I haven't seen Elizabeth Olsen in any role other than as Wanda Maximoff-cum-Scarlet Witch. I've become used to this image of her—a powerful superhero and scary villain. Then came along this recent HBO Max release and believe me, it's good to see this beautiful actress in another role though it eventually turns out villainous!
Love And Death (2023) is a crime drama based on true life events narrated in the book "Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs" by Jim Atkinson and John Bloom. This compelling miniseries focuses on a suburban wife, Candy Montgomery (played by Elizabeth Olsen), who is very unhappy in her marriage but committed to her home, church and town. She's on the choir, the board of the church and part of a creative writing group. Her life is becoming boring and she's in a rut.
Source: YouTubeWithin these groups in this small town of Wylie, Texas is another couple, Allan Gore (played by Jesse Plemons) and his somewhat domineering wife, Betty Gore (played by Lily Rabe). They are both trying for another baby and eventually, Betty becomes pregnant. During a volleyball game, Candy falls and Allan helps her up. After the game, Candy confides in her friend that Allan "smells of sex".
From that moment, Candy begins to fantasise about Allan. One night, she meets Allan and tells him that they should have an affair because she can't stop thinking about him. Allan is shocked and struggles with this dilemma. When he agrees to Candy's invitation, the real drama begins to unfold from here. Every episode is gripping and entertaining, leading viewers further into the 'why' of the crime.
Review
I understand this crime drama was adapted by Hulu in 2022 and Jessica Biel played the role of Candy so I cannot say which is better. But in my opinion, Love And Death is addictive because the narrative is compelling and great. Every episode which runs for about fifty-five minutes each may seem tedious because some viewers want to get right to the action but the character development, setting and storytelling are very important or else, the show may turn out to be meh.
A lot of work went into recreating a small town setting, the costume, hairstyles and architecture prevalent in Wylie, Texas in 1978-80s. So I don't mind the even pace of the series, it's simply perfect. The audience gets to know the characters, their lifestyle and relationships, how it all leads to the affair and culminates into a newsworthy incident.
Elizabeth Olsen's performance as Wanda and Scarlet Witch in Marvel films is stellar so I'm not surprised that she showcases her amazing skill again in this miniseries. She embodies the spirit of Candy Montgomery beautifully. However, I'm not impressed with Jesse Plemons' portrayal of Allan Gore, the man Candy had an affair with. It's hard to imagine Elizabeth wanting to have sex with Jesse Plemons. The creator, David E. Kelley could have signed up a good-looking, hunky actor to play the part of Allan Gore. It would make the affair believable.
Also, the relationship between Candy and her husband (played by Patrick Fugit) is vague. The filmmaker left viewers hanging in this part as we don't know the reason why Candy preferred another man to her husband. What was he doing wrong at home? I wish they could have shown the husband to be very busy or having an affair or something. Instead, he's bland, unconcerned about his wife's feelings and always smiling or chuckling at the TV. Very weird.
Let's talk about the soundtracks. They are songs from around that time and fitting. David E. Kelley won me over with the opening credits, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone. It's a perfect kickstarter for the gripping drama that unfolds in each episode. Her powerful and soulful rendition paved the way for the emotional depth and passion portrayed throughout the series.
The courtroom drama is electric and mesmerising maybe because I'm a sucker for this type of drama. David E. Kelley shifts his audience away from the church and home lives of his characters to focus on how the murder took place. The scenes featuring Tom Pelphrey and the judge (played by Bruce McGill) are especially riveting and realistic. The filmmaker did great with this part of the series.
Overall, this is a miniseries worth watching. It holds some insights into some mysteries in marriage. The storytelling is great and the acting is impressive. I'll give it 4.3 stars out of 5.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Other images are screenshots from the movie
Posted using CineTV
I have heard about this series but I am yet to watch it.
It's good to know Elizabeth's performance in this series was fantastic. I haven't watched any of her films apart from her marvel works. I should watch this soon. I love a good mystery story and this seems interesting from your review. This was a wonderful read. Thank you for recommending this series.
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Indeed Elizabeth Olsen's performance was stunning. She's a great actress and I can't wait to see her explore other roles. I hope you watch it. You'll like it! Thanks for your visit and support. 💕 !LADY !PIMP
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Now I need to see this movie
Hehe. You'll love it. 🙂
Thanks