Master of the Game

If you love soap opera sagas, you've got to check out Master of the Game. It's a completely engrossing seven-hour miniseries about a family who created and maintained a diamond empire in South Africa. It starts off with an elderly Dyan Cannon celebrating her birthday with some remaining family members and friends around her. She's wealthy and famous, but as she looks at family portraits, she laments the course certain members took. What mistakes have been made? Who has died, and who has betrayed her? The rest of the seven hours are dedicated to a linear telling of her family tree.

Her father's story is beyond fascinating. Ian Charleson is an Irish immigrant in South Africa, looking to make his fortune in a diamond mine. He gets swindled by the evil Donald Pleasance (who else?) by signing a "partnership contract" in case he stakes a successful claim, but no one expects Ian to return from his expedition. When he does, Donald tries to steal his fortune (and even tries to kill him!) and Ian vows to get revenge. Ian's character changes over time, and he's incredibly well-written. You understand why he hardens, and no matter how harsh he acts sometimes, you still root for him and want to learn more.

Usually, the historical portions of a miniseries are riveting, but as time becomes more modern, those characters get exponentially less interesting, until the audience has nothing left invested in the family. That's not the case in Master of the Game. Although Ian's journey is definitely the most interesting, his descendants still have highly dramatic paths that keep you guessing and glued to the screen. I can't recommend this series highly enough to those who like the genre. It's enormously fun to try (and fail) to guess what's going to happen next, to root for some and against others, and to see how the dynasty was built. Dyan ages nearly seven decades, and I was very impressed by how she handled her movements, posture, and speech as an old woman. I also loved her character, as I did Ian's. You understand how she became wary and jaded, and why she's willing to risk everything for the company.

I've already ordered a copy of Sidney Sheldon's original novel and can't wait to read it! In the vast supporting cast, there's Cliff De Young, Harry Hamlin, Johnny Sekka, David Birney, Liane Langland, Cherie Lunghi, Barry Morse, Angharad Rees, Fernando Allende, Maryam d'Abo, David Suchet, and Leslie Caron.

A final compliment goes to Raymond Hughes, the costume designer. It's an absolute travesty Mr. Hughes wasn't nominated for his work during the awards season. In every scene, the women are draped in beautiful period clothes; I actually pressed pause several times so I could admire the garments frozen in time on my television set. Whether you love costumes, melodramas, or family empires, rent this 1984 classic. It's fantastic.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Angharad Rees gets a dizzy spell on the stairs, the camera blurs for a few seconds; and when the twin girls are playing on the staircase, the camera is a little handheld, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!

Master of the Game had all the elements to make this an unforgettable production. Sex, lust, greed and murder. A fine performance by Dyan Cannon as the ruthless matriarch and domineering mother puts the icing on the cake. The supporting cast headed by Harry Hamlin is exceptional. Exotic locations, intrigue and suspense are the perfect ingredients that kept me interested for the 9 hours.

"Master of the Game" is a lavish CBS production (aired as special event "sweeps" programming during the Olympic month of February 1984), a grand 9-hour mini-series the kind of which "they don't make anymore" (7 hours without commercials, to be exact).

Based on the 1982 same-titled best-selling Sidney Sheldon novel and opening with an iconic image of an elegant black-gloved hand revealing a fist full of diamonds, it is a glossy cosmopolitan soap opera the fans of 1980s primetime sagas about rich families like "Dynasty" and "Dallas" will find satisfying. It moves briskly from Dark Harbor to South Africa to New York to Europe and back to the United States, from 1982 back to 1883 and onward.

Unlike the CBS/Paramount DVD set released in 2009 which split the series into 4 parts, "Master of the Game" originally aired on 3 consecutive nights in 3 three-hour installments (that's 2 hours and 20 minutes each w/o commercials), each part focusing on a different set of characters.

The original installment, which was actually filmed in Kenya, tells a dusty late 19th century tale of diamond-hunting adventures of James McGregor played by the excellent "Chariots of Fire" star Ian Charleson (whom we lost too soon, just 6 years after this mini-series aired) and the evil machinations of a greedy Dutchman played with gusto by Donald Pleasence at his contemptuous best; the follow-up focuses on Dyan Cannon's ruthless matriarch Kate Blackwell, who becomes the titular master at the game of business, and the complicated relationship with her fragile son Tony played by a young & handsome soon-to-be "L.A. Law" star Harry Hamlin; while the conclusion is a battle royale between good and evil embodied by Tony's daughters, twin sisters Eve & Alexandra (both played very convincingly by the beautiful Liane Langland), with an amusing Fernando Allende in the mix as a sadistic gigolo who loves to batter his clients.

With respect to the two negative reviews complaining about the series "falling apart" after the opening act, it should be noted there is indeed a jarring shift in tone between the 3 parts, especially the 1st and the 2nd. In fact, the opening 4 minutes of Kate & Tony's mid-series installment suddenly move at such a rapid pace, you'd be excused if you thought you were watching a "previously on" recap instead of fresh content. The pace eventually slows down, though the series never gets back to the stellar tone of the opening act.

What some people may not know is that each installment was helmed by a different director. The differing approaches are noticeable and may prove somewhat distracting, which is why I'm giving the series only 8 stars.

Nevertheless, it's a highly entertaining and beautiful to look at big-budget old-school mini-series and is most certainly not to be missed by the fans of the glitzy primetime soap genre.

From the Golden Age of television miniseries this is one of the exceptional ones. If you haven't seen it yet - watch it! There is a grand historical sweep and a thrilling story with twists and turns, a moving score and theme, and good casting. Harry Hamlin was good. Angarhad Rees as his wife was quite memorable. Even the actress who played the twins Eve and Alexandra was good.

Dyan Cannon was quite memorable. The only problem with her role was that she was a bit old to play the earlier years of her character. She should have taken over slightly later.

They don't make them like they used to. Wish Hollywood would find some good stories like this to make into miniseries with A list actors and actresses.

I was captivated by this book made into a tv mini series. It is interesting not only because of the amazing story but the scenery in South Africa was so beautiful. There were so many interesting characters and their lives took many different paths, it was all very believable. I would love to own this movie if it ever became available.