Mozart in the Jungle

If you followed this year’s Golden Globes, you might’ve been surprised by Mozart in the Jungle sweeping the Best Television series – Comedy, and Best Actor in a Television series – Musical or Comedy categories. By virtue of being an Amazon Original, this show has flown under most people’s radars.

I consider that a damn shame, since the show is actually pretty good. Following struggling Oboist Hailey Rutledge, played by a capable Lola Kirke, the piece chronicles the lives of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as they attempt to get to grips with the flamboyant new maverick conductor Rodrigo; a role that Gael García Bernal clearly has quite a lot of fun with. García Bernal really sinks his teeth into the character, deftly encompassing the mix of eccentricity and genius necessary.

Malcolm McDowell also puts in a standout performance here, playing the aging ex-conductor who struggles to deal with the fact that he’s past his prime. It’s great to see him not taking himself too seriously, and his comedic timing is great. It’s too bad he doesn’t get more comedic work. The evergreen Bernadette Peters also features, owning every scene she’s in. The show’s wit is sharp and rarely predictable. There are quite a few moments that got big laughs out of me, and they never felt stale, trite, or done to death. There’s scarcely a dull moment, and the viewer is compelled to keep watching the series. It is strongly character driven, so if you’re expecting some great treatise about the meaning of life then I really don’t know what to tell you. I mean, why are you looking for that in an Amazon series about an orchestra? Go read The Master and Margarita or something.

Nevertheless, the characters are strong enough to keep the show afloat with much of the humour coming from their interactions. Another factor that only helps is the series’ freshness. The subject matter is fairly new popular fiction, and so every development and exploration manages to keep viewers interested.

If I have any complaints, they are that the show meanders a tad in the middle of the first season, and that at times it can feel too ‘hipster-y’. But really, what can you expect from a show produced by Jason Schwartzman, and I say that as a huge fan. In fact, the overwhelming majority of this quirk is the good kind. If you like Schwartzman’s usual shtick, you’ll like this; if you enjoy orchestras, you’ll enjoy this, and if you’re a fan of good comedy, you’ll be a fan of this.

Mozart in the Jungle is available on Amazon Prime