Somebody's Dead

Big Little Lies hooked me from the very first shot. The show has an interesting premise. It is advertised as a murder drama wrapped around several domestic fronts. At first glance, the show has the elements to be pure trash. After all, it is based off one of those airport fodder stories. Within the first fifteen seconds, you know the show goes above and beyond. Season 1 is helmed by Jean-Marc Vallee, the man behind Wild and The Dallas Buyers Club. The cast is A-grade, led by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and so much more. The narrative is driven in a unique way led by flashbacks and interwoven investigation interviews of supporting characters. While the "murder" may be the main draw, the story is about the characters and their families and the type of lives they lead. I love the soundtrack and the beautiful California cinematography. Any shot of crashing waves at a beach works wonders for me! In "Somebody's Dead," we are introduced to everyone. Madeleine McKenzie (Reese Witherspoon) leads a very busy life as a go-getter and someone who wants to know everyone's affairs. She is saddled with two daughters; a teenager who is underappreciative and a first-grader growing up to fast. She is married to Ed (Adam Scott), a nice enough guy. Her ex-husband, Nathan (James Tupper) is now married to a super-hot yoga teacher, Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz). Her enemy is another working mother, the wealthy Renata Klein (Laura Dern) who "recently joined the board of PayPal." Her best friend is Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), a former lawyer. She looks like a model and is married to someone much younger, Perry (Alexander Skarsgard). Their relationship displays a hint of domestic violence. Then there is the young, single Jane (Shailene Woodley). She and her son Ziggy (Iain Armitage) recently moved to Monterey for unknown reasons, although flashbacks point out that she may have had a dark past. Madeleine takes a liking for Jane. On the very first day of school, Renata's daughter accuses Ziggy of attacking her. This "attack" pits families against one another as tension begins to build amongst them. This is the prelude with culminated in the murder of an unknown figure at the school's fundraiser. Who was murdered? Who was the murderer? How did it lead to this? What or who is Jane running awary from? This is what the next six episodes will answer. Overall, this is a very strong, well-written pilot episode. Right away, you are able to connect with these families with all their different quirks and styles. Any drama with a strong female presence is good in my book. For now, the men are relegated to support systems, but they will have a role in the final outcome. With the pedigree attached, you can expect amazing, deep performances. Witherspoon and Kidman are already excellent inhabiting these characters. I love the narrative style, the way the characters are introduced, and the music/cinematography. Also, the tension! One final note: the first-grade teacher handled this situation in a horrible way! Ouch! Anyhow, I am officially hooked! My Grade: A

From the moment "Big Little Lies" starts- you are hooked- waves crashing, moms driving while an another scene has flashbacks of a gruesome murder. I was hooked from the very first scene- the slow build up which slowly leads to a tensed moment and that too involving moms of 1st graders was something really appreciating. The characters were introduced cleverly which leaves you wanting to know more about them and thus maintaining suspense. This is going to be a great series.

The cast is awesome- Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgår who give in extremely tensed performances with so much realism.Hats off to these guys.

A very good pilot to a seemingly good series.Hoping for the best.

This television series manages to achieve a casting coup of sorts with Shailene Woodely, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon in the lead. Reese Witherspoon (Madeline) talks her way to obnoxiousness halfway through the episode,before I realised that Madeline with all her character flaws is so relatable. Shailene Woodley does a terrific job. Nicole Kidman doesn't get her due in the pilot episode,but she does shine with her nuanced acting craft in the bits that are offered to her. What I really liked about the show was it's production value and the location (gawwd it made me wanna hit the beach) It was a great pilot. PS- I used to think that this is HBO's take on Pretty Little Liars, it's kinda similar but you should definitely give it a try,if just for the sandy beaches.

So far it's okay, but I'm far from being hooked just yet. Bit slow and drawn out in places and I found my mind wandering, which when I am enjoying a show or film it wouldn't normally be doing. Let's check out episode 2 🙂

I've just watched Ep. 1 for the third time since it came out, and my thoughts are the same--the acting is strong, the story sequence is pretty good, and what stands out most is the effectiveness of the subtle tells that occur in every scene and how they link together to tell many complex stories at once. The makers reveal a ton about the ~20 key characters and their complex relationships with each other not through dialogue, but through action, making the story feel incredibly realistic in its complexity while also entertaining and suspenseful for the typical viewer. The song and camera lens angle choices complement the subtlety but with a slight suggestion of danger to come.