“Big Little Lies,” which could also be called “cool houses on the beach,” is another huge project under the HBO banner.
Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, “Big Little Lies” has allstars on all of its fronts. The show features a director who has been on an impressive streak for the last few years, a veteran writer and an ensemble cast.
Told non-linearly, “Big Little Lies” is a mini-series revolving around the lives of upper class families in Monterey, California. When Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley, “Snowden”) and her son Ziggy (Lain Armitage, “Our Souls at Night”) suddenly arrive on time for the first day of first grade, all of the other cliquey mothers’ curiosities expand, especially when Renata Klein’s (Laura Dern, “Wilson”) daughter Amabella (Ivy George, “Girl Meets World”) accuses Ziggy of choking her during orientation.
An accusation like that can cause serious damage, especially for a kid that is so new. When Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon, “Sing”) and her friend Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman, “Lion”) defend Jane, it creates a drift within the community that offsets people’s relationships in their own families, brings back the horrors of the past and eventually leads to a murder.
All seven episodes were written by David E. Kelley, who wrote and created the popular “Goliath” which started streaming on Amazon Prime in the fall of 2016, and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee who directed Witherspoon in 2014’s “Wild” and directed the Oscar-winning “Dallas Buyers Club” in 2013.
Vallee is a genuine filmmaker, especially when it comes to creating beautiful images. An advocate of natural light and authentic shots, he is able to really showcase the humanity of these characters and the true colors of the world. Vallee especially shines in her ability to play with the incredible oceanfront California landscape. Along with the killer music choices, HBO has made another aesthetically awesome program.
Along with a top notch director, the show has a massive cast. Alexander Skarsgard (“The Legend of Tarzan”) plays Perry, the distant and tortured husband of Kidman’s Celeste. Adam Scott (“Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Valentine’s Day Special”) plays Witherspoon’s second husband, Ed. Not to mention, the new wife of Witherspoon’s ex-husband is played by Zoe Kravitz (The LEGO Batman Movie,”) the daughter of singer Lenny Kravitz, whose career has been gaining traction rapidly these past few years.
Most of the time when that an A-list cast is attached to a project, it is usually because the script is unbelievably good. That trend seems to continue in “Big Little Lies.” This is a uniquely written script that teases a future press conference from the police while going back to the main storyline along with glimpses of the dark moments of the past is masterfully written. This stellar cast is able to take something that is a work of art on its own and elevate it to an even higher level.
Kelley has written a slow, boiling mystery that creates tension so thick that it could cause the viewer tension at points and balances that with a darker shade of humor. HBO has always been at the top of the game when it comes to original programming. Even its missteps have great moments in them.
“Big Little Lies” is a gem in the respect that most people are content when shows decide to end and in the case of this mini-series another season would not sound like a bad thing.
