Normal People

2020 has been a strange and awful year even for cinema and tv but that's when Normal People enters the scene. It's arguably one of the best tv shows of the year. First of all I'd like to say that the sex/nude scenes aren't gratuitous. They're there for a reason, to convey emotions, a real and meaningful connection or in other cases a more superficial and frivolous one. The intimacy scenes are so well done and are nothing like Fifty Shades of Grey, like I've seen people write about. This tv show portraits growth so well, going back and forth, turning the tables ever so smoothly you can't help but to be with them, to relate and understand them. One of the things I enjoyed the most is the subtlety with which it lets the viewer get a sense of what they're feeling. The cinematography is so beautifull it's a feast for the eyes, playing with colors, upside-downs, light, every shot made with intention and so beautifully put. The cast was very good but Paul and Daisy are on a whole new level. Their chemistry, their capability of portraying so much with a simple look or nod, it's truly amazing and a delight to watch them on scene. They both have a great future in the industry if they desire and I hope the 2nd season comes out and fast! Really recommend you go see it, you won't regret it.

I suppose, the freshness is the main virtue of this series about life. The freshness of story and storytelling and acting. An old fashion film, like one of the most profound useful refuges in the circle of eccentric or political correct projects. A story easy to perceive as a personal one. A great exploration of high school and college years. And lovely, precise, wise, splendid crafted definition of friendship. Using naturalism tools.

In short, a great series of the last decade.

And admirable example of storytelling and acting.

Outspoken student Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is an outcast at school. Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) is the quiet popular jock. His mother works as a cleaning lady in the Sheridan's large family home. The two Irish teens have a secret sexual relationship but he refuses to acknowledge her in public. Their lives and loves would intertwine over the years.

I have to be really honest. I was a little unconvinced at first. The actors are too old to play teens. Both characters have issues that put me off. Marianne is too bitter. Connell is too quiet and his treatment of her is emotionally brutal. By the fourth episode, the age thing stops mattering. Quite frankly if I knew they would be aging up in the show, I wouldn't sweat that issue. As for these characters, they really grow on me, both as roles and the actors. These young new faces are truly engaging and they are beautiful to boot. As characters, there are emotions beneath that are really worthwhile to explore. They become more and more fully formed people and that's the brilliance of this limited series. These are great characters performed by compelling new faces.

Another show lifted from the Guardian's Best of 2020 list was "Normal People", a show I'd seen hyped quite a lot, but evidently missed when it aired. I'm glad I took a little bit of time to watch the show slowly over the Christmas break, as, despite not being as salacious as I thought it might be, it has some truly wonderful performances.

In a small town in Ireland, two students, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) begin a relationship, which they keep secret from their school friends. The connection seems to end though when both regret Connell's decision to take a different girl to the debs ball. Months later, the pair reconnect as both attend Trinity college, in Dublin. Though the dynamics of their relationship has changed, their connection remains tangible.

What I liked is that I felt both Marianne and Connell were well rounded characters that didn't fall into stereotypes. Connell is the school star Gaelic footballer, but he isn't a "jock" cliché - in that he's bright, bashful and soft spoken. Though it is a stretch to see Marianne as the "ugly duckling" at any point, she's spiky and damaged but that mostly comes from her family, rather than her schoolmates. I knew nothing about the story going in, so was really pleased when we got to the secret relationship coming to a head in the first few episodes. The show then resets, jumping forward to them both at University for a few months and the ability that gave for the characters to reinvent themselves.

I don't want to raise one to knock the other, as Daisy Edgar-Jones is excellent too, but I've seen her in other things. Paul Mescal is revelatory. So vulnerable and open to showing that Connell is as broken as Marianne, even if he has been able to mask it more.

That it pierced the heart of this wretched old soul speaks volumes to the quality of the series. I'll have to come to the next Sally Rooney adaptation a bit sooner.

One of the most beautiful tv shows I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Incredible chemistry. Incredible written. beautifully heartbreaking