Crossposted from the print edition of Hilltop Views Volume 53, Issue 5
Sick of her superficial life, Candy Montgomery believed that she wasn’t growing. She was dying, and she was not going to die quietly.
“Love & Death” is a six-episode miniseries, based on a true story from Wylie, Texas. Filmed here in Central Texas, the show follows the lengths Montgomery is willing to go to in order to feel seen. The first episode premiered at South by Southwest alongside a talkback with the cast and crew.
“Love & Death” follows the real lives of “two church going couples, enjoying small town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe,” according to the films description. Despite this violent hook, director Leslie Linka Glatter, who is best known for her work on “Mad Men”, said this show is about the “how and why, rather than the what” of the crime, focusing on the lives of these two couples leading up to their violent end.
Writer of the show David E. Kelly — who has written two other shows for HBO Max, “Big Little Lies” and “The Undoing” — masterfully crafted dialogue that sounds scripted because the characters themselves are reciting lines about the life they believe they should be living, regardless of how much their feelings or actions may contradict those lines. This obvious hypocrisy alongside stilted, long pauses between characters cements how lonely and trapped these characters feel because of their own sense of propriety.
Elizabeth Olsen, also known as the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Universe, plays the central character, Candy Montgomery. On paper, Montgomery has a perfect life. She’s married to a successful man who doesn't mistreat her, has two healthy children, lives in a beautiful home, takes creative writing classes and is called the “belle of the church” by other characters. Yet she is still dissatisfied; perhaps “belle” is an apt comparison as Montgomery does want more than her provincial life. While Montgomery is not immediately the most likable character, with Olsen even saying so during the talkback, it’s extremely easy to empathize with her situation and desperation.
The most striking part of the first episode was its use of color. Lead costume designer Audrey Fisher created a world that felt rich in colors and textures. It looked like an homage to the 70s that perfectly toed the line between parodying the era and diluting it for modern audiences. She also consistently dressed Olsen in red accents, constantly reminding the audience of the bloodshed to come. Olsen’s character feels perpetually surrounded by red in her clothes, lipstick and even her decor. The audience can't escape the association between her and the violence that we don’t yet understand.
This show is quickly setting itself up to be the greatest drama of the year and another star in HBO Max’s highly-regarded catalog. Whether you’re interested in true crime or want to see Olsen show off her fantastic acting skills after “Wandavision”, you should mark your calendars for “Love & Death.”
Episode One 5/5 Goats. You can watch all of “Love & Death” on HBO Max starting April 27.
Cover photo credit to Jake Giles Netter
Originally published March 23, 2023
Kommentare