FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

emuir-1 Miami Beach in 1959, a gorgeous resort hotel, glamour, sub tropical weather, supper clubs, Sinatra, gangsters, the Kennedy era, the Cuban revolution, Danny Houston - what could go wrong? This show had the potential to be a memorable seven season fixture, but instead it missed the mark. Although they got the dresses and style right, everyone drank liquor at all hours of the day and smoked like chimneys, Playboy Magazine style, like many shows with period settings made by people who were not born then, the errors stood out and spoiled the mood. Just one example: I was in my 20's then and it was an exciting time, but I do not recall EVER hearing anyone using F___ and definitely not C___ in mixed company. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. It was absolutely not done, yet seems to crop up a lot in modern shows set in the mid 20th century. A woman using such language was fired from her job on the spot, deemed unfit company and ostracized from then on. Neither was sex ever talked about as frankly as depicted in today's shows. If it was discussed at all, and never in mixed company, euphemisms were used. In the era just before the contraceptive pill, unmarried couples were not very sexually active, but you would never guess that from today's TV. Apart from that little gripe my biggest problem with the show is that it was boring and lacked humour. None of the one-note characters had any redeeming features which would have made them likable. It was one long depressing descent into depravity. Ike Evans was a shady character despite claiming to be straight. His wife eventually left him due to being disappointed with his shady side, but went to his son who was even worse. Ben Diamond was an unrelenting psychopath. Even Tony Soprano cracked a joke now and then and you felt sympathy for him. We never saw one one redeeming feature in Ben, no anonymous gift to a sick child whose mother could not afford life saving hospital treatment. Not one anonymous gift to an orphanage. Not even a pet cat or dog! Just an evil sexually perverted psychopath 24/7. Corny I know, but Danny Houston is an excellent actor and could have injected some sympathy for the devil. Everyone and his brother were corrupt and on the take, which is not the way it is in real life.The other problem was that the show as a whole was too focused on the hotel at the cost of other juicy story lines. The Cuban revolution could have featured much more prominently as an ongoing secondary story line. Heck, it was THE major event of the decade with ongoing repercussions more than 50 years later, and we could have used scenes showing what led to the revolution, why it happened and why the new government was adamant that the gangsters running the casinos and corrupt businessmen would never be allowed back. To be sure American companies and gangsters were angered at the loss of their lucrative investments, but the Cuban people did not see it that way. We should have seen the revolution from both sides. The events in Cuba were briefly mentioned in passing, but that was it. The back story of Victor and Maria should have featured in at least two or three full episodes. All we got was a couple of sentences in passing and a brief night time scene of Maria's unsuccessful attempt to leave Cuba. Everyone's back story would have helped flesh out the characters. We could have learned a lot more about Vera and why she did not have the slightest Spanish accents despite being from Cuba. How did Victor end up in Miami Beach before the revolution? What had brought Judi Silver, the platinum blonde sex worker, to Miami Beach? Why did the hotel not have any black staff? Why were the staff predominantly Cuban BEFORE the exodus? So much wasted potential!

speedlimit-13430 I wish the current owners of the Fontainebleau (The Soffer's aka Turnberry Realty) would have let this show state the real name of this hotel, not this Miramar Playa hooey. Everything about the lobby, golden staircase to nowhere and the exterior curved shape, and swiss cheese holes in the walls, scream Morris Lapidus MiMo design right from the 'bleau. Ike Evans character even mentions walking guests to the Eden Roc hotel, which is next door to the FB. This show really hit's home to the reality of what it's like to work at this type of hotel. I especially liked the episodes with James Caan. I met him at the Fontainebleau hotel at Don Soffer's wedding, and he brings such an authenticity to the role on the show.

redbellypig I wasn't going to write anything but I turned on episode 4 and within the first 5 minutes I was baffled by the stupidity. ******SPOILER ********** As the DA officer and police are leaving with the body from the temple Issac stops them to spout some stupid comments and then his son tells them they should leave now. They were leaving. Then Isaak proceeds to chase after them. Pointless reactions. a tiny example of the needless scenes concerning a very unbelievable hotel owner who is so kind he only wants to pay his respects to his best friend who tried to close down his multimillion$ hotel. The same best friend he asked The Butcher to speak to and who wound up missing the same day. Are we to believe Isaak is so freaking stupid. The lead actor was great in Supernatural but he comes across as a the furnace maintenance man and not the cabana boy who built up a multi million dollar hotel from nothing. Then the whole scene in episode 3 where the kid is handed $5000 and he acts like it happens everyday. 1959 $5000 was equivalent to $40000 today. Not an amount to be so nonchalant about. I mean if someone handed me $5000 in 1959 I would leave the state...he would never had been found. I could go on and on but I feel stupid for ranting about the stupidity of a show that looks so cool.

lorenk2008 Again shear curiosity got me to watch someone I normally avoid. Wish I did. way too much nudity so the guys must be in heaven. who'd say no to that show. Everyone is way too pretty. It lacks any substance what so ever and I am also shocked anyone likes this show. I do hear James Cahn is joining...if so I may watch it. If anyone can save a show he can. as it stands the show seems to be completely miscast. I feel Jeffrey Dean Morgan is very wishy washy for some mobster who kills people. Stephen Strait. Loved him in the covenant. So that's the reason I watched it but so much womanizing on this show its degrading. I only watched two episodes out of shear boredom and decided it wasn't worth my time but this show isn't going to attract female viewers for long. Morgan who is usually very good at being the bad guy should be the bad guy. I forget who plays the actual SOB but those two should have been reversed. Probably they did it based on looks and who'd pull off being Stephen straits father better but it was a poor choice. Morgan would have done much better as he does mean better. As I said I hear JC is coming on as well as a few others from the godfather which will pull this show out of Morgans hands honestly. I'm not a JDM fan by any means but I think he can do better and deserves better. He could leave and the show would go on. Or they could have him do what he does best and not waste him.