Veep
2012
Original language: English
- comedy
- war & politics
The story
A look into American politics, revolving around former Senator Selina Meyer who finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about.
What it’s like
Bright, flat, fluorescent-lit government offices and hotel suites, with the handheld, restless camera of a sitcom that never sits still: characters crowd into frame, talk over one another, and dart down marble corridors and into cramped motorcades. The palette is muted, all beige, navy and institutional grey, so the occasional burst of a red tie or a campaign banner stands out. The sound is brisk dialogue layered at speed, phones buzzing, and a quick, nervous underscore that keeps the momentum going. Its vibe is caustic and fast, with a wince-inducing edge that never softens into warmth. It suits a weeknight laugh, a binge on a long afternoon, or anyone who likes their comedy sharp and unkind. Pacing is brisk and overlapping, with rapid-fire insults and jokes that land in quick succession. The emotional register is cynical and cutting, and the central arc follows an ambitious, image-obsessed woman whose vanity and desperation keep colliding with the absurd machinery around her. Intensity is low on violence and gore, with no sexual content, but the verbal cruelty, profanity and humiliation are constant and abrasive. It is for viewers who enjoy biting political satire and characters who are gloriously unlikable, not for anyone wanting something gentle.
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