AMAZON PRIME launches new series, starring NICOLE KIDMAN..
Does Nicole ever stop working? Prolific does not quite cover it. Her supreme dedication to the craft is something to admire and emulate. Commendable. The drawback to that is even she sometimes runs out of types to play. There will inevitably be some repetition in her catalogue. Which is kinda what we get here, in NINE PERFECT STRANGERS.
Watching the show is like sitting back and hitting the ‘Greatest hits of Nic’. Consider the following:
- It’s based on a book by Liane Moriarty, just like BIG LITTLE LIES.
- Nicole does a Russian ish accent, as in BIRTHDAY GIRL.
- The pitch merges surrealism with social comment: STEPFORD WIVES.
- There is an undercurrent of sexual repression and illicit release: EYES WIDE SHUT.
- Mixed memories of unresolved trauma, slowly pieced together: BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP.
- Ghostly vibe and arguably supernatural subtext: THE OTHERS.
- Cult like enclosed space where Nicole rules, supreme: THE BEGUILED.
- Lots of shots of Nicole swimming /running etc: THE PEACEMAKER.
- Nicole gets inside your head to heal you: BATMAN FOREVER.
ALL those elements and more are present and correct. Which is fine, btw, because I LOVE NICOLE KIDMAN! Had you not guessed that by now? I could literally watch her read the phonebook, on repeat, forever and would still be enthralled.
She is funny, intriguing and sexy as ‘Masha’, the leader of a wellness retreat. That makes this watchable. The rest of the cast is also fine, though not necessarily revelatory or stretched because each actor deployed has always been excellent. Michael Shannon and Melissa McCarthy are incapable of giving anything less than great performances and NINE PERFECT STRANGERS is no exception.
The show is a BIT of a slow burn and cannot decide on genre. Is this meant to be a thriller? If so, too plodding in pace. Is it meant to deter one from wellness retreats (not gonna happen here; if anyone knows of a ‘Masha’ style getaway like this one, let me know and I will book a ticket immediately). Maybe there is meant to be a sense of individual character study, slowly overlapping into one? Or is it going to go all out horror and sci-fi, with Niciole revealed as an actual vampire? Dunno, as have not read the book or seen any spoilers.
But whilst I am not glued to my seat and must confess to hitting fast forward on occasion, I do like NINE PERFECT STRANGERS and in no small part because yes, I absolutely adore its leading lady. Whatever she chooses to star in, Nicole makes anything watchable, sexy and beautiful. Genuinely gorgeous bod in this latest show, too.
Bravo 😉
NICOLE AND NINE PERFECT STRANGERS: WE LOVE YOU.
