As a film enthusiast with a deep appreciation for character-driven narratives, I found “Lady in the Lake” on Apple TV+ to be an intriguing yet disappointing watch. Having grown up in Baltimore and being intimately familiar with its rich history, I was eager to see how Alma Har’el would adapt Laura Lippman’s novel for the small screen. The setting, the characters, and the premise all held immense promise.
In “Lady in the Lake,” a TV series on Apple TV+ inspired by Laura Lippman’s novel and produced by Alma Har’el, we follow two women from Baltimore, Maryland in 1966, each with strong desires to escape their mundane realities. Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish housewife yearns to become a journalist, while Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a young Black mother aspires to build a better future for her sons. However, her husband Slappy (Byron Bowers) pursues his comedy dreams, leaving Cleo stuck in menial jobs as a department store window model and bartender. Their lives intertwine unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day. The show offers intriguing characters and settings but fails to deliver the intended noir thriller experience due to Har’el’s inclusion of confounding surrealist elements. As a result, Cleo becomes an unwitting spectator in her own narrative, while Maddie’s determination to achieve her goals, regardless of the cost, makes her character come across as insufferable and pushy.
“Lady in the Lake”
In this gripping tale, I found myself rooting for Maddie as she climbed the career ladder, but my heart went out to Cleo who was barely keeping her head above water. Desperate for extra income, Cleo accepted a job from Shell Gordon, unknowingly stepping into a dangerous situation that ultimately cost her life. With renewed determination, I watched as Maddie leveraged Cleo’s death to further her ambitions at the newspaper and in The Bottom. However, things didn’t go according to plan.
The “Lady in the Lake” production is perplexing as it holds a strong narrative base. However, Har’el makes viewers wade through excessive and unnecessary expositions and peculiar scenes. The sixth episode, titled “I know who killed Cleo Johnson,” lasts 45 minutes and takes us on a lengthy journey with Maddie in a dreamlike sequence. Despite the impressive production design by JC Molina, stunning costumes by Shiona Turini, and excellent hair and makeup by Jose Zamora and Claudia Humburg, there is a lack of meaningful dialogue during this episode. Removing it would have led to a more cohesive series.
Unfortunately, the surreal elements interspersed throughout the show confuse the mystery in the narrative. The drama is like two intricately woven rugs joined together in the last episode to form a complete picture. However, with the limited series packing in so many details, viewers are left overwhelmed and disoriented instead of on the edge of their seats with suspense.
Over the centuries, women have faced consequences for pursuing their goals, particularly during periods before the Women’s Rights movement. In “Lady in the Lake,” Maddie and Cleo are determined to seek more from life. They encounter intense misogyny as they strive for new opportunities, but the show lacks the ability to maintain an engaging suspense. Instead of presenting something fresh, it merely repeats known facts. Ultimately, racism imposes a significant cost, whereas privilege (and being white) could potentially lead to freedom.
Two initial installments of “Lady in the Lake” become accessible on Apple TV+ starting July 19, with fresh episodes being released every week on Fridays.
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2024-07-19 04:17