‘A Man in Full’ can’t ignite a spark, much less a bonfire, in adapting Tom Wolfe’s novel

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN

(CNN) — A lot of talented people deliver an underachiever of a show with “A Man in Full,” a Netflix series that feels as if it’s creatively running on empty. Adapted from the novel by the late Tom Wolfe, known for his insight into elites in “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” this soap about an Atlanta real-estate mogul facing sudden bankruptcy seldom generates an ember, much less a bonfire.

That’s disappointing, given not only a first-rate cast but an adaptation by veteran TV writer David E. Kelley (whose recent efforts include Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” and HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and directors Regina King and “The West Wing” trailblazer Thomas Schlamme.

If only everyone had dialed down the Southern-fried charm a few notches. Adopting a heavy accent that sounds a little too much at times like Foghorn Leghorn, Jeff Daniels plays the freewheeling Charlie Croker, introduced at a lavish birthday party for himself with a musical performance by none other than Shania Twain.

To his surprise, Croker is soon confronted by a hard-charging and openly hostile banker (Bill Camp) working with an associate (“Ozark’s” Tom Pelphrey) who harbors simmering resentment toward him. They notify Croker that they intend to call in his loans, thus exposing him to the risk of bankruptcy and financial ruin.

That threat essentially triggers an escalating series of jabs and counterpunches that mushrooms to include Croker’s ex-wife (Diane Lane, fresh off ex-wife duty in “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”), her friend (Lucy Liu) and a nesting doll of interlocking political and business interests where each layer is a little more sordid and corrupt than the last.

In what almost feels like an entirely separate series, meanwhile, a secondary plot involves the husband of one of Croker’s employees, Conrad (Jon Michael Hill), who gets thrown into jail after an encounter with an abusive police officer; and Croker’s lawyer (Aml Ameen), who seeks to help him.

“A Man in Full” certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of drama, but the six-episode first season feels overcooked in a way that recalls the soap operas of the 1970s and ‘80s, somewhat awkwardly tossed with a more modern garnish involving race and the justice system.

Kelley has been extremely prolific with recent literary adaptations – including an upcoming version of Scott Turow’s “Presumed Innocent” – benefiting from the appetite for the combination of marketable titles and proven talent in the streaming age.

Granted, “A Man in Full” does look better held up against the notoriously awful 1990 film version of “Bonfire of the Vanities.” Still, mark that down as damnation with faint praise for a series that adds up to considerably less than the sum of its parts – a time investment, in banking terms, that simply doesn’t pay off.

“A Man in Full” premieres May 2 on Netflix.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.