Falling in Like with “Modern Love”

As ordinary as it sounds this show strikes me as an extraordinary accomplishment and one quite unlike anything I have watched on television beforeamp160 That cannot be true can itamp160 The desire for and pursuit of love is the most common story in the history of storytelling is it notamp160 And yet here is something freshamp160 At a time when uninspiring reboots are all the rage how wonderful it is to see stories about a timeless topicamp160told in ways that make it exciting and newamp160 I am remindedamp160of my reaction to the first season of ABCamp8217s Modern Family which made me feel as though I had never watched a sitcom about a familyI have never read the celebrated New York Times column featuring truelife love stories written by reallife New Yorkers from which series creator and executive producer John Carney drew his inspiration for this show so I came to it completely unaware of what I was in for save for previews and a session at the Summer Television Critics Association tour that seemed to emphasize the performance of Anne Hathaway pictured at top with Gary Carr in an episode about a single bipolar woman struggling to overcome the outsize challenges she faces everyday and connect with someone amp8211 anyone amp8211 in a meaningful wayamp160 The emphasis was not without meritamp160 Hathaway gives a performance that is simultaneously heartbreaking chilling thrillingamp160and upliftingamp160 She deserves every award that every relevant organization has to offer if only because she somehow stands out above a large cast of equally gifted actors doing equally fine work among them Cristin Milotti Dev Patel below left Catherine Keener below right John Gallagher Jr and Jane AlexanderThe idea of sitting through multiple Manhattan love stories was offputting at first even if they werenamp8217t exclusively stories of romanceamp160 Love is all around as the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show once reminded us every Saturday nightamp160 Before watching the only things that came to mind were many of the movies made by Woody Allen at his bestamp160and HBOamp8217s Sex and the City amp160Love may come from the most unexpected places and exist in many forms but it can also make a messamp160 For most people it doesnamp8217t exist in an ordered pictureperfect environment devoid for example of the financial issues that impact everything that most people do every dayamp160 Which reminds me to date the most romantic relationship I haveamp160ever seen on series television was that of John and Olivia Walton on the classic family drama The Waltonsamp160 Even in the midst of the Great Depression with all the problems of the world weighing on them and all those kids to raise their love and passion for each other was palpable every moment that they were on screenamp160Separating the pursuit of love family and friendship from financial hardship is a wonderful fantasy but one that is largely unrealamp160 Yet for some reason the best New York love stories tend to go that routeamp160 Wisely Love includes in its marvelous mix of memorable characters three homeless individuals one pregnant all three remarkably cheerful and sparkling who remind us that not every New Yorker is economically blessed and not all of them are selfobsessed another common misconception in stories about upscale residents of the Big AppleMost of the characters in Love are doing just fine thank you very much at least where careers and housing are concerned freeing them up to focus with near exclusivity on the relationships in their livesamp160 But as with the romantic escapades of the lovers in Allenamp8217s movies and the amorous adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends and as explored here even when paved with privilege the road is generally long bumpy and for some endless amp8230 even after people meet their special someones and settle downPutting aside practical matters Love is above all a great escape one that disarms as it charms and invites some daydreaming after itamp8217s doneamp160 The experience of bingewatching it is not unlike sitting through Annie Hall and then involuntarily putting together a plan to move to New York as soon as possible if only to increase the odds of falling in love with someone fabulous amp160Itamp160also provides a delightful opportunity to watch familiar faces take on new roles that make a maximum impact in minimal timeamp160 In addition to the names mentioned above the cast includes Tina Fey John Slattery Julia Garner Ed Sheeran Olivia Cooke Brandon Victor Dixon Andy Garcia and Fleabagamp8217s hot priest Andrew Scottamp160 Each episode delivers all the feels of a complete movie even though it is only a halfhourLove though is more than a movieamp160 Itamp8217s another example of what TV can do that no other medium can amp160Had it been conceived as a twohour movie much would have been lost in the compressionamp160 Had it been expanded into a 13episode season it would have been a chore to sit throughamp160 Had each episode been stretched to one hour the usual bloat that compromises so many streaming productions would have been unforgivingAs it is it is just perfectamp160 In tandem with Fleabag another of Amazonamp8217s highclass snackable treats it is proof that in television as in life less is sometimes much much moreClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160amp160amp160

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Falling in Like with “Modern Love”

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Ed Martin

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Falling in Like with “Modern Love”

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