He eases his story along so his audience will be enamored by McGovern’s performance as the caretaker of the young vivacious girl who’s a handful of trouble and wide eyed dreams. Elizabeth McGovern and Géza Röhrig in The Chaperone Photo by Barry Wetcher Courtesy of PBS Distribution Director Michael Engler who brought “Sex and the City” to the small screen from 2001 to 2004 knows his way around NYC and he even nails the this jaunt with some of the best scenery, locations and sets filled with memories of the past. Thus begins a true account of a period in the life of two romantics, one a dancer and future movie star, the other trying to find her way out of a loveless life in Wichita. When the two get there, Louise assimilates into the dance troop while Norma checks out the orphanage where she was brought up as a child. It’s a way for her to get away from the boring small city to a more glamorous life even if it will only be a few months. Overhearing that Myra cannot find a chaperone for her daughter, Norma volunteers to accompany the girl to the big city for the length of her school studies. Haley Lu Richardson in The Chaperone (2) Photo by Barry Wetcher Courtesy of PBS Distribution With this performance she announces that Louise will be attending Denishawn School of dance in New York City. She’s showcasing her daughter Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson) modern dancing skills to the local hobnobs who are gushing over the beautiful young lady. Opening in the year 1922 Wichita, Kansas we see Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth McGovern) accompanied by her husband Alan (Campbell Scott) at a social event hosted by noted piano player Myra Books (Victoria Hill). The film has some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a drama in recent past and combined with perfect retro costume, sets, locations and make-up the film’s a winner. It’s just a snippet on the seductive actress Louise Brooks with the real story going to her companion Norma Carlisle. It lends a claustrophobic feeling to the proceedings, which is augmented when Johannes presents his new bride with an unusual wedding gift: a giant dollhouse replica of their home, which she is to furnish from a local miniaturist.An alluring period piece, the biography/drama The Chaperone makes for good viewing for its target audience females 35 plus. Cornelia and Otto welcome Nella far more so than the siblings, and yet, never let her out of their sight (or out of the house alone). Despite their supposed wealth, the Brandt’s household is small, and includes a maid Cornelia ( Hayley Squires) and a butler-of-sorts, Otto ( Paapa Essiedu). In a whirlwind, Nella is shipped off to Amsterdam to live with Johannes, who doesn’t seem to have much of an interest in her, and she is greeted instead by his cold and pious sister Marin ( Romola Garai). The editing is quick and the story is well-paced (for the most part), allowing for quirky introductions and snappy though frugal dialogue. And with so much to recommend him, why not?įrom the start, The Miniaturist hits us with unexpected humor as well as spooky overtones, neither of which are necessarily expected in such a costumed production. They know almost nothing about each other, and as Nella mentions several times, Johannes essentially owns her, as her mother sold her to a man who couldn’t otherwise find a wife. Nella Oortman (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), who has married a handsome, charming, and fabulously wealthy merchant, Johannes Brandt ( Alex Hassell) as a way to save her family from poverty. The Miniaturist follows a beautiful but poor girl (isn’t that always the way?) Petronella a.k.a. Mostly because the miniaturist of the title is not someone we meet until the end of the three-episode series, although their creations seem to be driving the story. How riveting could that be? Very much so, actually. Its title refers to the maker of tiny items to go in doll houses. It takes place in 17th century Amsterdam, where the colors are (for the most part) particularly muted. At first glance, PBS’s The Miniaturist is a show that might be easy to dismiss.
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