The Big Cigar
Summary
Jim Hecht’sThe Big Cigartells the tale of Hollywood and the Black Panthers joining force to pull off a defy escapade . The ever - reliable Andre Holland ( the Oscar - get ahead movieMoonlight ) stars as Huey Newton in a performance that is certainly worthy of the worker ’s natural endowment . It ’s a fine serial , but couple with a script that is all over the place , neither the write up nor the performance impinge on their extremum .
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Cast
The Big Cigar is a biographical play about Black Panther Leader Huey P. Newton created by Janine Sherman Barrois . The six - episode series stars André Holland along with Alessandro Nivola , Tiffany Boone , and PJ Byrne and is an AppleTV+ exclusive .
The serial is informative but does a poor job balancing the tone of actual Black issues and anOcean ’s Eleven - stylus caper . The Big Cigaris very entertaining , and it ’s bound to agreeably storm casual audiences when they get across it . With beautiful costumes and a stand - out score from idle words aficionado Robert Glasper , there are plenty of matter to love aboutThe Big Cigar . Holland might even be in line for an Emmy or Golden Globe nominating speech , even if the show likely will not .
The Big Cigar Excels In Its Visuals, Costumes & Production
When the police and FBI collude to frame up Huey P. Netwon for slaying , he tries to skirt seizure with his girlfriend and fellow Black Panther , Gwenn Fontaine ( Tiffany Boone ) . Unable to leave the land by normal means , he turns to his unlikely friend , film manufacturer Bert Schneider ( Alessandro Nivola ) , to craft a scheme just crazy enough to work . The plan is to pullulate a fake moving picture in Cuba and smuggle Huey in with the roll and gang . Getting the gang together is one thing , but trust them not to get caught or rat out Huey is a wholly unlike story .
Huey and Bert have alchemy , but their tarradiddle is ultimately unsatisfying due to the option to have a nonlinear plot of land .
Visually , The Big Cigaris a wonder . The costumes are spectacular and the haircloth and make - up is as vibrant as it is era - specific . The sliding 70s way panels are just one of the many flourishes add by Don Cheadle , who take aim the first two episodes . The Big Cigar ’s motion-picture show bloodline is amazing and the lighting in every tantrum is everlasting . The cinematography is on power point and promote themes of aloneness and paranoia well in scenes where Huey is losing his nous . And on top of unnumerable acerate leaf drops , Glasper ’s score is melodic and pass on the whole show an undertide of moody R&B.
The Big Cigar Doesn’t Nail The Tone
Other aspects of the series are affected
The series pass over back and forth throughout the other 1970s , play up various points in Newton and Schneider ’s family relationship . The first scene of the pilot film is ostensibly a collage of the entire series , so keeping track of what will find is loose . Otherwise , the plot of ground is very scattershot . Huey and Bert have chemistry , but their narration is ultimately unsatisfying due to the selection to have a nonlinear plot . The Big Cigarwants to bring these two together , but the redaction keeps them at arm ’s length .
The tone of the series is mismanage and , as a resultant , other parts of the output suffer as well . The trailer does a cracking job selling us on what the show is , but that is also the trouble . At times , The Big Cigarfeels more like a trailer than an factual show . The flying redaction and uneven tone of voice support all of this , and I can differentiate the cast is doing the best they can . The patch ofThe Big Cigarhas a good deal to proffer , but the elbow room it is presented can be perplexing .
The motion-picture photography is on point and push themes of solitariness and paranoia well in scenes where Huey is losing his mind .
The Big Cigarsuffers from being less serious than expect , and it ’s never peculiar enough to justify being called a comedy . There is sure a better version of this show on the cutting elbow room storey . Holland and Nivola are two of our fine actor and a showcase between the two of them should farm an electrical connexion , especially given the account . But saddled with middling dialogue , their magic spell can only do so much . That being enunciate , the overall experience is a overconfident one . The Big Cigaris a walkover to get through , has great dictated pieces , and can be very fun .
The Big Cigaris streaming on Apple TV+ on May 17 .
