Big Little Lies

I really wouldn’t want to live in a town like that. Even though it’s some community in California, at times I felt as if the story was taking place somewhere in Scandinavia. The mix of people in this story showed some crazy relationship tangles and during seven episodes told me a story that in an interesting way leads to murder. It doesn’t start with murder, but it ends with it. The problem with the show, however, was that it was taking a long time until it finally began, and I really spent about half of the show getting used to the characters, not saying that I got used to them at all. Nevertheless, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley showed performances that are truly out of this world, and the male part of the crew was pretty close behind. It is also nice that this story is about lying women and not men, so some feminists are gonna weep. It is interesting to see how far these mothers can go for the fundamentals of motherhood and preserving a family. There’s definitely something to it, but you won’t realize the true quality of the whole premise until the very end, so don’t hesitate and try to stick with the seven episodes as much as you can. It will be worth it. (08/04/2017)

An apt satirical detached view of how caring for children has been replaced by obsession with children, trifling violent disputes in a small town and about what happens behind the closed doors of households when no one is watching (despite it is not so "scary", it is one of those chilling portrayals of domestic violence which will give you shivers). Rather than an adaptation, it is a literal illustration of the original, but it is so stimulating and packed with different themes (however on the leisure side of the spectrum) that, together with the excellent cast of parents and offspring is more than enough to keep you entertained. The only problem is the length. After all, just seven episodes showing four hundred pages is way to much. Not to mention that the original is already struggling with flogging a dead horse in the middle part. Surprisingly, in spite of all the literality, however, it has a rather sloppy ending compared to the original, where the story lines not only don´t have a proper ending but some of them in this version even make absolutely no sense. (11/03/2017)

Season 1 – 85% – Three wonders in roles that make me love them even more than before. The unpleasantly believable atmosphere of the all-knowing and sensation-seeking small town dissipates unnecessarily in the generous seven-hour space, but the technical side and the exceptional performances of the actors make Big Little Lies a well-deserved event. The finale adds a beautiful crown to everything, as I did manage to guess the side points with luck, but not the identity of the victim. I would just prefer that it not get recycled, stretched out, or imitated. The girls would look best if they stayed quiet in their little bubble like this. Season 2 – 85% – In the end, this unwanted addition flows with the same strength as the original. The echoes of key decisions are appropriately burning for all five women, and their partners or counterparts are as uncertain as can be. The second season can stand on its own even in unremarkable family gatherings, and thanks to the arrival of Meryl Streep as Mary Louise, watching it becomes a necessity. It's just a pity about the last episode, which brings all the expected emotions but forgets about at least some of the unexpected ones. (29/04/2017)

When you've been on maternity leave longer than the biological clock approves, that shrunken world of baby diapers, dirty clothes, and runny noses may need to be stretched beyond the edge where good morals brush up against the paragraphs of the law. It’s a teasing probe into the loving embrace of all-powerful mothers, whose world we may not seem to understand, but in many ways we share with them. I wouldn't be fooled by the detective storyline, as even the less astute will soon figure out who deserves to die. Yet the gradual path to the inevitable end is interwoven with a fascinating web of seeming banalities, conversations eavesdropped on from life that form a fascinating whole. Vallée is an editing master, and all he has to do is look away for half a second at the right moment and he leads the viewer as if on a string. Perhaps this is girl power in a way we may not want to see it and yet we absolutely must. I’m looking forward to the next season. (30/11/2018)

I really enjoyed the series. Its biggest weakness is that it seems to lack energy until about the fifth episode. It’s not that the first four episodes are bad, I just felt like the story didn't really kick into full gear until Episode 5. After the first episode I was hesitating whether to continue watching, but I hung in there and I don't regret it. On the contrary. I even decided to get the book on which it was based so I could compare it with the show. (07/09/2017)