Netflix
All through middle and high school I was in a jazz band. I played the trumpet and fell in love with the genre. To this day I still enjoy the sounds of a big band and everything that comes with it. Damien Chazelle, director of La La Land and Whiplash clearly has a love for the genre as well. He is teaming up with Netflix and Jack Thorne for the new series The Eddy, which focuses on a jazz club owner who deals with the everyday struggles of running a live music venue in Paris.
Andre Holland, who had a small but integral part in the 2016 film Moonlight, stars as Elliot. Elliot is trying to manage a new band and a new nightclub in Paris after leaving America. He works with his business partner, Farid (Tahar Rahim) but come into problems early in the series. The two are trying to save money to keep their club afloat but many things are not working. Elliot flies in his daughter, Julie (Amandla Stenberg), who is a troubled teen wanting to leave New York and her mother.
Elliot and Julie’s relationship were rocking constantly throughout. Julie was at that age where she was rebellious but also needed guidance in her life. Elliot was struggling to connect with her and keep his club running. A lot of people relied on Elliot, so it always felt like Elliot was being pulled in different directions. The writing for the father and daughter relationship was realistic as it progressed throughout the series. Both Andre Holland and Amandla Stenberg are fantastic in their roles. Stenberg gives a heavy performance towards the middle part of the series where you start to sympathize with the character and her situation. Elliot is feeling frustrated throughout the series with everything he must do, and Holland is able to convey those feelings perfectly.
Each episode is tailored to a different character. We get to explore minor characters within the series and how they are dealing with the band struggling. It was nice to understand some of the minor characters who were just background characters for most of the series. At the series’ core is the relationship between Elliot and Julie. Jack Thorne wrote each episode with a clear view in mind. Each episode can give depth to minor character without forgetting Elliot and Julie. You must work as a group in a band but also must be strong individually, and Thorne is able to make the band feel convincing but also make each member independent. I was able to build a personal connection with each member because of the strong writing for everyone.
Netflix
The series bounces back and forth between English and French. Subtitles are constantly appearing and disappearing on the screen, so it is a show you must focus on. This is not a series where you can scroll through Facebook. If you take your eyes off the screen for a few minutes to check in on your friends, you will miss important parts to the show. There are many twists early in the series and subtle moments go a long way with how characters present themselves. As a fan of jazz music, the long sequences of the band playing jazz music really excited me. The smooth jazz music was catchy and impressive. I could tell how much the music meant to the band members and Elliot and how it kept them moving forward.
One of my main issues with the series is the number of subplots within the series. Since the series is 8 episodes long and some are over an hour, time feels wasted. I appreciated the individual storylines but certain scenarios either with Elliot, Julie, Farid, or any other band member, felt way too complex and drawn out. If the episodes were shortened, the series would still have the same effect it did.
I was overall impressed with The Eddy. When I first saw the trailer for the series, I had different feelings for it, and I thought it would play out differently, but I still managed to find a lot I enjoyed in the series. With a lot of jazz music and realistic relationships to fill each episode, The Eddy, which is the name of Elliot’s club, was worth the lengthy runtime. Damien Chazelle continues to impress me with each film he makes, and I was happy that he directed a couple of episodes here which showcased his directing style. Any fan of jazz and Chazelle needs to check this series out.
What did you think of The Eddy? Sound off in the comments below!
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