While growing up, I watched a movie called a Walk to Remember and cried my eyes out. A bit more recently, a movie on similar lines namely The Fault in our stars found its way on my laptop and I watched Hazel Grace and Augustus in bated anticipation of that moment I would tear up and feel the way I did with a Walk to Remember. I didn't. I wrote off the movie and its stars. Until last week. Augustus from the movie I found oh-so-faulty stunned me with his ever so subtle yet adorable acting in Baby Driver. I wasn't even done raving over that, as I started to watch something called Big Little lies on TV. An HBO presentation, with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating and an 8.7 on IMDB, it had all the signs of being a great show. As I sat and watched in patience, it was now Hazel Grace's turn to stun – As Jane Chapman in a series which also happens to star the ever popular Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. To be the one you remember from this ensemble, is quite amazing – so I’m taking back my opinion of the stars of the erstwhile mentioned faulty movie! But coming to Big Little Lies, here's my few cents on this drama sans spoilers, I'll try.
The series begins with a bunch of Moms dropping off their children to school for orientation and the good and the bad sparks that start flying. Through the almost-hour long each of the seven episodes, you see everything a drama about Moms and their families might contain – domestic violence, Stay-at home moms pitted against working moms, single motherhood challenges, divorced parents trying to do what’s best for their kids, the works. The first episode almost threatens to be like a Desperate Housewives episode, but takes flight to be something way more meaningful almost as instantly. Because what sets this apart is how this storyline is in flashback as its interlaced with witness statements in a murder investigation, in present. There's a certain sense of mystery as threads slowly unravel from Episode 1 onwards. Eg: The woman in the blue dress, how she turns out to be Jane, how she wound up in that situation, What happened that night, etc. Though it is a flashback, it is unraveled in small pieces cutting time and again between witness accounts of what they think happened that night and what they think of each of the suspects – this is one awesome win for viewer engagement.
Madeleine (Reese Witherspoon), the most popular mom with the most popular kid Chloe is basically the charm of the town. She is empathetic to a fault, still a little legally blonde at times, a little imperfect, yet absolutely gorgeous and endearing all at once. Her relationship with Abigail, a teenage daughter she has with her ex is challenging from the word 'go' though her current husband Ed makes you often wonder that she's lucked out second time round at least. Celeste (Nicole Kidman), a mother of two boys, is the always in place, perfect looking, with well-manicured nails, always cautious about what she says and looks like, wife of super young and rich lawyer Perry Wright. Her seemingly perfect life is almost grudged by the town, leaving her quite a small social circle barring her best friend Madeleine. Jane Chapman, (previously introduced stunner) played by Shailene Woodley is a single mom who's moved to Monterey for some great schooling for her son, Ziggy. She doesn't ever tell him who his father is and you discover through the series that she honestly doesn't know either and is as clueless as you or me. Jane swings between being someone you pity to someone you would worry about when you see her gun. Because in the plain Jane sense, you don't want this one getting hurt.
Madeleine befriends Jane and adds this third musketeer to the equation and completes the protagonist gang – Celeste, Jane and Madeleine soon begin to bond. In the midst of this bonding, Jane has to constantly deal with accusations of Ziggy attacking and being violent with another kid in school, Amabella. The victim, turns out to be the daughter of a very successful business woman, also head of the anatagonist gang - Renata, who's recently among many other corporate achievements, also made it to the Board of Paypal. Annoying as you would expect her to be, she is. But does end up shocking you when she needs to play nice and have a heart. The bickering over who attacked Amabella continues till the last episode in fact, which ends up serving as a fitting closure to all the characters and storylines. The climax by itself isn't entirely shocking if you pay attention to some very subtle and intelligent hints through the episodes, but it does make you appreciate the genius of the storytelling.
The climax is a fitting tribute to women in Big Little Lies, in real life, everywhere. Despite all the scandals, all the allegations that they'll never get along, all the back biting, there's a sense of one-for-all that these characters portray when faced with a common enemy. It is truly amazing to see that though Madeleine's character is the one who's empathetic and helpful always, when necessary all women can be a parachute to other women. They may never speak of it, or boast of it. But will selflessly help each other and move on like nothing ever happened.
There's also of course another life lesson vividly on display – all that glitters is not gold. Women living in large, white mansions by the beach can have problems too – emotional breakdowns, broken relationships, failed parenting experiences and domestic abuse. Case in point – Celeste’s journey is from a housewife seemingly in golden bracelets, to one with golden handcuffs gradually turning into one who’s in denial but then comes to terms with reality and how she plans to combat it for her children's future.You’d hardly imagine when you see her in Episode 1 that life can be so challenging for her.
The cinematography is brilliant though it has limited scope since the series is all about the people. Yet, those shots of the bridge in the opening credits, of the waves hitting the shores as we cut between some scenes, the cozy café amongst the yachts – there's beauty in pretty much every shot in Monterey.
