'The Perfect Couple' Reviews: "With a great ensemble cast, the series does a great job of twisting and turning these relationships in and around each other"

         On September 5, 2024, Netflix released 'The Perfect Couple', which has received a mixed reception  from critics, currently holding at 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the miniseries, "When a lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin - with a body discovered just hours before the ceremony - everyone in the wedding party is a suspect." The ensemble cast includes Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Eve Hewson, Billy Howie, and Jack Reynor. But what did the critics say?

        Lucy Mangan of Guardian praises the series, stating, "If there is anyone who can resist bingeing all six episodes once they have started, I will eat a fruit basket." Concluding, "Once the police investigation starts, it becomes clear who the star of the show is – neither Kidman nor the mansion, nor even the knits, but Donna Lynne Champlin as Det Nikki Henry. What a performance. Every thought the detective is having about these awful people plays fleetingly across her face, although never for long enough to jeopardise the case, however much she hauls the local police chief, Dan (Michael Beach), over the coals for cosying up to the family that funds so much activity in the community."

Photo by Viktor Hanacek on picjumbo

        Elijah Gonzalez of Paste Magazine was less impressed, stating, "As The Perfect Couple reaches its lukewarm conclusion, it’s hard not to draw a comparison between this show and that line of thinking. Because, while this miniseries has great performances from its A-listers and a few deliciously dysfunctional family moments, it ultimately feels like the streaming equivalent of an airport novel, just entertaining enough to keep your divided attention but already fading out of memory as airplane wheels hit the tarmac. It’s another imperfect addition to Netflix’s catalog that’s neither bad nor good enough to stand out. Perhaps that’s its greatest crime."

        Archi Sengupta of LeisureByte.com says, "This Netflix series is neither ingenious nor is it particularly new but it’s the characters that are really fun and entertaining. You might be able to figure out who the killer is but the path to the end is engaging in a very dramatic way." Adding, "With a great ensemble cast, the series does a great job of twisting and turning these relationships in and around each other. Of course, there are a ton of overlapping “relationships” that give everyone the motive, but it’s always the ones that we least expect who end up subverting our expectations. The 6 episodes explore these relationships thoroughly, both with each other and with our victim, giving us an in-depth look at familial relationships and how even those who look the cleanest from the outside can be dirty and complicated."

       Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly notes, "Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestseller and adapted for the screen by Jenna Lamia, this arch and at times outlandish miniseries delivers the cheap and tasty thrills of a beach read on a lavish, prestige-streamer budget." Continuing, "In her recent TV roles, Kidman has been tormented, aggrieved, angry, sure — but just plain mean? Never. It’s a hoot to watch her embrace Greer’s underlying nastiness, which naturally stems from a Deep Dark Secret not even her family knows. Fanning has a ball as the snooty and condescending Abby, who cloaks all her insults with a sing-song lilt and a sunny smile. Reynor brings the tragicomic relief as Benji’s bullying, insecure brother Tom, and Champlin strikes just the right tone of unflappable bemusement as Detective Henry."

'Across the River and Into the Trees' Reviews: "a career-best" for Liev Schreiber

         On August 30, 2024, Level 33 Entertainment released 'Across the River and Into the Trees', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "American Army Col. Richard Cantwell, is a bona fide war hero who faces news of his terminal illness with stoic disregard. Determined to spend his weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate what is likely a final duck hunting trip and visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell's plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a young countess begins to kindle in him the hope of renewal. Based on the last full-length novel Hemingway published in his lifetime, Across The River and Into The Trees captures a fleeting moment of immortality where time stands still. The story contains the great Hemingway themes of love, war, youth and age." The ensemble cast includes Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Enzo Cilenti, Josh Hutcherson, Matilda De Angelis, and Sabrina Impacciatore. Read the full review round-up below.

Photo by Isaac Moore on Unsplash

        Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru writes, "In Across the River and Into the Trees,  Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber), an American army colonel, learns that he's terminally ill. He embarks on a trip to Venice with  Sergeant Jackson (Josh Hutcherson) as his driver and flirts with Renata Contarini (Matilda de Angelis), the daughter of a countess (Laura Morante), who's about to marry Antonio (Giulio Berruti). Little does Renata or her mother know that Richard will be dying imminently. The screenplay by Peter Flannery bites off more than it could chew with a mildly engaging story set during WWII. It juggles many topics including love, death and war, but fails to pack an emotional punch. There are a few moments of melancholy which feel tender and understated, especially when it comes to the nuanced performance of Liev Schreiber. The poetic imagery enriches the film, but they're quite heavy-handed. Perhaps Across the River and Into the Trees's issues stem from the source material, the novel by Ernest Hemmingway which isn't as powerful or haunting as his other novels. To be fair, condensing the novel into a film that's under 2 hours is no easy task, but it's easier to get inside Richard's heart, mind and soul in the novel than in the film. In an underdeveloped subplot, he's grieving the death of his son who was killed in a concentration camp. The film has a lot of potential to be more dark and unflinching, but it squanders those opportunities more often than not. The cinematography is superb, though, while making the most out of the picturesque setting in Venice."

       Dan Mecca of The Film Stage notes, "Here is a handsome film that is decidedly modest in its endeavor. The best thing going for it is Liev Schreiber as Colonel Richard Cantwell, the lead of the picture." Continuing, "All of this being said, the central relationship and the on-off conversation between the two leads is the reason to watch this movie, much as it is the highlight of Hemingway’s novel. Everything else is deeply secondary. Laura Morante puts in good work as Contessa Contarini (Renata’s mother) and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does incredible work. Across the River and into the Trees played film festivals two years ago and is finally seeing a very limited release late in the summer of 2024. This is a film worth discovering, ideally after immersing yourself in the underrated novel."

        Maggie Lovitt of Collider praises the film, stating, "Whether it’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a Wes Anderson film, or Ray Donovan, Liev Schreiber always gives 110% in whatever role he is playing, but Across the River and Into the Trees may be a career-best for him. There’s a certain level of nuance required to portray the Colonel as Hemingway wrote him, coupled with having the ability to play into the inherent duality of man. Richard is a man who has killed his fellow man while engaged in the theater of war, and yet he’s still able to be this gentle man. His bloodstained and scarred hands are able to hold Renata’s unblemished hands. He and De Angelis have electric chemistry, and are both able to play Richard and Renata’s relationship with a level of reverence for each other that elevates their performances. It feels like a tour de force for Schreiber, who beautifully inhabits this tragic hero as he reckons with life, death, and the inevitability of both ruin and heal us all. Together they turn Across the River and Into the Trees into more than just a tragic tale, but a tragic romance as well."

       Valerie Kalfrin of AWFJ.org says, "Building to a cleansing if wrenching denouement, Across the River and Into the Trees is a thoughtful journey of absolution. ... Liev Schreiber delivers an achingly poignant performance."