I finally had a spare 6 hours and got round to watching HBO's new miniseries, Show Me a Hero.
Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Lisa Belkin, It tells the story of how civil rights violations tear apart Yonkers, N.Y., paralyses the municipal government, and forever changes the lives of a rising politician and his constituents.
Faced with a federal court order that remedies decades-long housing segregation in the city, newly elected Mayor Nick Wasicsko at 28, the youngest-ever mayor of Yonkers, goes against his campaign position that advocated legal appeals, paving the way for low-income housing to be built in white neighbourhood of Yonkers.
Residents rage about protecting property values, while those chosen to cross the color line will soon have neighbours who fiercely oppose them. "Show Me a Hero" is co-created by David Simon ("The Wire") and directed by Paul Haggis ("Crash").
Show Me a Hero carries many of the hallmarks of Simon's previous work, a man who starts off with the best of intentions only to be buried by bureaucracy and outside influences. The location of Simon's work, in this case the district of Yonkers, plays an important role with the many sides of the relatively small district on display from the crime-ridden high-rise flats and the white-picket fences of suburbia.
While not in the same league as The Wire (very little is) Show Me a Hero is a great portrait of a good man, with good intentions.
Watch the trailer here
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