No matter how ‘raw’ and ‘stripped back’ Hollywood tries to make its leading ladies, their radiance and dynamism still shines through.
In Kate Winslet’s lead role, she’s a forty-something divorcee who wears flannel, plump-icebreakers and runs around with uncombed hair. But she’s still Kate. She’s still brilliant to watch.
Winslet stars in the lead role in Craig Zobel’s latest seven-part series, Mare of Easttown. The story is set in the fictional Easttown, near Allentown in rural Pennsylvania. It’s a place where teenage pregnancy is rife and families negotiate inter-generational domestic living.
Mare (played by Winslet) is a detective. She’s also a grandmother to a four year old boy, and her daughter is still trying to get through high school. The pilot dropped this week on BINGE, and I watched it with a few friends on a cozy sofa, drinking hot oat milk and homemade cauliflower soup. If you liked Manchester By the Sea, you’ll embrace this show’s moody atmosphere.
The tone is definitely dark, slow, and sinister. I’m not sure Winslet’s mid-American accent is very convincing, but her slouchy stance and burger-munching-in-the-car-while-driving is rather comforting to watch.
I’m also not sure Guy Pearce makes for a good romantic potential… but let’s see what the following episodes bring. The pilot introduced a lot of separate storylines, and almost lost me until the end, when a phone call ties it all together neatly.
Watch it for yourself and let us know what you think.