Big Little Lies - TV SHOW TO WATCH THIS SPRING

"Big Little Lies" HBO

In the weeks preceding the premiere of Little Big Lies,  I was overwhelmed with the heavy-loaded promotion of theHBO mini-series wherever and whenever it was possible; from women magazines, large billboards down the highway to conversations overheard in the subway. Because of the above and the pantheon of the Hollywood shining stars enlisted in the show, I was reluctant to jump on this wagon of new TV addiction. However, as last week flu got me down with its merciless iron fists, I had no other choice but to entertain myself through it and  finally watch Little Big Lies, four episodes in a row. Few minutes in, I started feeling like an inhabitant of the lusciously rich community of Monterey, which, as I found out later,  in reality is more of a touristy, sleepy, little town.

In the first two episodes, I had a lot of reservations about it as it felt a bit like unconsciously I might have become a follower of a desperate housewives club meeting the twilight zone. Fortunately, it got enjoyably darker and darker with every little story unfolding. During the orientation day for the offsprings of those polished, perfect and beautiful parents, we are introduced to all of the women who matter in the community. There is lovely and serene Celeste (Nicole Kidman) with her award-winning Instagram-perfect boy twins. Then, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon) steals the show. Her former cheerleader vibrant and agitating personality is so contagious as she pairs it with genuine friendship as well as hatred towards people she does not understand. Her daughter Chloe always has a mood-matching I-tunes playlist at hand, to combat any emotional crisis in the air. Next in line is Renata (Laura Dern), in her made-to-measure, perfectly fitted corporate clothes, exuding the air of Paypal corporate highness contrasted with her quietly invisible daughter Amabelle who is being bullied on that very day. Finally, to avoid the cookie-cutter sweetness of this American idyll, we meet an outsider, Jane, with no money and a shady, unknown past accompanying her son Ziggy. Finally, there is Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz), yoga teacher and a beautiful dancer, second wife of Madeline's ex with the moves like a female version of Jagger (one of my favorite dance scenes in the show). With a combo of genes from her father, Lenny Kravitz and her mother Lisa Bonet, Zoe is a true California free-spirit.

 Men in Little Big lies, despite their exterior charm and undeniable ability to make a high-standard living, are scarred and troublesome. As Celeste' s husband who beats her up regularly confesses in the therapy room: "I am afraid of losing her, that she will outgrow me, figure me out and will not love me anymore." Most of the men seem to be scaredof  that faith and are doing their best to either avoid it or bring on whatever is unavoidable even faster. Don't get me wrong, all those men and women at times deserve what life holds for them. As it is a TV show, everything grows dramatically out of proportion. 

There is vengeance, hatred, threats, romance, cheating, strange fetishes, suppressed anger and there are so many reasons to kill and be killed. Flashback and flash-forwards with police interrogations of community members reveal only one fact somebody died, and it was not pretty.

In one of her interviews, Reese Withetherspoon said: “I think something is fascinating about a person who projects perfection or is very judgemental of others… [they’re] clearly just swimming in their own discontentment.” The characters of Little Big Lies are definitely trying to stay on the surface of their big ocean of disappointments, and that is what makes the show so addictive. Continuity with no cuts using hand-held camera brings back the reality show vibe, but there is so much class in it. Everyone fits their role as a perfect glove fits the hand. Those lies are served in such elegant manner that I can't wait what the next episode will bring.

SaveSave