QUEUED UP: Lillyhammer

A New York mobster turns witness for the FBI and is placed into protection at a destination of his choosing: Lillehammer, Norway. Zany antics fueled by cultural differences ensue.

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QUEUED UP: Lillyhammer

POSTED: Monday, February 20, 2012, 11:00 AM

Filed Under: TV

A New York mobster turns witness for the FBI and is placed into protection at a destination of his choosing: Lillehammer, Norway. Zany antics fueled by cultural differences ensue.

That is the premise of Lillyhammer, a new television series released exclusively by Netflix in the United States, and starring E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt. Van Zandt, who grew up not too far from Philadelphia in Middletown Township, N.J., returns to acting for the first time since his only other acting role on The Sopranos. Van Zandt is also a co-writer and producer of the series, which is also currently airing in Norway.

Van Zandt plays Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano, a man whose Italian-American bravado and hardened mafia ways pose major obstacles to fitting into staid, socialist Norwegian society. As he sets out to start a new life, it doesn’t take long for Tagliano, under the pseudonym Giovanni Henriksen, to fall back on his criminal ways. Tagliano proceeds to blackmail his way through bureaucratic red tape and open up a thriving nightclub, which of course is stocked with illegal booze and doubles as a front for money laundering. Along the way, Tagliano becomes romantically involved with a local teacher, who he shields from his illegal dealings.

While the wise guy role is similar to his Sopranos character Silvio Dante, Van Zandt does a good job making Tagliano his own character with very different personality traits and mannerisms, even down to the way he walks. The key difference between the two characters is that underneath Tagliano’s ruthless and dangerous exterior, he has a heart of gold rather than being a cold-blooded killer to the core.

Equal parts comedy and drama, Lillyhammer’s eight episodes are well-paced and exciting. Somehow you manage rooting for Tagliano the whole time as he extorts and beats his way through Lillehammer, a testament to the writing and Van Zandt’s acting chops. Its high-ratings in Norway have already secured the show a second season, which Van Zandt will have to squeeze into his busy touring schedule with Bruce Springsteen. The sooner the better, as the show is a refreshing departure from your standard American television fare.

(al.harris@citypaper.net) (@journalismo)

Posted by Al Harris @ 11:00 AM Permalink | Post a comment

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