A hit, a miss and an outstanding opportunity make up my November suggestions.
Amelia heads to Nantucket to prepare for her upcoming wedding to her mega-wealthy fiancée Benji. At the stunning family compound guests gather for the rehearsal dinner but hours before the marriage ceremony the body of a guest washes up in the Harbour and everyone is a suspect. Although a little predictable, intriguing performances and great scenery make the series very watchable. Nicole Kidman is perfectly cast as Greer Winbury a successful author married to Tag Winbury, (Leiv Schrieber) along with Eve Hewson the bride, Billy Howel the groom, Meghan Fahey maid of honour and best friend of the bride. There is a strong performance from Donna Lynne Champlin as Detective Nikki Henry and Dakota Fanning as Thomas Winbury’s wife. Six episodes make up the series directed by Susan Bier its based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand. The wedding rehearsal dance on the beach will likely have you dancing and is used as the opening sequence in each episode, so don’t worry you get to watch it again, my tip is don’t skip it, its very clever. The Perfect Couple is on Netflix.
If a movie has Liam Neeson starring its usually one that the Bloke Who Shares the Couch, (TBWSTC) and I can agree to watch together and enjoy but the Marksman didn’t hit the mark. An action drama directed by Robert Lorenz the Marksman stars Neeson as Jim Hanson a widower, former Marine sniper who lives along the Arizona Mexican border, with his dog Jackson. His daughter works for border patrol and Jim regularly reports border infringements.
He encounters Rosa and her son Miguel running from the drug cartel and when Rosa is shot he is given an address in Chicago where Miguel can find safety with family. Jim initially returns Miguel to authorities but realises the cartel will claim him and sets out to free the child and take him to safety. Neeson’s performance is sound and true and Jacob Perez as Miguel is great but the formulae driven plot lacks something. The cash strapped rancher and the young boy burning the bag of dirty money was just so farfetched it was almost comedic. Not the worst thing to watch by a very long way but not the best either.
I had listened to the audio book and then stumbled upon a local cinema screening of the UK National Theatre Live 2022 production of Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve). I had heard great things about this production and was very glad to have the chance to watch it. My initial misgivings about watching theatre on the screen as opposed to experiencing it live were soon forgotten and this enthralling production drew me in within the first 10 minutes. I later looked at the website and saw how much work goes into ensuring the very best camera angles, lighting and other elements are managed to ensure the experience is a good one.
Written by Australian Suzie Millar Prima Facie is a one woman play featuring Tessa a criminal defence barrister who usually defends people accused of sexual assault but her world shifts on its axis when she is sexually assaulted. Starting as a play, then becoming a novel and soon to be a film the story of Tessa will resonate with many and help understand the issues around evidence and underreporting.
The 2022 production of the play I watched was nominated for five Laurence Oliver Awards and won Best New Play and Best Actress for Jodie Comer who also received a Tony award for the Broadway production and it was clear that they were well deserved. It’s a strong, energetic performance and arguably as close to perfect as you will see. There is only one person on stage, she moves the set, changes the space and herself as the story is told. National Theatre UK Live gives you the opportunity to see the very best of theatre without an international flight.
Check it out https://www.ntlive.com/about-us/. Prime Facie was my first National Theatre Live event but it definitely won’t be my last.