Something of an HBO dream team - Michael Mann directing the pilot, a cast including Dustin Hoffmann, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina, David Milch head writer on an area he knows a lot about (horse racing). Its clearly made by people with talent and there are some impressive bits but to be frank... it's not that interesting.
The set up is: a gangster gets out of gaol and goes looking for revenge around a race track, there is plenty of atmosphere. But there are too many scenes of horses and horses going around the track, and stories which lack interest. Towards the end it perks up with gangsters moving in (Michael Gambon) and some violence - it could have done wiht more than that.
The group of problem gamblers who hang out with each other start out as engaging and fun but they soon got dull too because every time they earned money you'd know they'd blow it. None of the horse-related characters - vet, trainer, jockey - were that interesting.
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