White Lies

"A decent script and thrilling show that did keep us guessing who the murderer was, and it was surprisingly well thought out as a story, but a classic modern South African letdown.

The dialogue may as well have been written for a 10th-grade stage play. I feel for Natalie Dormer, having been subjected to such bad material, especially coming from GOT to this. The South African cast was monotone and unconvincing throughout the show. The most believable performances in the entire show were the gangsters and skelems. Yet another South African show that just can't seem to hit the mark.

I feel for the cast as their cringe-worthy performances were clearly a result of poor directing and production. Yikes."

Basically I thought the series was good. At halftime it was actually pretty clear who did it or had a hand in it. But it was worth the time to see it through.

But what really caught the eye was the acting/non-acting performance of the actor playing the son.

I kept thinking: Did the director tell him to look so dumb or is that just his natural facial expression? Who is he related to that got him this part? Please never give this young man a part again. Or send him to acting-classes, for five or six years.

The sister was only half as bad, but not really good either.

I liked Dormer, Janks and Daniels, in that order.

White Lies: South African Noir. A journalist is drawn into a tangled web of crime when her estranged brother is murdered and his wife left in a coma. Her teenage niece and nephew are suspects and she must now try and care for them. She is a stranger to them though. A hard boiled detective is convinced that the nephew did it. But a myriad of suspects emerge as a shoal of red herrings swim into the script. Some pointed social commentary on race, class and corruption in present day South Africa. There are some violent scenes but the real violence exposed is land grabs. A few interesting plot twists. Created by Sean Steinberg and written by Darrel Bristow-Bovey. Eight episodes on Channel 4. 7.5/10.

I'm only on episode 5 atm. Natalie Dormer is fantastic in every role she portrays. This is an interesting story so far I think I've figured it out but my mind changes with each episode. The acting by other cast is pretty basic. The brother and sisters acting is really bad and at times uncomfortable to watch. If it wasn't for Natalie I don't think I'd be sitting through each episode although I need to finish so I can get through to the end.

The scenery is nice to look at, the writing could've been a little less wishy washy.

I will persevere and see if my thoughts on what the go is are right or if I'm completely wrong.

Overall I would say it's a worthy watch if only for Natalie.

An equally impressive crime drama series with thrilling storyline and plots, for what is worth, with great acting, especially by Jaime whose sulfurous ego and tempestuous character stood out. She is perfect for Agatha Christie's novels.

The narrative and pace take their time without hastening things, all the while gracing us with that dysfunctional family history in sunny and beautiful South Africa.

The ending and the dancing were well-done and because of that nasty acidic chemistry between Daniel and Jaime, I really hope there's a second season.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
• Production value/impact: 6.5
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 7
• Acting: 7.5
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
• VFX: 7
• Music/score/sound: 7
• Depth: 6.5
• Logic: 5.5
• Flow: 7.5
• Mystery/thriller/crime/drama: 7
• Ending: 6.5.