thomasjerome
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Post by thomasjerome on Oct 27, 2020 14:13:50 GMT
Promising and intriguing start, even not without its flaws. Excited to see what Kidman and Grant will get to do in the next episodes. So far their chemistry is good. Critics describing it as "pulpy 90s erotic thriller" doesn't really turn me off as I like many of them. Also hoping they won't waste Sutherland.
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Post by pacinoyes on Oct 27, 2020 14:26:59 GMT
Um......some of this is a parody even beyond Kidman - who is at her utmost Liz Taylor self-parodying self here....this HBO specialty really, really hates white people, and rich ones too. I'm not sure I'll keep watching because this type of show is almost guaranteed to get worse ........unless you are watching just for the twists, of which there will be plenty I'm sure and the tone of which was more than tipped off by a key Grant line. It wasn't bad though and neither was how it was played ..........but I fear by ep 3 or 4 it will be ........for me anyway. Kidman's acting rut is going to take until at least the Eggers film where she'll get the chance to do something (anything) different.....
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Post by notacrook on Oct 27, 2020 15:40:54 GMT
Kidman's acting rut is going to take until at least the Eggers film where she'll get the chance to do something (anything) different..... Almost every Kidman performance of the last few years has been remarkably different. Her character here is very reminiscent of Celeste in BLL, but as I said in my post a lot of this episode felt like it was borrowing heavily from that show's formula.
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Post by pupdurcs on Oct 27, 2020 16:09:01 GMT
Um......some of this is a parody even beyond Kidman - who is at her utmost Liz Taylor self-parodying self here....this HBO specialty really, really hates white people, and rich ones too. I'm not sure I'll keep watching because this type of show is almost guaranteed to get worse ........unless you are watching just for the twists, of which there will be plenty I'm sure and the tone of which was more than tipped off by a key Grant line. It wasn't bad though and neither was how it was played ..........but I fear by ep 3 or 4 it will be ........for me anyway. Kidman's acting rut is going to take until at least the Eggers film where she'll get the chance to do something (anything) different..... Dude, your hate boner for Kidman is getting almost as embrassing and painfully obvious the one you had with Denzel (coincidently, my favorite actress and actor) . Watching you pray that everything Kidman does fails is like your new Denzel-bashing. You seriously have zero shame. I seriously wonder what the fuck is wrong with you sometimes. Everyone calls you out on your spiteful and malicious behaviour and attitude, yet you keep on trucking as if being a hateful human being is a virtue.
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Post by pacinoyes on Oct 27, 2020 16:24:43 GMT
I don't hate Nicole Kidman (or Denzel Washington certainly, who I have seen every film/TV performance by - ever - and the most on stage than anyone on MAR ). She's just in a rut and samey to me, I look forward to seeing her playing something different that's all. If there's anything I hate about her it's her team of publicists not her actual work. As msmoviestar would say........The whispering....the wigs She's fine in ep 1 though
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Post by pacinoyes on Oct 27, 2020 16:27:22 GMT
Um......some of this is a parody even beyond Kidman - who is at her utmost Liz Taylor self-parodying self here....this HBO specialty really, really hates white people, and rich ones too. I'm not sure I'll keep watching because this type of show is almost guaranteed to get worse ........unless you are watching just for the twists, of which there will be plenty I'm sure and the tone of which was more than tipped off by a key Grant line. It wasn't bad though and neither was how it was played ..........but I fear by ep 3 or 4 it will be ........for me anyway. Kidman's acting rut is going to take until at least the Eggers film where she'll get the chance to do something (anything) different..... Dude, your hate boner You seem to have a problem with ...........me? and that's...........ok.........just giving my opinion, you can give yours.......don't go away mad........just go away Perhaps you need to talk to a moderator or something? Shrug........
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Post by pupdurcs on Oct 27, 2020 16:29:33 GMT
I don't hate Nicole Kidman (or Denzel Washington certainly, who I have seen every film/TV performance by - ever - and the most on stage than anyone on MAR ). She's just in a rut and samey to me, I look forward to seeing her playing something different that's all. If there's anything I hate about her it's her team of publicists not her actual work. As msmoviestar would say........The whispering....the wigs She's fine in ep 1 though Bullshit. You go out of your way to disparage every project and performance she does now, and on some level I'm sure it's at least partially due to our "history". She's my favorite actress (which you are well aware of), so the constant attacks fit your extremely petty and vindictive nature. Just stop being so bloody obvious about it. You are fooling no one.
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Post by pupdurcs on Oct 28, 2020 1:11:11 GMT
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 1, 2020 7:34:27 GMT
Goldderby thinks Kidman has a very good shot at winning Best Actress In A Limited series at the Golden Globes. They have Shira Haas in Unorthodox as the current favorite, but Kidman has the advantadge of being in a fresh show building momentum week by week.
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Post by futuretrunks on Nov 1, 2020 14:10:25 GMT
I liked the first episode.
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 2, 2020 5:05:04 GMT
2nd episode was tense as hell. Carried almost entirely by an outstanding Kidman, who runs the complete gamut of emotions (pick almost any scene in this episode and you can find whatever they are going to be using for her Award Show clip). A lot of the stuff she did in this episode reminded me of her work in The Others, which is some of her peak acting on film.
No spoilers, but this show is structured to keep you wanting to see the next episode. Well played David E Kelly and Susanne Bier. So far, an exceptionally watchable thriller.
8/10
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 2, 2020 14:33:00 GMT
Recap/Review of Episode 2 from the Metro (Spoilers!)
Great ink for the episode and it's leading lady:
"It's Kidman who is the most impressive though. She has already delivered one of the best performances of her career in the first two episodes of The Undoing, with Kelley's material clearly getting the most out of her once again".
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Post by pacinoyes on Nov 2, 2020 17:11:05 GMT
Here's a negative take abut how the casting of Grant/Kidman as whitewashed Jews and their name change "Sachs" from the novel hurts the "realism" of the show.......and how in that way it pales next to Mrs. America in the depiction of the Jewish characters shown in the show. Interesting take on it - I never read the novel and wouldn't have thought of this as a "problem" with the show unless it was pointed out to me, but it's a good point and how the show undercuts the narrative etc. Episode 2 was entertaining to me in its soapy way.......... it's a guilty pleasure type show I think - you just watch for how it will spin out of control for them all which is common on TV - especially nowadays (Ozark, etc.). Not great but watchable-ish..... The Sachs have been turned into the distinctly Waspy Frasers in this six-part series, which is “just” watchable enough to hold your attention. In truth, it’s much closer to being a bad show than a good one. But there’s enough intrigue created each week to make you tune in for the following episode, even if you may hate yourself for doing so.www.haaretz.com/life/television/.premium-in-the-undoing-and-mrs-america-two-very-different-fates-for-jewish-characters-1.9278874
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Post by MsMovieStar on Nov 2, 2020 17:32:28 GMT
Here's a negative take abut how the casting of Grant/Kidman as whitewashed Jews and their name change "Sachs" from the novel hurts the "realism" of the show.......and how in that way it pales next to Mrs. America in the depiction of the Jewish characters shown in the show. Interesting take on it - I never read the novel and wouldn't have thought of this as a "problem" with the show unless it was pointed out to me, but it's a good point and how the show undercuts the narrative etc. Episode 2 was entertaining to me in its soapy way.......... it's a guilty pleasure type show I think - you just watch for how it will spin out of control for them all which is common on TV - especially nowadays (Ozark, etc.). Not great but watchable-ish..... The Sachs have been turned into the distinctly Waspy Frasers in this six-part series, which is “just” watchable enough to hold your attention. In truth, it’s much closer to being a bad show than a good one. But there’s enough intrigue created each week to make you tune in for the following episode, even if you may hate yourself for doing so.www.haaretz.com/life/television/.premium-in-the-undoing-and-mrs-america-two-very-different-fates-for-jewish-characters-1.9278874
Oh honey, I don't think they can compare a great character actress like Tracey Ullman to Nicole, who just effectively wears wigs and whispers. Ullman's range is phenomenal - just on accents alone, she beats Nicole hands down.
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Post by notacrook on Nov 2, 2020 17:32:41 GMT
Agree that this is more of a guilty pleasure soap than anything, albeit one with exceptional production value, direction and acting. Those early reviews that compared it to a trashy 90's thriller were bang on, and I have to say I'm enjoying it for what it is. Kidman was phenomenal in that second episode.
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 2, 2020 18:01:09 GMT
Agree that this is more of a guilty pleasure soap than anything, albeit one with exceptional production value, direction and acting. Those early reviews that compared it to a trashy 90's thriller were bang on, and I have to say I'm enjoying it for what it is. Kidman was phenomenal in that second episode. What I like is that it's clearly deliberate on Kidman's part to try and revive those guilty pleasure 90's thrillers under the guise of a prestige HBO limited series. She gave an interview a year or so back wondering where those edge of your seat type thrillers like Basic Instinct had gone, as it's the kind of thing people she knows enjoy. And she actually went out and fucking made it . The woman has a very good understanding of what TV audiences want, and it's clearly paying off for her. Yeah, her performance in the second episode was incredible. Masterclass level shit. Like I said, almost every scene of hers felt good enough for an Awards Reel clip. I don't know if I agree with the tweet below that she has secured another Emmy with this episode (Next Emmys is long way away, and this release date does not help), but she's certainly working at that level:
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Post by Mattsby on Nov 2, 2020 18:07:48 GMT
Here's a negative take abut how the casting of Grant/Kidman as whitewashed Jews and their name change "Sachs" from the novel hurts the "realism" of the show.......and how in that way it pales next to Mrs. America in the depiction of the Jewish characters shown in the show. Interesting take on it - I never read the novel and wouldn't have thought of this as a "problem" with the show unless it was pointed out to me, but it's a good point and how the show undercuts the narrative etc. Episode 2 was entertaining to me in its soapy way.......... it's a guilty pleasure type show I think - you just watch for how it will spin out of control for them all which is common on TV - especially nowadays (Ozark, etc.). Not great but watchable-ish..... The Sachs have been turned into the distinctly Waspy Frasers in this six-part series, which is “just” watchable enough to hold your attention. In truth, it’s much closer to being a bad show than a good one. But there’s enough intrigue created each week to make you tune in for the following episode, even if you may hate yourself for doing so.www.haaretz.com/life/television/.premium-in-the-undoing-and-mrs-america-two-very-different-fates-for-jewish-characters-1.9278874That's an interesting breakdown - looked into, thought out. Why erase religion and the imminent book element from the show (which would make her more like a Schlafly)? That's two interesting pressures on the character that we don't get in the show. It would give ironic sense to her paranoia. Bier's hurdling direction is actually working overtime to overwhelm the Kidman character, while sort of overdoing it too (like those digital street ads in Ep2, which plays as funny, and otherwise the flashback padding, that was badly overused in BLL). Kidman and her hocus pocus coat feel a little too generic and out of place - I've had the thought that Lily Rabe should've headlined the show, she's kinda better so far and believable as a New Yorker too! But it's fun enough to keep me watching, and I'm holding out for Sutherland and Hugh Grant to have more to do.
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 2, 2020 18:12:47 GMT
The praise Kidman is getting for this is clearly hurting some here. I love it!
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Post by pacinoyes on Nov 2, 2020 19:16:31 GMT
The ratings were fairly average - disappointing debut for the "Queen of TV" no? .......and this is clearly hurting " someone" on here. .................I LOVE it.... I'm sure it will do better as it goes along and get some good (and some bad) reviews....ratings will pick up as it goes along. Sunday saw the premiere of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant thriller “The Undoing,” which managed to match the “Lovecraft Country” curtain-raiser with 1.4 million total viewers across all platforms. That figure puts it in the middle of the pack as far as HBO premieres over the last few months go.
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 2, 2020 19:27:17 GMT
The ratings are fine so far to the best of my knowledge, and HBO don't pay my salary, so frankly I wouldn't lose much sleep even if they were bad. I'm just satisfied that Kidman is continuing to cement that she is the Best Actress working in the English language today (imho) with the work she is doing.
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Post by pacinoyes on Nov 2, 2020 20:10:59 GMT
Yes, the work is the important thing not the ratings or box office.....etc As you know I don't think she's close to the Best Actress in the English language these last few years ...... but I do like her and look forward especially to the Eggers film which I think will be a very big crossroads for her career.... I was just making fun of you because you said the praise Kidman is getting for this is clearly hurting some here. I love it!which of course was not true..... .......I think The Undoing will do ok with ratings once people catch up with it
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 3, 2020 19:01:20 GMT
The Undoing has an 18% increase in viewers from 1st to 2nd episode.
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LaraQ
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English Rose
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Post by LaraQ on Nov 6, 2020 12:36:05 GMT
Really like this so far, but Kidman's Aussie accent is jumping out a lot.It's still astonishing to me that she hasn't mastered an American accent yet.
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 6, 2020 12:51:47 GMT
Really like this so far, but Kidman's Aussie accent is jumping out a lot.It's still astonishing to me that she hasn't mastered an American accent yet. I think she's had a lot flawless American accents ( To Die For, Destroyer, The Paperboy, Batman Forever and many more), but she probably used to work with dialect coaches more on some projects to make sure her Aussie didn't occasionally slip out. It was noticeable in Big Little Lies as well, but it doesn't really detract from the power and skill of her performance (obviously since she won every acting award going for it). And it actually fits these upper class patrician characters she's playing on both shows. She's probably getting to that Anthony Hopkins stage of her career where she isn't as fussed as she used to be ( I don't think I've ever seen Hopkins do an American accent, where his English/Welsh vowels didn't occasionally slip out. Never affects his overall performance though).
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Post by Mattsby on Nov 6, 2020 19:24:47 GMT
Really like this so far, but Kidman's Aussie accent is jumping out a lot.It's still astonishing to me that she hasn't mastered an American accent yet. Bad accents don't really bother me but since it's been brought up - Kidman and the kid Noah Jupe don't sound remotely New York. I was actually wondering why the kid seemed to be doing a British accent only to find out he is in fact British. Not that it matters a whole lot in this show, as it isn't subtle, and isn't trying to be, unlike what that awful Metro review asserts. It's the storm of it that's entertaining, so anything "off" may only benefit it.
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