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In Big Little Lies, David E Kelley masterfully depicted the solidarity among women confronting trauma. Contrarily, his latest series delves into the realm of male ego, enmity, and entitlement.
A Man in Full starkly portrays men undermining each other across the boardrooms, courtrooms, and bedrooms of Atlanta, Georgia. Adapted from Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel, it condenses 750 pages into a captivating yet uneven six-part Netflix series.
At the heart of the narrative lies real estate magnate Charlie Croker (portrayed by Jeff Daniels), a figure reminiscent of Michael Caine’s character in The Italian Job, entwined with elements of a certain real-life property tycoon.
We are introduced to the "man who built Atlanta" at his 60th birthday celebration, a final hurrah before the bank demands repayment of his $800 million debt, signaling an end to the revelry. However, Croker faces a liquidity crisis, having invested heavily in a towering skyscraper, symbolic of his financial predicament.
"Debt is a tool for growth, a necessity for survival," he opines. Yet, the bank, embodied by Harry Zale (played by Bill Camp) and Raymond Peepgrass (portrayed by Tom Pelphrey), views his philosophy differently. Their motivations extend beyond financial ethics, driven by a desire to deflate Croker's pride. Zale, in particular, is fixated on both financial ruin and physical confrontation.
The series is rife with machismo—firm handshakes, hunting analogies, even literal snake-handling—more laughable than commendable. Daniels revels in his portrayal of Croker, revealing the vulnerability beneath the character's Southern bravado and ostentation. Yet, at times, this grandiloquence distracts from the series' failure to explore the constraints of traditional masculinity and the pitfalls of capitalism.
Beyond the struggles of a wealthy protagonist, subplots delve into broader societal issues. Roger White (played by Aml Ameen), Croker's legal counsel, grapples with conscience while representing a Black colleague (portrayed by Jon Michael Hill) entangled in a police altercation. Meanwhile, Mayor Wes Jordan (portrayed by William Jackson Harper) engages in a contentious election campaign against a racist former associate of Croker's, shedding light on political and racial tensions in the US. However, these subplots often feel disjointed from the main narrative of Croker's bankruptcy.
Moreover, the series falls short in its portrayal of female characters, relegating talented actresses like Diane Lane and Lucy Liu to marginal roles amidst a narrative dominated by male conflict.
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