Yesterday, Netflix dropped what I consider to be one of the most highly anticipated television shows of the year, their adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Based on the books by Daniel Handler, the series follows the three Baudelaire siblings who become orphans after their parents perish in a fire. The children soon find themselves being pursued by the villainous Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris) who plots to steal their massive fortune by any means necessary. The show is being developed by Mark Hudis and Barry Sonnenfield, and stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket, K. Todd Freeman as Mr. Poe, and Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith as Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire respectively.
As a huge fan of the books I was thoroughly excited for this series, and while I did enjoy the 2004 film adaptation with Jim Carrey and co, I think television is certainly a better medium to tell such a large story. I have to say I am very impressed with how the series turned out, not only does it manage to perfectly encapsulate the style and tone of the books, it also provides a much more thorough adaptation and includes many details and Easter eggs from the books that were omitted in the film. The first season consists of eight episodes (two per book) and adapts the first four books in the series: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window and The Miserable Mill. Not only does this allow the series to remain closer to its source material, but it is also an opportunity to further develop the universe built in Handlers books. While the show can feel mildly repetitive when you're binge watching, with every couple of episodes feeling like Wile E. Coyote cartoons, it is saved by its unique visual aesthetic that offers captivating new locations with every story arc. Judging by the direction the books take as well, this sense of repetition will probably die out in the next season.
Speaking of the shows visuals, A Series of Unfortunate Events is by far one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows in recent television history and really reflects the style of the books. Veteran production designer Bo Welch creates these awe inspiring sets and does a fantastic job of bringing to life that unique style in Handlers books. From the lush reptile room to the gloomy Damocles Dock, this gothic world is exactly what you picture when reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. It's got a very Wes Anderson brand of quirkiness to it as well, I found, from the unique and colourful production design, to the equally unique costume design, the show does take a fair bit of visual inspiration from Anderson but not enough to make it a full carbon copy of his work. The visual style it maintains is very much its own thing and is one of the series' greatest assets.
The show also incorporates a number of CGI elements in order to help further enhance the visuals along with bringing to life certain things from the books such as the incredibly deadly viper and the lachrymose leeches. While it is mostly successful in enhancing the visuals, I felt at times that it just looked plain silly, especially during those moments when it was used with the baby, Sunny. It's just really noticeable at times and in certain contexts it's extremely out of place, however this is only at several instances and most of the time the CGI works in favour of the show.
Something we were all curious to see was Neil Patrick Harris' take on sinsiter master of disguise Count Olaf, one of the highlights of the film adaptation for me was Carrey's performance so I was particularly curious as to how Harris would set his Olaf apart from that. I can safely say that Harris' portrayal of the character is very much his own thing, he does not go as over the top as Carrey did but it works very much in his favour. He brings his own theatrical flare to the character and manages to maintain the balance between campy and evil. While at times I did feel that he could have been a bit nastier and less comedic, I am a fan of what Harris has done with the character, along with his numerous alter egos. I particularly enjoyed his role in the reptile room under the guise of Uncle Monty's (Aasif Mandvi) assistant Stephano, I couldn't keep a straight face whenever he opened his mouth.
The show also boasts a colourful cast of supporting characters played by a variety of talented actors. From the grammar obsessed Aunt Josephine (Alfre Woodard), to stern businessman Sir (Don Johnson), to all of Olaf's henchpeople, each character stands out in their own unique way and give memorable performances despite limited screentime. Olaf's henchpeople get a lot more attention than in the film adaptation, I particularly enjoyed Matty Cardarople as the deadpan henchperson of indeterminate gender. I also loved Aasif Mandvi as the warmhearted uncle Monty, one of the shows most likeable characters and one of the only adults that the Baudelaires can rely on. Knowing his ultimate fate made his scenes with the children some of the hardest to watch. However, for me the real star of the show was Lemony Snicket himself, the fictional author of the books played by Patrick Warburton, who acts as the shows narrator. His deadpan delivery of some of the shows sharpest dialogue gives him this wonderful onscreen presence, here he is a much more active narrator as opposed to a mere voiceover.
Surprisingly one of my biggest issues with the show was the children. I am by no means criticising their performances, the three young actors do a brilliant job at delivering the Baudelaire's complex and intricate dialogue, their performances are not the issue. I simply find them hard to empathise with, the show never really takes any moment to slow down and take some time to really emphasise how they are feeling. For children who go through so many terrible scenarios, the show has a hard time conveying their emotions to us. Even initially, when the children discover that their parents have died, there is no real expression of sadness that you would expect from such a scene and instead it continues with its usual dry sense of humour. Now I get that the whole point of A Series of Unfortunate Events is to emphasise the harsh reality of death and has that consistently dry sense of humour is ever present in the books, but even the film adaptation managed to provide an emotional heart. That's my one main issue with the show, the lack of emotion, it's an issue that I hope will be resolved in future seasons.
Other than that and some questionable CGI however, I really enjoyed the first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Not only does it act as a faithful adaptation of Daniel Handler's books, it has also established a unique visual aesthetic that will have you captivated right from the beginning. Along with some strong performances, sharp dialogue, and its signature dark brand of comedy, A Series of Unfortunate Events is the breath of fresh air that we needed in terms of television. It has that unique style and humour to attract newcomers to the series, along with containing enough Easter eggs and world building to please longtime fans of the books. As a fan of the books myself, I can safely say the show has done a brilliant job with the first four and cannot wait to see how future seasons handle the rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment