Les Fleurs sauvages

We just 'binged' the first three episodes and honestly can't wait for next week's instalment. Great story with lots of interesting twists. Our fingers are crossed that the same high standard is maintained right through the 7 episodes. Very impressive so far.

Alyla Browne does a magnificent job of playing the part of a young Alice Hart. A great talent at such a young age. I'm certain we will see a lot more of her into the future.

The senior actors set a standard that would make any director proud and collectively raise the bar for all Aussie productions into the future.

The scenery is beautiful and the cinematography is as good as it gets.

Well done everyone, you have a lot to be proud of.

The strength is the acting of Sigourney Weaver as June, the head of Thornfield. Her transformation from Episode 1 to Episode 7 is truly amazing. She runs Thornfield, and it is a haven for abused women, yet misunderstood by the locals. It is a flower heaven, and in it the flowers tell a story. They are one with nature. Clem is June's son, and he married Agnes, and Alice is their daughter. After a fire, Alice comes to live at Thornfield. But June knows some terrible secrets, yet keeps them from Alice which does not serve either of them well. Alice leaves and cuts off all contact. Yet, the loss of Alice leaves a hole in the heart of June, and her stubbornness eats away at her. Episode 7 is very powerful, and ties a lot of loose ends and some of those loose ends make some of what happened earlier even more potent. Alice thinks she has found happiness far away, but that is only a mirage and she finds out how powerless she really is. There is a lot of complexity in the whole series, and in many ways that is good, as those problems may be solved in one TV episode, but in real life rarely wrapped up neatly. And both the flowers at Thornfield and the scenery throughout the episodes are truly wonderful.

The scenery is NOT dark and dim. Someone's TV settings need adjusting. No, this was never meant to be a plot driven "action" movie so if that's want you want, skip watching it. Otherwise if a mystery down under interests you, watch this series. It's beautifully filmed. The acting is top notch. Most people who aren't Aussies won't notice Sigourney's wavering accent.

I will admit that episodes 1-3 out the 4 available at the moment were more interesting. The actress who plays young Alice is appealing and believable. Kudos to Alyla! I am unable, however to warm to the older Alice at this point and I hope that changes. All the flower designs and flowers themselves are beautiful. As wells as the beach scenes.

The show is better than the book. That's something I say rarely, but it's my honest opinion. The beginning of both book and show are breathtaking, but fall apart mid way through. After fumbling a time-jump so badly it nearly lead me to quit watching, the show writers take the pig's ear that is the 2nd half of the novel and make it look like a silk purse.

While the show's transition from young child to young adult Alice isn't particularly well done, it's far better than the book's. After the abrupt book transition to Alice as a young woman the story goes to pieces. I understand that both show and book are character-driven (if you're looking for a fast-moving suspense or action drama, don't bother with this show) but in the book the characters stop developing in any way after the time jump. The show stumbles for an episode or so then picks up the threads the book author dropped and do their best to weave both the character and plot arcs into a coherent and compelling narrative.

The soundtrack is fantastic if you like otherworldly modern indie music. The acting and scenery are very good. If you enjoy a bleak, slow-burning character study that blossoms in sparse sunlight, then this Australian drama is worth a look.

This is an excellent series. Some may find it slow moving, but I think the pacing was just right. Sigourney Weaver is, in many ways, odd casting, yet she is the best thing about it. In all logic, the part should have gone to an Australian actress - after all, June is supposed to be an Australian matriarch. The wonderful Judy Davis comes to mind, and I'm sure she would have done a wonderful job, Yet Weaver is exceptional, even if her accent is unclear. The rest of the cast is also excellent, Alice young and old and especially Twig. And it is a great story, one that delivers a series of surprises and twists but is always true to itself. Well worth watching and one of the best series ever made in Australia.