tue 05/11/2024

Justified, Five USA | reviews, news & interviews

Justified, Five USA

Justified, Five USA

At last Elmore Leonard is well served on screen

These boots were made for moseying: Timothy Olyphant puts his feet up in 'Justified'
Elmore Leonard’s authorial voice has proved elusive to those trying to replicate it on screen – not least to Leonard himself. Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1995 Get Shorty was an honourable exception, but mostly his deeply satisfying humour is lost in translation. Or it’s over-played. Not so with FX’s Justified (showing here on Five USA), which has been loosely adapted from three Leonard stories featuring US Marshal Raylan Givens. Leonard may be executive producer here, but he’s not one to lavish praise lightly. He judges the dialogue in Justified to be “really perfect”, and you won’t find me disagreeing.
Elmore Leonard’s authorial voice has proved elusive to those trying to replicate it on screen – not least to Leonard himself. Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1995 Get Shorty was an honourable exception, but mostly his deeply satisfying humour is lost in translation. Or it’s over-played. Not so with FX’s Justified (showing here on Five USA), which has been loosely adapted from three Leonard stories featuring US Marshal Raylan Givens. Leonard may be executive producer here, but he’s not one to lavish praise lightly. He judges the dialogue in Justified to be “really perfect”, and you won’t find me disagreeing.

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If you are interested in the setting, it's very much worth checking out Harlan County USA, directed by Barbara Kopple, who has won two Oscars, including one for that film.

it's very much worth checking out Harlan County USA, directed by Barbara Kopple, who has won two Oscars, including one for that film.

Leonard may be executive producer here, but he’s not one to lavish praise lightly. He judges the dialogue in Justified to be “really perfect”, and you won’t find me disagreeing.

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