Right now Paul Mescal is one of the actors of the moment. His great performance in ‘Aftersun’ corroborates this, and the Oscar nomination (which goes out of his way and begins to recognize with him those kinds of “inside” performances that are often ignored) is deserved recognition. And the future looks hopeful, with the leading role in ‘Gladiator 2’.
The abnormality in normality
A whole meteoric rise that began a couple of years ago with another curious phenomenon. A miniseries that adapted one of the most intense literary phenomena for the millennial generation and that served as a platform to discover himself as a revelation, just like for his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones (another one that may have a promising future). This is ‘Normal People’.
The adaptation of the novel sally rooney It can be enjoyed in streaming through the Lionsgate+ platform, and it is an interesting preface to the talent of both Mescal and Jones. An exploration of romance and coming of age in a short formatwith 12 episodes of half an hour or less that give for a set close to 5 hours long.
They both play Marianne and Connelll, two young Irish people who have known each other since high school, living in different social contexts but developing a strong attraction between them. The series follows the evolution of their relationship over time, the changes in context, emotional maturity, the complicated situation in Ireland during the outbreak of the 2008 financial crisis and the affective scars they carry.
The miniseries navigates the emotional fluctuations and also reflects a certain very intense self-destructive tendency that, on the other hand, lowers through its containment and its leisurely pace. Something that undoubtedly plays in favor of creating fabulous intimacy between the charactersas measured as sensitive and delicate, and both actors explore these spaces well to develop all the edges of their characters.
It also turns against him, avoiding going overboard and creating a sense of inertness just when it looks like he’s going to take it to another level. It is the aspect that makes it somewhat conventional within romantic fiction, although it continues to have an exciting story, patiently and organically developed. A stupendous artifact that is going to be appreciated in an interesting way in the future when its stars are more established.
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