Oh, I know what people are saying. This new Amazon mini-series is a nightmare, a travesty, a clumsy, heavy-handed, over-the-top, deliberate dumbing down of a beloved Australian classic. And you know what? They're right. Well, partly right. Right for quite a few scenes. But that's not the whole story.
This six episode series starts on exactly the wrong note. Natalie Dormer, dressed in black, cackling it up like the Wicked Witch of the West, buys a deserted mansion and makes a sacred vow to Satan to build the worst girl's school ever!
At this point I very nearly took the DVD's back to the library.
The writing, directing, and the music are all poor, especially in the first couple of episodes. What saves the series and even makes it a triumph are the soaring, sensational performances of the young, very talented Australian cast.
Lily Sullivan as Miranda, the fearless, rugged, outdoor girl, the noble and unselfish leader. Lily Sullivan makes Miranda so tough, yet so caring, almost Christ like, yet very down to earth. She has such magnetism, such decency, such strength!
Samara Weaving as Irma, the glamorous, sophisticated and sexually adventurous bad girl. Samara Weaving makes Irma so much more than just a "salop!" She shows how badly this seemingly confident girl wants to be accepted and included, how much she wants Miranda's respect. Ironically, she's the one you really feel sorry for at the end, even though she's the "luckiest" of all the girls!
Maddie Madelyn as Marion, the serious scholar of the group. You can see that political correctness was at work here, casting an indigenous girl to play a character that was just as white as all the other girls in the original book. Yet Maddie makes Marion so brave and loyal and effortlessly devoted to Miranda.
Inez Curro as Sara, the littlest girl at school, the castoff orphan who idolizes Miranda. What blows you away is how this nine year old actress (in her first role ever) takes the simple part of the cute mascot and gives her all kinds of grown up guts and strength, her face showing grit and defiance in almost every scene! (Except when she's horseback riding with Miranda.)
So you have these three young actresses who have instant, natural, Three Musketeers type chemistry, and they can transcend all the silliness of the script and find the deeper, richer, almost mystical connection between the three girls. The three of them can be cute and sexy in one scene, sweet and forlorn in the next, and tragic and defiant in the next, and always with the sense that it's all for one and one for all!
The fascinating thing is that the the "modern" elements that get wedged into the script (feminist preaching, flirty lesbian looks, and of course the odd sex toy) don't really ruin the timeless mystery of the story. That's because the cast are absolutely amazing and totally believe in the journey the girls are taking. By the very end of the story, even Natalie Dormer is able to discover the core of Mrs. Appleyard's anguish and give her a very graceful exit.
So my review is seven stars -- stick with this one, it's not as bad as it looks!
This six episode series starts on exactly the wrong note. Natalie Dormer, dressed in black, cackling it up like the Wicked Witch of the West, buys a deserted mansion and makes a sacred vow to Satan to build the worst girl's school ever!
At this point I very nearly took the DVD's back to the library.
The writing, directing, and the music are all poor, especially in the first couple of episodes. What saves the series and even makes it a triumph are the soaring, sensational performances of the young, very talented Australian cast.
Lily Sullivan as Miranda, the fearless, rugged, outdoor girl, the noble and unselfish leader. Lily Sullivan makes Miranda so tough, yet so caring, almost Christ like, yet very down to earth. She has such magnetism, such decency, such strength!
Samara Weaving as Irma, the glamorous, sophisticated and sexually adventurous bad girl. Samara Weaving makes Irma so much more than just a "salop!" She shows how badly this seemingly confident girl wants to be accepted and included, how much she wants Miranda's respect. Ironically, she's the one you really feel sorry for at the end, even though she's the "luckiest" of all the girls!
Maddie Madelyn as Marion, the serious scholar of the group. You can see that political correctness was at work here, casting an indigenous girl to play a character that was just as white as all the other girls in the original book. Yet Maddie makes Marion so brave and loyal and effortlessly devoted to Miranda.
Inez Curro as Sara, the littlest girl at school, the castoff orphan who idolizes Miranda. What blows you away is how this nine year old actress (in her first role ever) takes the simple part of the cute mascot and gives her all kinds of grown up guts and strength, her face showing grit and defiance in almost every scene! (Except when she's horseback riding with Miranda.)
So you have these three young actresses who have instant, natural, Three Musketeers type chemistry, and they can transcend all the silliness of the script and find the deeper, richer, almost mystical connection between the three girls. The three of them can be cute and sexy in one scene, sweet and forlorn in the next, and tragic and defiant in the next, and always with the sense that it's all for one and one for all!
The fascinating thing is that the the "modern" elements that get wedged into the script (feminist preaching, flirty lesbian looks, and of course the odd sex toy) don't really ruin the timeless mystery of the story. That's because the cast are absolutely amazing and totally believe in the journey the girls are taking. By the very end of the story, even Natalie Dormer is able to discover the core of Mrs. Appleyard's anguish and give her a very graceful exit.
So my review is seven stars -- stick with this one, it's not as bad as it looks!