the evil commie hotel manager did a wonderful job .. I have pure hatred for him.

I gave this 8/10 because of color blind casting. I would have done less except everything else was superb .