The Undoing

I quite enjoyed this series about how a person's peaceful and relaxed life can change in just one night. Hugh Grant was cast in an atypical role and did a great job entertaining me all the way through. Similarly, I enjoyed the presence of Donald Sutherland, whom I had missed for a long time. And then there was Nicole Kidman, who, with all those esthetic procedures, is just asking for the nickname "Cyborg" or "Poker Face". Next to her naturally wrinkled acting partner, she looked considerably plastic. The story and its execution weren’t exactly amazing, but except for the fourth episode, I didn’t get bored, and it wasn’t lacking in pace, suspense or atmosphere. (06/02/2021)

I would definitely skip Jean Hanff Korelitz's mediocre thriller, but then again, in serial form, which follows the good stuff from Big Little Lies (based on the similarly mediocre Liane Moriarty), it's great. Contemporary quality TV is good for filmmakers left in their genre and mature film stars for whom the small screen is an interesting change. Kidman side-by-side with Grant creates tension without the slightest hesitation, letting the likes of Lily Rabe, whom television has defined so far, mature alongside them. Sometimes a miniseries with big cliffhangers is quite alright. It is, after all, a trick as old as cinema itself. #hbo (01/12/2020)