The Lizzie Borden Chronicles

You can barely hear the dialogue in this above the director screaming "LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO! LOOK AT ME!!" Was he confused in thinking he was directing a rap video? He's about as subtle in attempting to get a mood across as if hitting the viewer with a sledgehammer. Maybe the story was weak and he was trying to keep anyone from following it. Every possible technique that directors use-again- subtly to draw you in is used without abandon. Used a few times you're drawn in- used every second in 1 hour and it's a mess. In fact, it's all I think about instead of the story. Usually this is seen in first time directors, but this guy has done some good work- what in the world happened? As for the story, "based on fact". I really doubt it. I'm no expert on Lizzy Borden but I've never read of any suspicious disappearances around her. She killed once, probably, but that's about it from what I've heard.

This series has everything I love - period piece, based on a real person, Christina Ricci! It is lovely to look at with beautiful costumes - but they need to spend some of that costume money on script writers. There is almost no plot. Someone makes Lizzie angry - 5 minutes later she kills that person - over and over again. No mystery, no tension, just anger then death. Predictable and boring.

I adore Christina Ricci but she is just not right for this role. She is not believable as someone from this era. Her speech phrasing is modern as are her movements. I need to write more for this review but this is difficult because this show has so little substance to it. Perhaps I will mention how it's difficult to tell one male character from another because they all have reddish beards.

Although I was intrigued with the series and there were some nice psychological thriller / supernatural stirrings in the first episode, I quickly got bored of Christina Ricci's one dimensional acting. She seems to have only one setting: unreflective sociopath mode. The script would have benefited greatly from a more complex and nuanced character. Clea DuVall, playing Lizzie's sister Emma, has far more depth and subtlety. Meanwhile, all the bad men are unremittingly bad, cardboard cut-out villains. Cole Hauser's Siringo is suffering from a serious charisma deficit.

Although I'm not adverse to gore, it is being used instead of better scriptwriting as a way to segue into new scenes. It quickly started feeling like an obvious device. I found a lot of the dialogue far too modern. Again, Ricci's very flat, clipped delivery pulls it out of period.

Meanwhile, the props department should have done a better job with their historical research. The flashlight, used by Hauser in his exploration of the schoolhouse, was not invented until 1899 - when the dry cell battery became available.

All of these flaws would not have rendered the series unbearable. It was the soundtrack that fundamentally ruined it for me. There have been series and films that pair historical settings with contemporary music to excellent effect. The Knick (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2937900/?ref_=nv_sr_1) is set in basically the same time period and uses very atmospheric, very modern abstract electronic music throughout the series and manages to make it work superbly well. The choice of music for this series - both the incidental music that was over-dramatic and bombastic as well as the bits and pieces of contemporary rock - became a real distraction that served to distance me emotionally from the episodes. Especially the indie rock with vocals.

It feels like a low budget, Baz Lurman series with more gore and fewer Hollywood stars.

The plot started out well but I found the story grew over involved and dramatized to ridiculous lengths. I did not care for the choice of leading lady, Christina Ricci and felt she pulled away from the true character of a person who would be in that position by over dramatizing the character and the series would have faired well if the role had been played by someone who showed more emotion in their eyes and less threat of "constant in your face" attitude". I feel little effort was made. Her elements did not blend well. I did like the rest of the cast. I personally loved the music choices and felt the filming was done well despite some lengthy dark scenes. I thought Miss Duvall did an excellent job and fit the part. This is just my opinion. We are all entitled and the next persons opinion could be totally different. I lived with a person whose personality was flawed like Lizzies and they tend to see saw their personalities. This portrayal was too straight and narrow with little shift. If they do a new season, I hope she works on her part a little more. I know it was tough, but it was the leading role. Beauty only goes so far.

I'm total fan girl of Ricci's so in some ways I expected this series to be offbeat and irreverent. That being said the choice of rock music is initially baffling, confusing, and off-putting. However it kind of reminds me of Tarantino or what Luhrman did with Romeo and Juliet so it grew on me when looking at it thru that lens. It's completely weird and likely inaccurate but if you enjoy Thrillers, the chase that occurs between Borden and Siringo will keep you intrigued enough to finish this- what seems like- only season of this show.