It is inevitable to start talking aboutLove & Death‘, the series that HBO Max premieres today Thursday, without thinking about ‘Candy: Murder in Texas’. That in half a year (a little more for Americans) they will pass through the Spanish streaming screens two miniseries on the same case is undoubtedly slightly detrimental to the second premiere.
It does not mean that HBO Max does not have its justification or that we have to stay with Disney +. It’s just that if you’ve seen one you can spare yourself the other because the case—a housewife from suburban Texas who hacks to death (41) a neighbor of hers— it gives for what it gives no matter how fascinating and true crime meat it is. It’s the same story, the difference lies in how to tell it.
Inevitable comparison
And here is not very successful david e kelley when it comes to differentiation. The scriptwriter who has somehow become fond of prestigious miniseries in recent years such as ‘Big Little Lies’ or ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’, very interested in dismantling the masks of their protagonists, cannot take away the feeling that we have already seen the story.
To be fair, Kelley’s style is quite different from Nick Antosca and Robin Veith and the approach that the former takes is not so direct when it comes to presenting the case. ‘Love & Death’ goes in chronological order, while ‘Candy’ jumps in and introduces us to the murder from the beginning (with a tense episode with “after” that sticks with fire).
Both are interested in different things when portraying their characters. We don’t have an example so much in Candy herself but in the victim, Betty Gore (Lily Rabe) in which they do not affect personality traits that the version of Melanie Lynskey. Kelley’s also further develops the infidelity relationship between Candy and the victim’s husband (Jesse Plemons). However, the script does not seem to be so interested in the universe of the protagonist and there is a certain “tunnel vision” about it.
Speaking of characters, here the main asset of the series lies in its cast. Specifically in one Elizabeth Olsen who charms and fascinates with her rolein which it fits with astonishing smoothness and provides quite appropriate nuances to what the story requires at each moment.
Of course, as in other Kelley works, there is a certain exaggeration of personality traits that often makes them look like caricatured versions, something that actually serves to disassemble them little by little and more obviously scratch their surfaces to go to the depth of their respective beings. Sometimes he succeeds, other times not so much..
Beyond comparisons, ‘Love & Death’ is one of those Great examples of “prestige” series that have everything going for them: good script, good direction, a superb and brilliant cast but, for some reason, it doesn’t quite work. It’s solid and well made, but in an era where we’re already a bit exhausted from true crime, it adds very little.
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