In September, Amazon Video announced itself as a strong competitor in the streaming video on-demand industry by releasing the critically-acclaimed dramedy Transparent. Now, the original programming arm of the online retailer has returned with a new series, Mozart in the Jungle, and most critics consider it to be another hit.
Mozart in the Jungle is based off a memoir of the same name by Blair Tindall. Tindall, an oboist who has played with the New York Philharmonic, subtitled her memoir Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, which tells you everything you need to know about the content of Amazon’s new series. Lola Kirke stars as Hailey, a TV version of Tindall who must navigate her way through the bacchanalian world high-caliber classical music gigs. Gael Garcia Bernal co-stars as a genius conductor, while Bernadette Peters portrays the director of the New York Symphony’s board of trustees.
The pilot episode of Mozart in the Jungle debuted in February as part of Amazon’s second wave of original programming (Transparent was also included in that batch.) At the time, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman‘s series seemed like a fun, bombastic diversion, and if critical consensus is any indication, Mozart in the Jungle has delivered exactly that.
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One of the most positive reviews comes from Robert Bianco at USA Today. “Overall,” he writes, “it’s a joy to explore a world where TV seldom ventures.” Mike Hale of New York Times also turned in a positive review, though his praise took the form of an odd analogy comparing Mozart in the Jungle to the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs. Brian Lowry of Variety offered a more mixed review, though he termed the series a member of “the pleasant-addition-to-the-neighborhood category.”
More negative reviews, such as Anne Midgette’s in the Washington Post, have cited several perceived flaws, including a lack of laugh-out-loud moments, bad dialogue, and an inaccurate portrayal of the classical music world.
Mozart in the Jungle arrives at a critical time for Amazon Video. The platform recently earned its first Golden Globe nominations through Transparent, and its new series seems as if it will contribute positively to the Amazon Video library. All ten episodes are available to Amazon Prime subscribers.
