FinerFilmFanatic

This series started out so promisingly, but after watching episode 6, I'm glad there are only 2 more to go. This episode is badly written, badly directed and badly acted. Quintessa Swindell, in particular, deserves to be singled out. She has absolutely zero talent and zero charisma. I have no idea why she was cast. It could simply be that she is given bad lines to say (and she really does), but I think a better actress could have used a range of emotions in addition to saying the lines. Swindell is just blank. Taylah uses the most bizarre logic when arguing with people, seemingly blaming Edward for things that happened decades ago. The counterarguments are no better. It's never quite clear whether Jane Torres is in charge or Andrew Carter or... the other guy... are above her. The dynamics are peculiar. Harry Lloyd, who plays Carter, is even worse an actor than Swindell. And I'm afraid to say, Martha Plimpton is bad. I don't know if it's the fault of bad direction or a bad script, but she really doesn't come across well. In fact, if I didn't know better, I would have said she was an English actress trying to put on an American accent and failing. Nothing about her performance is convincing. The plot is ridiculous. Despite everything that is going on and despite everything that has happened, the characters seem to live in a bubble, completely unable to link events or ideas. None of the characters grows. And the vague plot, about prime numbers leading to the downfall of security, is only skirted upon. Again. Each episode gets worse and worse. I can only imagine how bad the last two will be. I will watch, under duress, only because I want to see the outcome. The episode's saving grace is Leo Woodall.

Lots of the people seem to be defending/criticising this purely because it features trans/drag ignoring the fact the plot is absolutely abysmal and poorly acted.

There are several strands to the plot -- a mother fundraising for expensive treatment for her son with cancer, failed actors, a drag show, a single father who is a cross-dresser much to his daughter's chagrin, a lothario physiotherapist, and Winter undergoing some sort of assessment. All of those are fighting for our attention.

The murders are poor, particularly the last one, which I felt was never satisfactorily explained.

And then there's the drag/trans aspect, which is rammed down our throat. It could simply have been an aspect of the show. Instead, we hear about the difficulties these people face and the tension between the cross-dressing father and his daughter. And of course, the crowd at the drag show is mysteriously populated by lots of gay people who have never appeared before. It makes it all the more stark that there are no gay characters in the show, in much the same way it was obvious in the early show that there were no people of colour. And a reminder -- a gay character can be a regular character. The sexuality doesn't have to be the character's defining feature, in the same way heterosexuality isn't the defining characteristic of any of the other characters.

The ending of this episode is shockingly bad. Just ridiculous.

Over the past few years, the writing has been steadily getting worse. This is hopefully the nadir. Fingers crossed things pick up.

The poster and trailer proclaim that this is based on a true story, but who is to tell how much of what we're seeing is actually true? From the other reviews on here, it's based on a book and it leaves a lot out or changes some things. So, typical for Hollywood, in other words.

What I can talk about is the acting. Unfortunately, Soapdish is one of my favourite films. In it, Sally Field plays an actress on a daytime soap, and in one of the scenes, she's at an awards show where she is up for an award. They play a montage of scenes from the year and I can say that Sally Field's performance as a hammy actress in an over-the-top daytime soap is EXACTLY the same as in this movie. Having seen Soapdish, you can't watch this film with a straight face.

It doesn't help that this film is written like an episode of a daytime soap. And yes, she even says, "But we're Americans!"

The film is ultimately frustrating. You known there's a good story in there somewhere, but everyone involved is wrong, from the writer to the director to the cast (although the little girl is good).

If you haven't seen Soapdish, I do suggest you watch it, but only after watching this film as it will forever taint your view of Sally Fields' acting.