Top of the Lake

[wilder]

Jane Campion's Crime Miniseries 'Top Of The Lake' Starring Elisabeth Moss
via The Playlist



Co-starring David Wenham, Lucy Lawless, Robyn Malcolm and Jay Ryan, the six-part story follows detective Robin Griffin who investigates the disappearance of the 12-year-old, five-months-pregnant daughter of a local drug lord in remote, mountainous New Zealand. During the investigation, she collides with Matt Mitcham (Mullan), the missing girl's father and local drug lord, and GJ (Hunter), a guru at a local women's camp. But that's just the tip of the multiple storylines woven throughout the show.

"Top of the Lake" will debut on Sundance Selects, Monday, March 18th at 9 p.m.

Trailer

[wilder]

On Netflix April 16

[Mel]

I'm sucker for mini series. Reason I picked up "Top of the Lake": Elisabeth Moss. Weakest part of series: Elisabeth Moss, which is good and bad thing. Series can stand of it own even with bad leading performance (she seems like totally out of place).

It has everything good mystery story should have. Some strong points: no red herrings - multiple narratives are connected instead (one thing leads to discovering elements of another), it doesn't start with murder (underage pregnancy opened some new possibilities) and some nice WTF moments (e.g. old ladies running naked).

[Jeremy Blackman]

This was a pretty good show. It's very much an anti-sensationalist mood piece. I'm glad it was just a miniseries, because it can be a little depressive and that would get tiring. But at this length that was just fine.

It has such a consistently subtle tone that when big and/or weird things happen (and they do happen), they sort of wash over you in the moment, and what you just saw only sinks in afterwards. And then you sort of wonder why so little screen time was devoted to that moment. Which is intensely strange sometimes. And oddly effective. It gets in your brain.

And it is just generally strange. Not flamboyantly strange. It's just that the setting and plot points are so particular and specific... in that way it's unlike anything I've seen.

I disagree with Mel; Elisabeth Moss seems entirely in place and it's a genuinely good performance. David Wenham stole the show for me, though. What he does is so subtle and, I don't know, confusing in a very compelling way. It's hard to describe.

Peter Mullan (as the powerful redneck fellow) is either doing a New Zealand accent via Scotland, or a Scottish accent via New Zealand... I'm not entirely sure.

[jenkins]

jb, my specific curiosity is did you spend the time through familiarity with the artist and medium, or through the artist alone and if it had been a movie you would've watched it as well? was it a general interest in jane campion that brought you to this show, or a general interest in tv? your interest in the pregnant 12yo is your own business, top secret

[Jeremy Blackman]

I heard about it on a podcast (Slate's Culture Gabfest), saw it being posted about here, heard about it somewhere else, and then it was on Netflix. That is the sadly uninteresting story.

I probably would not have watched it if it were a movie, actually. I love the idea of having more miniseries like this. Short enough that an auteur can hold the reigns all the way through. Imagine a Lynch miniseries of this length, for example.

[jenkins]

i sensed the peaks in the distance! i also think your original response mentions aspects of campion's recent style, which was kinda odd during her last movie about a poet and might work better like this

all the collected data continues to hold my own interests. glad to hear. must say i personally dodge thriller vibes, yet remain open to seeing this one day

[Jeremy Blackman]

must say i personally dodge thriller vibes, yet remain open to seeing this one day

Yeah, I think this actively avoids being a thriller, in this way:

It has such a consistently subtle tone that when big and/or weird things happen (and they do happen), they sort of wash over you in the moment

[jenkins]

i'd float down the stream. oh it sounds lovely. when a day arrives...

[Mel]

"Red Riding" is way more depressing than this and you could find more series that are uncompromising (which is kinda good alternative compared to what US is serving us right now). More non-US TV please here ;)

I still hold opinion that Moss was miscast - she picked up in second half of the show, still way behind the rest of the crew.