It wasn't until the third episode that I started to enjoy it, and I was close to calling it quits during the second, but something kept me hanging on. The intrigue kept building in the last three episodes and the at times 'over experimentalisation' in the first two episodes on the cinematography and story telling became more derivative which in turn actually started to build the suspense.
I have seen a few times the original Peter Weir film, and whilst at times the mini-series tries to replicate the mood and timbre of the film, for the most part it does its own thing, and credit to the production crew for doing so.
At times, it drags so very slow, whilst at others it moves along at an appropriate pace. And herein lies the biggest problem with the production, and that is inconsistency. The cinematography at times is brilliant, whilst at other times too experimental and trying too hard to be quirky. The music at times is haunting, minimalist and other-wordly, then it overpowers completely with modern industrial loops and phrases which simply don't fit. Sometimes the storytelling is exquisite in its timing, dialog and intrigue, whilst just around the corner it becomes vague, confusing and amateur.
I felt the jumping around on the timeline was a little 'over done', and the story could very well have been told in a slightly more 'linear' fashion, whilst still maintaining the tension and intrigue.
Far too much overlap and duplication in the first two hours also, whilst in the last two hours a number of interesting sub-plots that emerge are simply glossed over. I thought the extension of the plotline from the book and movie was generally well done and early in the last episode, one felt that perhaps it could be extended with a second series. But alas it does all wrap up in the last ten minutes rather abruptly (and of course with more overlap and duplication from the first hour)
It's a well cast and beautifully produced mini-series. Natalie Dormer is a class-above and her effort on this holds the series together powerfully. A truly wonderful actor - that without her presence on this mini-series, it may have fallen very flat.
Overall, it felt like there were too many 'cooks in the kitchen' when it came to producing this. Often less is more, especially in film making, and this series could've done with less - one less hour, less experimentation with the camera, less timejumps, less duplication, less overpowering industrial music loops and less random symbolisms.
They nearly nailed this one, but not quite - a missed opportunity to make a masterpiece.
I have seen a few times the original Peter Weir film, and whilst at times the mini-series tries to replicate the mood and timbre of the film, for the most part it does its own thing, and credit to the production crew for doing so.
At times, it drags so very slow, whilst at others it moves along at an appropriate pace. And herein lies the biggest problem with the production, and that is inconsistency. The cinematography at times is brilliant, whilst at other times too experimental and trying too hard to be quirky. The music at times is haunting, minimalist and other-wordly, then it overpowers completely with modern industrial loops and phrases which simply don't fit. Sometimes the storytelling is exquisite in its timing, dialog and intrigue, whilst just around the corner it becomes vague, confusing and amateur.
I felt the jumping around on the timeline was a little 'over done', and the story could very well have been told in a slightly more 'linear' fashion, whilst still maintaining the tension and intrigue.
Far too much overlap and duplication in the first two hours also, whilst in the last two hours a number of interesting sub-plots that emerge are simply glossed over. I thought the extension of the plotline from the book and movie was generally well done and early in the last episode, one felt that perhaps it could be extended with a second series. But alas it does all wrap up in the last ten minutes rather abruptly (and of course with more overlap and duplication from the first hour)
It's a well cast and beautifully produced mini-series. Natalie Dormer is a class-above and her effort on this holds the series together powerfully. A truly wonderful actor - that without her presence on this mini-series, it may have fallen very flat.
Overall, it felt like there were too many 'cooks in the kitchen' when it came to producing this. Often less is more, especially in film making, and this series could've done with less - one less hour, less experimentation with the camera, less timejumps, less duplication, less overpowering industrial music loops and less random symbolisms.
They nearly nailed this one, but not quite - a missed opportunity to make a masterpiece.