Deuces Up

I've been mesmerized with the new HBO show The Deuce.  If you haven't tuned in yet, I highly recommend spending tonight catching up on the 4 episodes that've already aired.  Created by the directors of The Wire (George Pelecanos and David Simon), the show centers on New York in the 1970s and the pioneering moments of the American sex industry.    Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a street smart single-mother-turned prostitute named "Candy," trying to scrape by and provide for her son, who lives out in the suburbs with his grandmother.  James Franco masterfully plays twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino, often conversing and interacting in the same scenes.  So far, the show has focused on the rampant prostitiution in and around Times Square.  I've been told by seasoned New Yorkers that Times Square was a very seedy place back in the day- certainly not the tourist hotspot it is today, and the show definitely represents that well.  While the storyline alone is fascinating, I'm also digging the 70s fashion:

Vincent pictured here with his estranged wife, played by Zoe Kazan (how sick is that jumpsuit?!):

One actress I've discovered from the show is Margarita Levieva, who plays a feminist NYU drop-out simultaneously fascinated and confused by the sex industry swirling around her in Times Square.  I loved this quintessential 70s look she donned in the pilot:

Shop Abby's Look:

Sunnies/Knit Cardigan/Cropped Knit Sweater/Fuji Suede Belt/Flare Jeans/Leather Satchel Purse

But if we're being honest, the pimps featured on the show (CC played by Gary Carr and Larry Brown played by Gbenga Akinnagbe) always have the best getups:

Interesting tidbits about the show:

"Directors Simon and Pelecanos were introduced to a man in New York who told them vivid accounts from his stint as a mob front for bars and massage parlors in 1970s Manhattan. "The characters were so rich, and that's what it all comes down to," said Pelecanos. Inspired by these stories, the producers set out to present a fictional account of the era. "Some of it happened," said Simon. "Some of it didn't happen. Some of it might have happened. But all of it could have happened..."

"Themes explored include the violence of the drug epidemic and the resulting real estate booms and busts that coincided with the change. The show's title is derived from the nickname for 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue." - The Deuce

Past posts on cinema and TV:

Recreating my favorite looks from Amy Adams' character in American Hustle.

An iconic mid-century piece featured on the Mad Men set.