Tarantino should've made a biopic already what with his fetish addiction.
I watched this on FDR's birthday and it's a good introduction to FDR's story where I also learned new things, Eleanor in particular. Having studied very little about her, I am glad I am getting around to that now. She must rank among the most important women in human history! As for FDR, he ranks up there in the pantheon of great American presidents alongside Washington and Lincoln. The creators also do a good job of addressing FDR's early career both in his time as governor of New York and above all during the New Deal. There are some nice anecdotes during the WWII part of the story. But I can already tell that it won't compare to say Ken Burns' Intimate History of the Roosevelts (and I haven't even seen that). China, the forgotten ally, is completely left out of the story. The internment camps gets only one scene. The Holocaust was almost a footnote. When comparing this with the other entries including Washington, Grant and Lincoln, all of which addressed the flaws and strengths of their subjects, this one doesn't come close enough to measuring up to its predecessors. While the words of the historians, the photos and found footage are quite excellent, the acting is okay at best. It's a mixed bag. But I also appreciate that we keep getting more of these. Hopefully we have more presidents underway. Maybe Reagan, Andrew Jackson (let's get truth and dive into the difficult subjects), LBJ or Zachary Taylor.
I watched this on FDR's birthday and it's a good introduction to FDR's story where I also learned new things, Eleanor in particular. Having studied very little about her, I am glad I am getting around to that now. She must rank among the most important women in human history! As for FDR, he ranks up there in the pantheon of great American presidents alongside Washington and Lincoln. The creators also do a good job of addressing FDR's early career both in his time as governor of New York and above all during the New Deal. There are some nice anecdotes during the WWII part of the story. But I can already tell that it won't compare to say Ken Burns' Intimate History of the Roosevelts (and I haven't even seen that). China, the forgotten ally, is completely left out of the story. The internment camps gets only one scene. The Holocaust was almost a footnote. When comparing this with the other entries including Washington, Grant and Lincoln, all of which addressed the flaws and strengths of their subjects, this one doesn't come close enough to measuring up to its predecessors. While the words of the historians, the photos and found footage are quite excellent, the acting is okay at best. It's a mixed bag. But I also appreciate that we keep getting more of these. Hopefully we have more presidents underway. Maybe Reagan, Andrew Jackson (let's get truth and dive into the difficult subjects), LBJ or Zachary Taylor.