Post by LaraQ on Oct 29, 2018 14:10:39 GMT
If there is a more appropriate and intoxicating matchup of genre and auteur this year than John le Carré and Chan-wook Park, I can't quite place it. The first episode of Park's BBC adaptation of le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl provides a perfect marriage of material and translator, all with a deliciously moody atmosphere. I'd actually say this is the closest thing we'll get to Park's version of Munich, in all that such a lofty comparison represents.
Florence Pugh acquits herself wonderfully as the fiery Charlie, a struggling actress who finds herself mired in a globe-spanning web of intrigue, deceit and espionage. Coming off the heels of her dazzling work in Lady Macbeth, Pugh continues to prove herself to be a powerful talent. Michael Shannon downplays his trademark volatility and brings a shrewdness to his role as Israeli spymaster Martin, coming off as equal parts Kurt Vonnegut and Mark Rylance's Bridge of Spies character. Alexander Skarsgard also finds himself perfectly suited to his role as the man who brings Charlie into the dangerous world of late '70s terrorism.
It remains to be seen if Park will indulge in his Vengeance tendencies of operatic violence, but already we see his grandly glorious style play out in sleek form. The cinematography is breathtaking, evoking the cinematic adaptations of Patricia Highsmith novels as well as the criminally underappreciated BBC series Utopia (a must-watch for anyone!). The first episode isn't fraught with action, but it certainly sparks the fuse to blow the powderkeg.