Patrick Melrose
Directed by:
Edward BergerScreenplay:
David NichollsCinematography:
James FriendComposer:
Volker BertelmannCast:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Holliday Grainger, Jessica Raine, Anthony Boyle, James Fleet, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Pip Torrens, Indira Varma, Hugo WeavingPlots(1)
At the Melrose family’s glorious house in the South of France, young Patrick has the run of the magical grounds. His father David rules with cruelty and his mother Eleanor has retreated into self medication and booze. Bravely imaginative and self-sufficient out of necessity, 9-year-old Patrick encounters the volatile lives of adults with fear. They are expecting guests for the weekend, but this afternoon is profoundly unlike other summer days, and the shocking events that precede the guests’ arrival tear Patrick's world in two. (Showtime)
(more)Reviews (3)
What a surprise! Unlike the previous episode, the second one didn't have any humor, but the atmosphere got much thicker. The flashbacks gave us a deeper look into the character of the charming David Melrose and the wonderful family dynamics. Hugo Weaving did a fantastic job filling in for the absent Benedict Cumberbatch, and I had a blast.
()
Unlike the stylistically distinctive and entertaining first episode, this one is "just" a focused and brilliantly acted build-up to a sense of helplessness and inevitability (of what Patrick will become in the future), but it's still hard to take your eyes off of it, and every scene is absolutely correct given the complex psychological portrait of a personality that will surely continue to play a key role in the series. And is it just me, or is Hugo Weaving delivering his fourth iconic villain? He's never been this scary before... 85%
()
The dive into Patrick Melrose's childhood years was deep, heavily atmospheric, and extremely depressing. Is there any other way to cope with one's inner turmoil after such parental chaos than the way Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed it in the first episode? The demonic Hugo Weaving, who fabulously portrayed David Melrose, scared even me, let alone a broken child's soul...
()