Krysten Ritter is a powerhouse, playing the titular role with great emotional depth and strength. I admit, after having only seen Ritter in mostly fluffy, peppy roles, I wasn't sure she would be able to handle this kind of mature material (yes, even after seeing her in Breaking Bad). But she has quickly proven herself capable of portraying a tough-as-nails investigator with the underlying fragility of someone who's been through psychological trauma. It is a credit to Ritter's acting that after only a few glimpses of Kilgrave's presence, you are already completely terrified of him. There are a few moments where she falters in delivering dialogue convincingly -- her enunciation isn't great, and her gritty, low-pitched voice at times sounds forced. But in all fairness it could probably be attributed to some admittedly clunky writing. Lines like, "Cheaters are good for business," and, "People do bad shit," aren't really doing the show any favors.
The first "mystery of the week" was terrific, introducing us to the main villain, Kilgrave, without him actually ever appearing. Hope kicking and screaming as Jessica drags her away from the hotel bed shows the power of Kilgrave's mind control. As Jessica throws Hope over her shoulder, you can see Hope grab her purse from the desk -- the purse we later see her grabbing the gun from. It makes you wonder just how far Kilgrave's mind control goes. Did he make her put on a show, act like she didn't want to leave, so she could grab the purse surreptitiously? Did Kilgrave have Hope hug Jessica at the end and thank her for saving her, just to drive the knife in a little bit deeper? Where does the manipulation end? The ending completely shocked me -- as if rape and abuse weren't psychologically damaging enough. And considering that this was only episode one, I suspect the show is going to get a lot darker.
To be clear, Jessica Jones isn't another run-of-the-mill, grimdark epic, where the show is literally so dark that you can hardly see what's happening on screen, and where the characters are so morose that any kind of personality is pushed to the wayside in favour of moping, woe-is-me facial expressions. Yes, many of the scenes are shot at night, but because of the stylistic visuals characteristic of the noir genre, you've got neon lights and purplish tones to create truly dazzling shots, adding to the mystery and atmosphere. I really enjoyed the use of the low-angle and high-angle camera shots such as these, which are so prevalent in noir films:
The supporting characters were probably the weakest part of the episode, although with this type of binge-watching format, shows can afford to draw out characters' backstories longer than usual. The history between Jessica and Trish is intriguing. She knows about Kilgrave, and she clearly cares about Jessica and encourages her to be a hero. So what was it that made Jessica avoid Trish for six months? Jeri Hogarth, played by Carrie-Ann Moss, is introduced as lawyer who frequently gives Jessica cases, and perhaps knows about her somewhat unconventional methods. Luke Cage is a mystery. They've seemingly never met before, and yet Jessica has such an upsetting reaction to seeing a picture of a woman in his bathroom cabinet that she vomits. He also somehow triggered her PTSD, and might be associated with Kilgrave. And Malcolm is a neighbor who frequently mistakes Jessica's apartment for his own.
One of the things I appreciate about the show so far is how little they are explaining Jessica's superpowers. She can jump really high and has super strength -- it's just part of who she is. Marvel seems to recognize that by now, we have already established that superheros exist in this universe, and rather than go through the same tired exposition and origin story, they are dropping us into a different story altogether, one that goes beyond the novelty of having super powers.
As Jessica struggles at the end to make a decision, flight or fight, her voice-over returns to the dilemma her clients face at the beginning of the episode: once you learn the truth about something, you can pretend and run, or you can do something about it. Jessica turns around and walks back into the madness, and I will be walking right there with her into the next episode.
Other Thoughts:
- I'm a fan of the opening credits. I liked how the use of watercolors was in the same style as some of the comics are drawn. I also enjoyed the interpretative jazz feel -- the lonely trumpet wailing in the night pops up a lot and really adds to the suffocating ambience.
- "I'm not gonna beg you for a case. I will ask you, though, very strongly." Heh. Jessica needs more lines like these. A certain self-awareness will go a long way to avoid seeming campy and forced.
- "It's people like you that give people like you a bad name." See above re: campy and forced.
- So the lawyer is having an affair with her coworker. Maybe kissing in front of a giant window isn't the best way to keep it a secret?
- The camera work is truly excellent -- the spinning creates a nauseating effect. The scene where Jessica is walking down the hotel hallway to the door was so well-done. Her dread was palpable as the fire alarm lights flashed, which was interspersed with purple tones, creating an atmosphere of sick terror.
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