Having worked in the book business for years, my livelihood has always depended on the guilty pleasure. A piece of fiction (although sometimes non-fiction), where outrageousness and drama are the key draws, really fly off the shelves. The intense salacious fury of it all overtakes readers. Like we all say, sex sells. Books (and film) like â50 Shadesâ and television shows like âReal Housewivesâ seem trashy and naughty. Sometimes more literary forms are available. A good beach read is nothing to scoff at. And there is nothing sandier than HBOâs latest craze.
This six-part miniseries has finally released its last episode two Sundays ago. So, you can binge it on streaming as soon as you want. I, on the other hand, watched as it came out. The advantage of which was each chapter of this tart tale unfolds its new reveals in a slow burn. The basis here is social satire; three different groups of guests at a lavish Hawaiian resort for a week. A newlywed couple, a family of four, their daughterâs friend, and an older rich woman who is all alone; these are tropes seen throughout literature. A new sheen has been painted on not only by the script, but by the actors.
Jennifer Coolidge is the stand-out as Tanya, a loony wealthy woman who has come to the island to scatter her emotionally-abusive motherâs ashes. The tears we see arenât just an act, a sense of true pain. Her comic timing, however, refuses to let this become a maudlin creation. The verisimilitude makes Tayna less a caricature than a very real, embarrassing self. Embarrassing, because we see ourselves in her. In fact, all the characters work on this level.
Ever felt like you canât shut off and allow your own ambition to take over relationships with your family? Connie Brittonâs Nicole may be your mirror. Have you ever let your ego get so big that even the most meaningless slight destroys any happiness to those around you? Step right up, fellow Shanes. Jake Lacy could have easily made him a villain in an Adam Sandler comedy if it wasnât for his measured, nuanced delivery.
As my own fun-house reflection we have Armond, the hotel manager who is constantly put-upon. Murray Bartlettâs reactions to his customers feel genuine, even when his actions become more and more insane. For those of us who have worked in any service job, havenât we ever wanted to just roll your eyes and throw caution to the wind? You get the sense that a lifetime of sublimating resentment and contempt for the gilded, privileged class has finally broken him. And we all fear the day that we go on that bender as a result.
Writer/director Mike White has made a career dabbling into these waters. From his first foray âChuck & Buckâ and the Jennifer Aniston-starring âThe Good Girlâ, all character pieces express what is common but dubious about human nature. Even in a film like âBeatriz at Dinnerâ where he only wrote the script, his style bleeds out on the screen. A biting, vivisecting tone questions the motives of his subjects but without stripping them of their humanity.
He has worked with HBO before on the criminally-underrated âEnlightenedâ with the immaculate Laura Dern which only lasted two seasons. At the time of this article, HBO has renewed âLotusâ for a season two. In my humble opinion a mistake has been made. Even if the plan is to change cast and location, there is not recreating what was made here. âTrue Detectiveâ is another example of trying to make a limited series into an anthology of themes. But like that, my fear remains of diminishing returns. And maybe the body in the casket is being picked over. A former thriving and productive subject that should be allowed to end. All the same, happy viewing readers.
