The Weeknd as himself: Singer songwriter The Weeknd is a three-time Grammy winning R&B artist. The Bostonian entertainer, however, may be most well known as a playwright, having penned 1987's Talk Radio and 1994's subUrbia, both of which were adapted for the big screen. An actor well known for his recurring TV roles in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Succession, Bogosian has also appeared in Oliver Stone's Talk Radio and Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry. ![]() Stanfield can also be seen in theaters in Rian Johnson's whodunnit Knives Out, with other projects like Stella Meghie's The Photograph set to release next year.Įric Bogosian as Arno: Howard's brother-in-law and loan shark. Lakeith Stanfield's young career is most known for his starring role as Cassius Green in Sorry to Bother You, though his minor supporting turn in Get Outearned critical praise as the gatekeeper to the film's harrowing twist. We'll see.Lakeith Stanfield as Demany: Howard's assistant who searches for clients. Of course that has never prevented other such similar stories to "creatively" find more life. There has been internet buzz about there being a second season, due to the general acclaim of this, but I'm not sure as this mini-series played out quite well and wrapped up the story lines. *UPDATE* I've now seen all 8 episodes, and this Flemish mini-series just got better and better as is went along, and I've upgraded my rating to 8 stars. If you are in the mood for a top-notch foreign crime drama set in the exotic world that is the diamond district in Antwerp, Belgium, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion. Being at the midway point of this mini-series, I am completely invested in the story line and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I watched the initial 4 episodes just last night, and I expect to see the remaining 4 episodes later this weekend. "Rough Diamonds" premiered on Netflix about a week ago, and I fell upon it as I was going through the "recently added" stuff. Please note that Netflix shows this as being in "Flemish (with subtitles)", but in fact there is a mix of Flemish, French, Yiddish and English being spoken throughout, reflecting the thoroughly international character of the city of Antwerp. ![]() If you are not familiar with Antwerp, I think you will be surprised to discover this world-class city. I immediately recognized quite a few of the scenery (we lived not far from the Diamond District, and about half of our condo building's neighbors were Jewish (some of them Hasidic). Along the way we get a unique insider's perspective of the Hasidic Jewish community (more Orthodox Jews in Antwerp than anywhere else in West Europe), AND a great look at the city of Antwerp. ![]() I'll just have to say it: this mini-series is reminiscent of "The Godfather", yes! The series brings us the ups and downs of an Orthodox Jewish family, as it fights for survival in the rough diamond cutting industry (Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world, with 80% of the world's rough diamond trading). Episode 1 is a bit tentative as it lays the groundwork for many characters and correlating plot lines, but by Episode 2 it becomes clear what is going on. I was surprised how solid this (Flemish) mini-series turned out to be. ![]() Couple of comments: let me state upfront that I hail from Antwerp, Belgium myself (although now a longtime US resident), so curiosity got the better of me and I just had to check this out. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1. As it turns out, the deceased brother was in deep trouble on several fronts. What drove him to this? In a parallel story, we are introduced to Noah, a brother of the deceased who left the family business and now comes back to Antwerp for his brother's funeral. As Episode 1 of "Rough Diamonds" (2023 release from Belgium 8 episodes ranging 47 to 55 min each) opens, an Orthodox-Jew in Antwerp, Belgium goes to his family's Diamant District office, and commits suicide.
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