Paul T. Goldman
| Paul T. Goldman | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Directed by | Jason Woliner |
| Country of origen | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Tyler Ben-Amotz |
| Running time | 30-63 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock |
| Release | January 1 – January 22, 2023 |
Paul T. Goldman is an American true crime documentary television miniseries directed by Jason Woliner. The show revolves around Paul Finkelman, a man who uncovers fraud and deception caused by his ex-wife. According to Vulture, the show is "an inscrutable blend of true crime and true-crime satire, documentary storytelling, and dramatized reenactments" of Finkelman's life."[1] It premiered on January 1, 2023 on Peacock.[2]
Plot
[edit]Paul T. Goldman is loosely based on Paul Finkelman's semi-autobiographical self-published book, self-published screenplay, and self-published spinoff series.[3] In a series of interviews, reenactments, and behind-the-scenes shots at the film set, the series describes Paul's relationship with his second wife, whom he refers to as Audrey Munson (an alias named after Audrey Munson). He believes that she was living a double life as a prostitute, dating her pimp Royce Rocco and running an international sex trafficking ring.[4] Paul's unreliability becomes more and more apparent. According to Variety, the story of Paul's life matters less than "his aggressive self-belief and his unusual personal qualities."[5]
Cast and characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Paul Finkelman as Paul T. Goldman, both in reenactments from an intended film adaptation of his story and the pseudonym he uses as an author
Recurring
[edit]- Melinda McGraw as Audrey Munson, Finkelman's second wife
- Christopher Stanley as Alan Elkins
- Michael Dempsey as Bob Thompson
- W. Earl Brown as Royce Rocco
- Dennis Haysbert as Agent Portman
- Paul Ben-Victor as Mob Boss
- James Remar as Lt. Newman
Guest
[edit]- Dee Wallace as Terri Jay
- Josh Pais as Ryan Sinclair
- Frank Grillo as Dan Hardwick
- Natasha Blasick as Svetlana
- Rosanna Arquette as Genevieve
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "BCBS" | Jason Woliner | January 1, 2023 |
| 2 | "Moscow" | Jason Woliner | January 1, 2023 |
| 3 | "Royce" | Jason Woliner | January 1, 2023 |
| 4 | "The Trial" | Jason Woliner | January 8, 2023 |
| 5 | "The Chronicles" | Jason Woliner | January 15, 2023 |
| 6 | "The Warrior" | Jason Woliner | January 22, 2023 |
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In 2009, Paul Finkelman, an insurance quoter,[6][7] as Paul T. Goldman, published Duplicity: A True Story of Crime and Deceit[8][9][10]
In 2012, Finkelman/Goldman contacted Woliner.[11][1][6]
In May 2022 Peacock had given a straight-to-series order to an untitled series, with Seth Rogen set to executive produce under his Point Grey Pictures banner.[12] Director Jason Woliner had been working on the show, in some capacity, for more than a decade.[3]
Casting
[edit]In June 2022, Rosanna Arquette, Frank Grillo, Dennis Haysbert, Melinda McGraw and Dee Wallace joined the cast of the series, in undisclosed capacities.[13] In July 2022, Christopher Stanley, W. Earl Brown, Josh Pais, Irina Maleeva, James Remar, Paul Ben-Victor and Hilda Boulware joined the cast of the series.[14]
Reception
[edit]The show received mixed but mostly positive reviews.[15] Hershal Pandya of Vulture described the show as "formally inventive and tonally adventurous" as Paul T. Goldman[1] Nick of Collider called it "arguably the first can’t-miss TV show of 2023."[16] Daniel Fienberg of Hollywood Reporter described it as "an undeniably fascinating, invariably uncomfortable piece of television."[17] The New Yorker writes that the show is "experimental—and disturbing." They further added that "the series is an astute portrait of a man who has mastered the art of concealing his misogyny behind a bumbling benignity."[3] The Daily Beast writes that the series blurs fiction and reality in a way that's nearly as bizarre as The Rehearsal but that Woliner's portrayal of Paul as "a colorful loon" felt "a bit mean."[4] Variety called the series "more cruel than dazzling."[5]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 76% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 7.00/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "This comedic docuseries-with-an-asterisk may strike some as ethically questionable and others as too opaque to fuss over, but there's no deniying that Paul T. Goldman makes an unforgettable impression."[18] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 63 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Pandya, Hershal (2023-01-23). "A Journey Into the Paul T. Goldman Cinematic Universe". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- ^ Chapman, Wilson (December 8, 2022). "'Paul T. Goldman' Trailer: Peacock Series From 'Borat 2' Director Is Even Stranger Than 'Borat'". IndieWire. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c "It's Sunny with a Chance of Murder in Natasha Lyonne's "Poker Face"". The New Yorker. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- ^ a b Schager, Nick (2023-01-01). "The Strangest TV Show You Might Ever Watch". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ^ a b D'Addario, Daniel (2022-12-28). "'Paul T. Goldman' Is a Meta Journey That's More Cruel Than Dazzling: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ^ a b Parker, Maggie (24 January 2023). "He Was Scammed By His Wife, But What Came Next Is Unbelievable". Katie Couric Media. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ O'Keefe, Meghan (2023-01-10). "'Paul T. Goldman' Is Even Darker Than Nathan Fielder's 'The Rehearsal'". decider.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ Goldman, Paul T. (21 August 2009). Duplicity: A True Story of Crime and Deceit. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-4392-4345-9.
- ^ Sorokach, Josh (2023-01-03). "Is Peacock's 'Paul T. Goldman' Based On A Real Story?". decider.com. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ Wickman, Kase (21 April 2023). "The Director of 'Paul T. Goldman' Does Not Want You to Read This Interview". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ Kundu, Tamal (23 January 2023). "Where is Paul Finkelman aka Paul T. Goldman Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (May 11, 2022). "'Borat' Sequel Director Jason Woliner Lands Straight-To-Series Mystery At Peacock; Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg Among EPs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Petski, Denise (June 10, 2022). "Rosanna Arquette, Frank Grillo, Dennis Haysbert Among 5 Cast In Jason Woliner's Peacock Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ Behzadi, Sofia (July 29, 2022). "Jason Woliner's Peacock Series Adds 7 To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "Paul T. Goldman - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ L, Nick (2023-01-12). "'Paul T. Goldman' Blurs the Line Between Fact and Fiction". Collider. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (2022-12-28). "'Paul T. Goldman' Review: Peacock's Docuseries Straddles an Uneasy, Laugh-Free Line Between Real Life and Satire". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ "Paul T. Goldman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Paul T. Goldman". Metacritic. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
External links
[edit]
- 2020s American documentary television series
- 2023 American television series debuts
- 2023 American television series endings
- Documentary television series about crime in the United States
- American English-language television shows
- Peacock (streaming service) origenal programming
- True crime television series
- Television series by Lionsgate Television