House of Cards review essay

House of Cards: TV series review

Political drama has been a reality for most Americans during last couple of months. Recent presidential election became one of the main discussion subjects for individuals and families regardless of their statuses. People who like this kind of stuff have the opportunity to enjoy it more frequently than once in 4 years by watching House of Cards, a political television series. House of Cards, based on critics’ reviews and feedback from people, is considered one of the best TV series today. It is the story of one Democrat, who initiates a plan to gain a more powerful standing in the political system after receiving some portion of success. Mixed ambitions, manipulation and pragmatism in politics become the major themes of the series. Having received multiple awards, House of Cards then becomes one of the must-watch TV series if you have not yet seen it on screen.

House of Cards: Main Interesting Facts

Regardless of whether you watch House of Cards or you fall under the category of those who just plan to watch it, you may find some of the facts about the TV series quite interesting:

• House of Cards writer, Michael Dobbs, is the one who produced the novel. The trilogy initially was used for making BBC mini-series and only years later the American adaptation was produced. Interestingly enough, House of Cards writer in addition used to serve as Mrs. Thatcher's chief of staff and the deputy chairman for the Conservative party.
• The film has changed how business of television works. The thing is that after successful acquisition of House of Cards, Netflix released the entire season at once online. This is something that has never been done before, but such act was met with great acceptance.
• House of Cards has become the very first online series to win an Emmy Award. Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Cinematography, and Outstanding Casting — these three awards became historical for the series, as it is something that has never been achieved before by other online series.
• Some notable politicians claim that things shown in the series are very realistic in the context of politics. In other words, the political reality pictured in House of Cards is very close to how things happen in real life.
• Many people wonder «Where was House of Cards filmed?». Most of the episodes were shot in Joppa, Maryland, although they were set in D.C. Filming location is important for many fans because the settings always look great in the movie.

These facts simply prove that interest in the series is not artificial. More than that, some of the characters were inspired by real former American presidents. Those who like to think about how our political system functions will definitely fall in love with House of Cards series.

How House of Cards is similar to current political situation in the USA 

In many ways House of Cards is similar to modern political life in the USA. For example, the statement that money rules politics and presidents is proved to be true both in the movie and in real life. The fact that Underwood, one of the characters, argues that power is more important than money only sets the stage for the truism that money rules Washington. It drives election campaigns, policy, and many other things present in the political life of entire nations. Another great parallel can be made with desire for gaining power in D.C. Even if you have never been involved in politics, you can guess that egocentricity is the greatest internal driving force of those who wish to come to power. This aspect is displayed very well in House of Cards as fans analyze the motivation of most politicians in the film.

Maybe very subtly, but House of Cards does a wonderful job picturing politicians as humans, too. The public often ignores the fact that politicians are people just like anybody else, and, therefore, they are subject to human flaws as the rest of us. The character of Peter Russo is a great reminder of this fact. Politicians shouldn't be judged simply by the mistakes of the past, but rather their present behavior and vision for the future. What the series also does wonderfully is it nails the dangerous feelings of today. House of cards producer attempts to demonstrate that the role of institutions is perverted; in many cases they are only tools for political games. And it is hard to find any decent counterarguments to such a statement. In addition, House of Cards clearly shows that politics today is all about deal-making where many third parties and their interests are involved.

House of Cards producer really does an amazing job picturing the inside of the US politics. Whether people realize it or not, the series contains so many truthful pictures of today's politicians with their tricky approaches and methods of making their ways up to the top of political ladder.

House of Cards Cast: Who Are the Main Characters?

The House of Cards cast is top drawer, making the adaptation so trending among the Americans. Having gone with Kevin Spacey, House of Cards has won plaudits from the public. He plays Francis Underwood, who eventually becomes the 46th President of the United States of America. By choosing Kevin Spacey, House of Cards series got significantly enriched in terms of skillful play as well as producing strategy, because Spacey is also considered an executive producer of the film. Talking about others, we should mention Robin Wright starring as Claire Underwood (Underwood's wife), as well as Michael Kelly performing as Douglas Stamper (Underwood's chief of staff). Also, Corey Stoll, Kate Mara, Magershala Ali, Michael Gill, and Molly Parker make House of Cards cast a great team of professionals who perfectly cope with the tasks set before them. Thus, House of Cards, based on general political realities of many countries, definitely deserves the attention of those who are looking for addicting TV series to watch.