HBO’s decision to bring back “Project Greenlight” was puzzling to say the least. The previous three seasons resulted in mediocre movies, and by season three the show itself was beginning to deteriorate in quality as well. Even though it was obvious the movie would be another dud after watching one episode of season four, the show is still worth viewing since the people on display this season were more outlandish and dramatic than HBO ever could have wished.
The production process was not maximally efficient. Two minutes after director Jason Mann had been chosen, he asked executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck if he could fire the writer they had hired specifically to help edit script and demanded to shoot on film. This immediately came into conflict with producer Effie Brown.
The next seven episodes were less of a depiction of a movie making process and more of a war documentary about the relationship between the high-maintenance, totally uncompromising Mann and the demanding and equally uncompromising Brown. The conflict between these two could have fueled two or three times as many episodes, and HBO could consider a spin-off show between the two of them.
The volatility of the personalities involved made for a watchable and addicting show. It was hard not to get excited watching Brown’s realism cut Mann’s lofty vision every week — the drama of it was everything you could ever want from a reality show. No other reality shows have half of its production values, and the experience of watching a movie and seeing exactly what went into each decision is one which is wholly unique to “Project Greenlight.”
This season’s creation, “The Leisure Class,” is lucky that “Project Greenlight” is such a high quality show, because without the show compelling people to watch this movie, there would be absolutely no reason to watch it. “The Leisure Class,” written by the director, Jason Mann — after he bristled at the idea of directing someone else’s writing — is set in the confines of a wealthy and politically motivated family’s ritzy estate in Connecticut. It is centered around a con man, played by Ed Weeks, about to marry one of the patriarch’s daughters, played by Bridget Regan. His brother, played by Tom Bell, crashes the rehearsal dinner and wreaks mayhem.
The movie had its moments. Tom Bell’s Leonard was pleasant to watch, and there were a few moments where the dialog was genuinely hilarious. As a whole, though, the movie was a messy trip from start to finish. Its characters were paper thin, and it would be generous to call them one-dimensional. If a character were lucky enough to be more than a walking, talking exposition, then they were motivated by only one driving factor, which was either cliché or totally unbelievable.
When the movie covered interesting elements such as climaxes and character personalities, it continued to shift back toward monotony. During the climax of the movie, which features the father, played by Bruce Davison, holding the brothers at gunpoint, it loses viewers’ attention. Additionally, the characters are not given enough personality to make them dynamic. Increasing the film’s length and greater character depth are potential solutions to such issues.
The mediocrity of this newest attempt should come as no surprise; they are now 0-4, and one shouldn’t expect season five necessarily to produce a success. That being said, one can’t help but be excited to see them to try. While it will be hard to top the highs of Effie Brown and Jason Mann’s spats, HBO has proven once again that the “Project Greenlight” series is not only one of the best reality shows on television, but one of the best shows of any kind.
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