“A Man in Full” chronicles a real estate mogul’s multiple crises

Some rare directors and writers risk alienating audiences by populating their stories with unlikable characters, principals to supporting participants. The only entertainment, so to speak, may be watching the deeply flawed individuals get their comeuppance, enjoyment derived from their fall. A case can be made that this applies to the Netflix miniseries “A Man in Full.”

Adapting Tom Wolfe’s satiric novel of the same title, David E. Kelley remains true to the social critique of cringe worthy business and political wheeler dealers. Directors Regina King and Thomas Schlamme aim their sights on Charlie Croker, a real estate magnate struggling to ward off bankruptcy. In contemporary Atlanta, Charlie enjoys his past glory as a Georgia Tech football star, shows off the Croker Concourse skyscraper, and breeds very expensive horses. He’ll happily showcase their mating ritual to the horror of others.

Past enemies will happily conspire to enable, even hasten his demise. Technically, the straightforward stylistic choices convey a real-life feel to every scene. Strong performances carry the load with extraordinary energy and full commitment. Leading the way is Jeff Daniels who fully embraces Charlie, refusing to admit defeat. Many volatile relationships, with men and women, fuel Charlie’s predicament. Showrunner Kelley said he wanted Charlie Croker complicated and compelling, inviting our loathing and fascination. I do detect a slight twinkle in Jeff Daniels’ eyes since it was certainly fun to play such a deeply flawed, heartless, conniving person--see “Succession” for a related example of such guilty, entertaining pleasure.   

Contributing are: Diane Lane, Sarah Jones, Bill Camp, Lucy Liu, and, most insidious of all, a revenge-motivated Tom Pelphrey. The idea behind the title “A Man in Full” suggests a person larger than life, or one who considers himself an admirable and successful marvel. Here, as usual with Tom Wolfe and David E. Kelley, a scathing critique of a racist legal system, class, egotism, and greed take center stage. All receive their due criticism and exposure for the inequities fostered and embraced by self-indulgent antiheroes. With a season two reportedly in the works, the six episodes of season one of “A Man in Full” stream now on Netflix.