"Most small lie": a review of the controversial, but the emotional Season 2

He completed the second season of one of the main HBO projects - "Great little lie." His story directly continues the story, which presented two years ago in the first season: after accidentally killing Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard), the heroine trying to conceal their involvement in extraditing him for the unfortunate death happening.

But each of them hard going through what happened. And in addition to everything in the city comes to Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) - the mother of the dead man. She decided to take care of their grandchildren, and is trying to get to the truth.

Even the very outset of the second season looks easier and different from the original idea of ​​the series. And there's a simple explanation.

"Most of the small lies" wanted to finish in the first season.

This project is based on the book, and they told her the plot completely in the first seven episodes, having brought to a logical conclusion. But the show became an instant hit, winning the love and the audience and the critics, and then the producers have decided to extend.

This is exactly what it turned out the basic continuing disadvantage. It just seemed unnecessary. Producer Jean-Marc Vallée It creates a solid seven hours of film in its own non-linear manner, presenting viewers a new kind of detective: the entire first season is not well known, not only the name of the murderer, but the victim herself.

And in the final it turned out that there was no more important than the crime itself, and the past Jane (Shailene Woodley), which hauntingly reminiscent of flashbacks.

It seemed that they set the point. But now there is a second season. And with it all is not so simple.

Difficulties shooting and comparing with the original

In the first episode immediately catches the eye, which continued to lose almost all the features of the original brand. I changed even video. Valle refused to shoot new episodes, and instead hired a director Andrea Arnold, who brought his vision: adding a handheld camera, refused nonlinearity plus the cost with another color range.

This idea is even good. Since the other director, there is no reason to copy his style, it is better to show a new approach. But, as it turned out, the final assembly of all answered the same Jean-Marc Vallée. And since about mid-season return standard flashbacks to him, non-linear narrative and the inclusion in the soundtrack of the story.

But if earlier it was an important part of history, now it creates a feeling too sharp transition between scenes and ragged plot: still feel that raw material belongs to another auto RU.

Perhaps Arnold approach was a little easier and more "head-on", but nevertheless he added picture freshness. And closer to the final action sometimes becomes a blatant copy scenes from the first season.

And this has created more problems. After continued inevitably compared with the original. Even in the days of release of the second season of "True Detective", which was criticized by many, among the spectators there was a saying:

The main problem of the second season of the series - the existence of the first.

A "Big Little Lies" falls into an even more difficult situation. After leaving the project, Valle released miniseries "sharp objects"Amy Adams, largely devoted to the topic of child injuries and the relationship of children and parents.

Consciously or not, the writers of the second season of "Big little lies" took up the same theme: the plot there parents Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) and, most importantly, Mary Louise Wright. A similar perspective makes to compare series with a new job Valle. Again, not in favor of "a great little lies."

The lack of dynamics and intrigue

The lack of literary basis authors put before a challenge. The first season was built as detectiveHe gently let heroines to the final point - the murder - and at the same time showed the investigation of the crime. And in this exciting drama unfolded shell component.

To arrange the second season of a new tragedy would be akin to the transformation in the series "Murder, She Wrote": such a move would destroy the whole reality of the situation. Therefore, the writers have chosen honest, but not the most profitable way - just left heroines experience occurred.

Honest, because it corresponds to the continuation of the idea. Since the second season - in fact, a reflection of the popularity of the authors of the first, and then let the characters are trying to understand with what happened.

And it is not profitable, because the continuation of the whole affair had lost and now captures not the plot, but only familiar characters. They repeatedly returned to the themes of the past and try to understand the chain of rumors and suspicions, which are distributed in society.

Each of the characters having their own problems. Celeste (Nicole Kidman) tries to cope with obsessive-law, who is obsessed with his son's death, Jane tries to start a new life, but rumors about the father of her child had gone, Madeleine (Reese Witherspoon) to quarrel with her husband, and Renata (Laura Dern) finds out that their family I went bankrupt. But worst of all things Bonnie she can not move away from the incident and completely withdraws into himself.

They are united by only one thing - a lie. In this respect, the second season is quite justifies the name of the series. He is for the most part dedicated to how the deception and the inability to open up affect family relationships. Or rather, destroy them, leading to an understanding of the truth, no matter how terrible it may be, it gives the main thing - trust.

But, unfortunately, such a construction of the plot too much divides it on the line, which is now almost nothing in common. Heroine sometimes overlap, but most of the time to understand each of their concerns. And not talking about the integrity of the story.

And yet this is a very important story

But these shortcomings are visible only when compared with the continuation of the first season. You can talk about the problems and shortcomings, but "a great little lie" still remains one of the most important statements about domestic violence and relationships on television in recent years.

The first season raised some very important issues. And first of all I spoke about the emotional attachment to the abuser and the victim's constant attempts to justify it in their eyes.

The second season takes this idea a step further and shows that the torturer, as it may seem, can not let go of the victim even after his death. Firstly, because it disrupt your normal lifestyle. Secondly, because society still tends to justify it.

And in the role of 'society' here is the mother of Perry Wright. And the authors did perfectly reasonable, taking on the role of Meryl Streep. Her acting talent allowed to create such a realistic character that it wants a certain point just hate.

She repeatedly asks the same terrible questions that, unfortunately, are so fond of repeating in reality in the discussion of such troubles:

Why are you not left my husband? Why not go to the police? Or maybe you yourself wanted so much?

All this, combined with the pressure on the warmest memories and appeal to family ties becomes to the victims of this torture.

This line, of course, focused on Celeste and Jane. But the rest of the heroine does not turn into a simple background. After unifying their lies alienates women from their families. The result is that Madeleine can sincerely talk with not very pleasant Renata, but everything hides from her husband.

And Bonnie fact remains alone with their feelings. About these topics in film and detectives say not very fond of. Somehow, in the scenarios it is assumed that just murder or self-defense given to man easily. In fact, this trauma is experienced very hard and literally destroys the character inside.

Besides, Bonnie added another problem - a difficult relationship with her mother. There looks bright contrast with Mary Louise Wright: Bonnie parents want only the good, but they do not even try to hear the opinion of his daughter.

These lines do not converge at the end of some bizarre and unexpected ways. "Most small lie" finally ceased to be a detective. Now this is a very emotional drama about post-traumatic frustration Heavy Burden and lies.

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It is undeniable that the continuation captures less than the first season. In it too much longer scenes, there are some not very relevant dramatic lines, and the characters sometimes look too grotesque.

Yet this series can even forgive these flaws. He shot stunningly beautiful. And most importantly, openly talks about many of the most secret and shameful moments of life. Those made to hide behind external well-being.

How it was necessary to continue - to solve each viewer. Yet watch this season costs. Although, despite the open ending, already the third place would be superfluous. History came to an end.