The Kominsky Method:
The Complete First Season
review by Bobby Blakey
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”
Over the years Netflix has continued to step up their game with great shows including Stranger Things, Grace and Frankie, and so many more. In 2018 Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin teamed up for the all-new exclusive series The Kominsky Method and now fans old and new can bring the complete first season home.
The Kominsky Method follows Sandy Kominsky whose life didn’t turn out the way he’d planned. His dream of having a successful acting career was slowly and inexorably replaced with the reality of being a mere acting coach. As played by Michael Douglas, Sandy is now dealing with the even harsher reality of being an old man in a youth-obsessed culture. Clinging to his best friend and long-time agent Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin), the two men are forced to confront loneliness, health issues, the loss of loved ones, financial calamity, grown-up children with grown-up problems, and estrangement from a world that is undergoing constant and rapid change.
Loving Grace and Frankie I had hoped that this series would offer up some of the same laughs with these two iconic actors and I was not disappointed. It’s far from the same series, but offers up some of the same tropes that makes the other work while still being very much its own thing. For a time we didn’t get to see as much of Michael Douglas as we used to, but since his turn as Liberace in Behind The Candleabra he has had a resurgence of sorts and I love it. Here is looks to be having a blast and offers up a character filled with laughs and heart while still struggling with life. He is great in the role and his chemistry with Arkin is insanely good.
Alan Arkin is one of my favorite actors, always bringing that great dry delivery and here is no different. Despite this he still offers up a deep performance as he deals with life and loss while trying to move forward. There is a running gag of him wanting to die that offers up some great laughs as it tortures Douglas constantly. Their ongoing banter and
complicated relationship makes this series work. I love seeing these two go at it like an old married couple which offers laughs, but also a realism to their friendship. As the show progresses it carefully balances the story of them together while also taking on their individual stories and keeping them all moving smoothly.
I expected the show to probably be good, but enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and can’t wait to dive into the next season that I believe has already kicked off on Netflix. While this release doesn’t offer up any bonus content, the 8 episodes of the series is enough to make it worth adding to your collection.
Join the acting class and grab your copy of The Kominsky Method when it hits DVD on November 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.