Wise Guy Review – Entertaining Behind The Scenes Look at The Sopranos, A Must See

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Saturday, 07 September 2024 11:43

Written by Janet Walker

Wise Guy, an HBO Original documentary, presents a retrospective on David Chase's "The Sopranos," which was born before cable was considered cool, and the idea of changing the programming format with a scripted mob story was ludicrous.

For many this trip down memory lane, 25 years after the show first debuted, along with clips from the show's most pivotal and shocking moments, along with commentary from the cast, is like reliving some of the best days, and some of the worst days.

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On a replica set of Dr. Melfi's psychiatrist's office, Gibney flips the script on David Chase, excavating and analyzing the origins of "The Sopranos," his creative process, and the intimate connections between his own life and many of his characters.

Joined by show writers, producers, executives, and actors, including Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, and Michael Imperioli, the documentary offers insight and inspiration along with a stunning array of clips from the show, early audition videos from many of the cast members, and behind-the-scenes footage to take the viewer into the vibrant "Sopranos" world.

David Chase explains much of the story ideas were from his own upbringing in an Italian American family in north New Jersey, with a complicated mother and a fascination with cinema. Chase details his path into Hollywood, where he wrote for a multitude of television shows, and his relationship with HBO as he pitched and developed his anti-hero mobster Tony Soprano.

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With candor and self-reflection, Chase digs into the challenges of running a successful show, the inevitable "deaths" of some of the show's favorite characters, and his creative working relationship with the late James Gandolfini.

David Chase takes viewers into the writers' room, from the inspirational pilot to the controversial final episode, demonstrating how a show about a multi-layered mob boss became a cultural milestone, a beloved fan-favorite, and a revolutionary television sensation. 

The documentary also ventures into the dark areas, not only the rape of Dr. Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco, and the murders, which we find were necessary each season, as it is a mob show. We also see how the show's popularity effected the star, James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano. Throughout we see footage explaining his process, and what he did to reach those moments, and how stardom has a dark side.

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Chase also explains his process, and as there are many hopefuls believing and looking for guidance, the morsels that he presents in his process of creating a season storyline, the effort of managing the writer's room, the set, casting and his responsibilities, were gold.

Having never watched any of the original "The Sopranos" series, I could see why the rise of other organized crime films became popular, which "The Sopranos" may not have been the forerunner of the genre, but they certainly changed cable television and provide that pushing the envelope on a primetime cable network, didn't mean a sure death, but a season renewal.

The documentary airs in two parts, both episodes debut on Saturday, September 7, 2024.

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Below are the episode descriptions.

PART ONE (8:00pm – 9:15 p.m. ET/PT)
David Chase recounts his early life in New Jersey, his fascination with filmmaking, and his break into television writing in Los Angeles. After a successful career as a network TV writer, Chase decides to write something personal about his mother.  That becomes "The Sopranos," a feature film about a mobster whose mother plots to kill him. Rejected by the major networks, Chase finds success at HBO for his pilot about a mobster suffering mental breakdowns and starts the casting process for "The Sopranos" as a series. Lorraine Bracco is the biggest name to join as Dr. Melfi and Chase casts the untested musician Steven Van Zandt in a pivotal role. With James Gandolfini and Edie Falco in place, the series films on location in New Jersey, and the unconventional show becomes a water-cooler sensation, despite having an anti-hero as the lead character.

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PART TWO (9:20pm – 10:45 p.m. ET/PT)
Chase discusses the challenges of mapping out 13-episode arcs and balancing the darkness of the comedy with the drama of the subject matter. At the same time, he and other writers admit to drawing on personal experiences to inform the characters. The cast shares their memories of the late James Gandolfini, his generosity and genius, and how he struggled with being in the spotlight. Chase talks about the enduring love for Tony Soprano's character and the show's circularity from the first episode leading up to the controversial finale.

Country: US.

Language: English.

Director: Alex Gibney

Producer: Ophelia Harutyunyan, Alex Gibney.

Executive Producer: Nicole Lambert, Richard Perello, and Stacey Offman, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez.

Featured Participants: David Chase, "The Sopranos" creator, Robin Green, "The Sopranos" writer and producer, Chris Albrecht, former chairman and CEO of HBO, Carolyn Strauss, former president of HBO Entertainment, Alik Sakharov, director of photography, Terence Winter, "The Sopranos" writer and producer, Frank Renzulli, "The Sopranos" writer and producer, actor and writer Michael Imperioli, and actors Drea de Matteo, Lorraine Bracco, Steven Van Zandt, Edie Falco, and archival interviews with late actors Nancy Marchand, James Gandolfini, and Tony Sirico.