Ostre przedmioty

A fascinating world of women, dominated by dense shadows of the past and directorial mastery. Gillian Flynn, of course, supplied the strong book as inspiration, but it is securely stitched in a tight shape thanks to Vallée's virtuosity. I haven't watched much this year and perhaps the times have moved on, but with this series, I spent eight hours admiring the meticulously precise work with the actors and the editing, which, with precisely placed half-second shots, disrupts the normal structure and lets the tension thicken to unsuspected dimensions. The main female trio will wrap the viewer in their arms from the first moments and keep their eyes glued to the screen. The traditionally excellent Amy Adams and the terrifying Patricia Clarkson are complemented by Eliza Scanlen, who handles the position of "spoiled bitch" with absolute ease. Yes, the plot could be cut down to two hours and it could still be a strong genre film, but stretching it over eight episodes allows for unsuspected things and that "nothing," the oppressive stillness when you're praying for it to get going, is unbearable in a pleasantly chilling way. It's too bad that the final episode doesn't pull it off on the same level, breaking the existing order and bringing everything to a hasty conclusion. It didn't overwhelm the feeling of having watched a highly intense spectacle, but in a long debate afterward, my wife drowned me out with arguments that it was a shame and actually disrespectful to the rest of us. And on this show, women rule. It gets a very sharp 9/10. (24.10.2018)

A city that reluctantly welcomes back one of its own, a gruesome murder with plenty of crumbs that are jokingly referred to as clues, and last but not least, a peculiar dysfunctional family you would only go back to if there was no other choice. All three components – the setting, the case, and the personal situation – work well. Thanks to Jean-Marc Vallée's unpleasantly provocative direction, full of chilling shots, every unpleasant moment is effectively conveyed. It's just that they don't come together. The intersection of these two crucial elements justifies the previous gradual pace and leaves no one unaffected, but I can't shake the feeling of contrivance despite the overwhelming final impact. Which is a shame because those three stars in the rating alone would make me go bald like Amy Adams. (30.06.2020)

A series with an interesting theme and a high-quality cast which was unfortunately slightly unbalanced. From the fourth episode on, I was decently entertained, even thrilled when watching the seventh and eighth episode. The slow and boring start, stretching over the first three episodes, was a real shame. But I decided to hang in there and was eventually rewarded with better quality writing and a well-executed plot. One thing that worked from start to finish was the intense, grim atmosphere. (11.11.2018)

Vallée's American directing career rested on the fact that he could handle themes in a distinctive, ambiguous, and relatively naturalistic way that would have ended up as slick motivational kitsch under most other filmmakers. But when his abilities were finally able to join forces with the abysmal suffocation of Gillian Flynn's subject matter, his potential was tapped to its fullest. Sharp Objects is eight hours of watching a staid, static Southern town with resigned, mentally ill characters, shot through the lens of a traumatized alcoholic. And so we watch everything through the not particularly comfortable formal method of static shots, which are nonetheless shot handheld, with occasional characters or impressions of characters who aren't even supposed to be in the scene, all interrupted here and there by a traumatic half-second flashback, as diegetic music plays almost exclusively from car radios or speakers somewhere in the background. Most of the characters speak in tired half-whispers and never say anything. They all have their pastimes and rituals to fill the dullness of everyday life. I wouldn't have expected a miniseries to mount such a thorough effort to keep the viewer in unfulfilled frustration in the constant company of unpleasant characters, where everything from the first to the last shot happens at the same snail pace without any gradation or payoff. The elusive omnipresence of evil makes this one of the most powerful horror experiences ever, where after each episode I was afraid to turn my head quickly. (10.09.2022)