The "Undoing"

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Just finished up HBO's "Undoing" series which is a legal thriller complete with some very sexy moments thrown in. I won't give away much because I don't want to spoil it. I liked it as much as the "Perry Mason" series earlier this year...which surprised me because it's nothing like the original Perry Mason and was extremely interesting. HBO is putting out some good stuff now and then.

The stars of the show are Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Donald Sutherland. But it's hard not to fall in love with 25 yr old Italian actress, Matilda De Angelis who does full frontal and full backside nudes and has a body worth pausing the TV for a closer look...although I didn't because I watch TV with my girlfriend, but if I was alone, I probably would have backed it up a few times.

Anyway, it's a 6 episode miniseries which kind of drags in the middle then has an explosive ending. I'd love to banter with someone who has a legal mind to see if they figured out what I figured out. After the show ended, I failed to see what really happened (other than the real killer exposed). So as I was in bed falling asleep it suddenly hit me how everything was turned around, who was responsible, and how the trial trick was pulled off. So I sat up in bed and bounced my theories off my girlfriend and we put it together. Took awhile to see what really happened and when I figured it out, it was sheer genius.

Introducing Miss De Angelis:



An article in today's paper where she discusses kissing Nicole Kidman and going around naked.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/03/undoing-star-matilda-de-angelis-on-kissing-nicole-kidman-i-loved-it/

[DaveBrown74]

I thought it was a tremendous show. Extremely well shot, top notch cast and acting, well written for the most part, and gripping throughout. I too certainly won't give anything away as I don't want to ruin it for anyone intending to see it who hasn't yet, but it was very enjoyable and kept us guessing throughout.

I probably have one or two things I would gripe about if I were pressed to give a longer review, but overall I thought it was excellent.

[Ed Vette]

We binge watched it last night based on your recommendation and loved it. I don

[Jolly Blue Giant]

We binge watched it last night based on your recommendation and loved it. I don

[Ed Vette]

That's exactly what happened as you described it. What kept it interesting up to that point and even beyond was there were multiple possibilities as to who did the actual killing. The visions Grace kept having put her in the mind of the viewer. The son and the father as well as the husband all were possibilities. Even as they drove in the car there was still the possibility that the son was the killer initially. The son put the hammer through the dishwasher twice. At one point it looked as if the son either wanted Elena out of the picture to keep the family intact or to set up his father and murder her out of anger. Remember the verdict was expected to come back as guilty as reasonable doubt was dispelled but there was no confession. The ending could have gone in an entirely different direction and it might have been a better surprise if the son was the killer or if Grace was psychotic or just visualized Jonathan as the killer but had a dual personality, which was the case with Jonathan who also was a sociopath.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

That's exactly what happened as you described it. What kept it interesting up to that point and even beyond was there were multiple possibilities as to who did the actual killing. The visions Grace kept having put her in the mind of the viewer. The son and the father as well as the husband all were possibilities. Even as they drove in the car there was still the possibility that the son was the killer initially. The son put the hammer through the dishwasher twice. At one point it looked as if the son either wanted Elena out of the picture to keep the family intact or to set up his father and murder her out of anger. Remember the verdict was expected to come back as guilty as reasonable doubt was dispelled but there was no confession. The ending could have gone in an entirely different direction and it might have been a better surprise if the son was the killer or if Grace was psychotic or just visualized Jonathan as the killer but had a dual personality, which was the case with Jonathan who also was a sociopath.

Good points. I told my girlfriend repeatedly for the few weeks we watched it that ultimately, the killer would end up being Grace's father (Don Sutherland) because he was such an XXXXXXX about who his daughter had married and I was sure he had set him up to get rid of him from her life. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), he was spot on about Jonathan, much to the chagrin of Grace.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

For legal thrillers similar to "Undoing", I don't think it's possible for a movie to be better than "Primal Fear", award winning performances by Richard Gere and especially Edward Norton. If you've never seen it, it's a 5-star must see movie!

[Ed Vette]

Good points. I told my girlfriend repeatedly for the few weeks we watched it that ultimately, the killer would end up being Grace's father (Don Sutherland) because he was such an XXXXXXX about who his daughter had married and I was sure he had set him up to get rid of him from her life. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), he was spot on about Jonathan, much to the chagrin of Grace.

Sutherland was amazing in that role. I thought if it was him he would have paid someone to do it. Thanks for suggesting this. We enjoyed it very much. I don

[DaveBrown74]

Primal Fear is outstanding. Definitely one of the better thrillers of the past few decades. Great acting by Edward Norton in that movie, and Gere is also very good as the cocky lawyer.

As for the Undoing finale:







SPOILERS BELOW:















I liked the ending overall. My only gripe with it was the murder scene was not as convincing as it could have been. Grant goes from a passionate, intimate scene to being in a violent rage way too easily. Elena just brings up having tea with Grace and their respective kids, and Grant goes nuts right there and threatens her and quickly begins to slam her head. I get that he is a psychopath capable of murder, but if he were this easy to set off into a rage, surely this would have come up at some point during his 15 or so years of marriage to Grace? I feel like they could have developed this scene a little bit better.

I also found it a little bit hard to believe that Henry (Grace and Jonathan's son) was prepared to remain as blindly loyal to his father as he did throughout the show. We're supposed to believe that this kid is going to remain loyal to his Dad when he (1) cheated repeatedly on his mother and (2) killed someone? That strains credibility. It's not like the kid is six years old.

Overall a very strong show. Extremely well shot, superbly casted, and a very compelling, engaging plot. Nice job by all involved, and I hope it wins some awards.

[T200]

It was definitely an interesting series. I had Grace pegged as the killer of both Elena and Jonathan. Then Jonathan showed up but I still had her on the hook for Elena's murder. She seemed just as enamored with Elena as Elena was with her. They had a couple of moments in the gym and the elevator that seemed to foreshadow some type of relationship between them.

Both of the doctors seemed to have well-balanced personas but it was clear one of them was going to snap. I just chose the wrong doctor.

One thing I didn't like was how Henry came upon the hammer. That was a little hokey for me.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

It was definitely an interesting series. I had Grace pegged as the killer of both Elena and Jonathan. Then Jonathan showed up but I still had her on the hook for Elena's murder. She seemed just as enamored with Elena as Elena was with her. They had a couple of moments in the gym and the elevator that seemed to foreshadow some type of relationship between them.

Both of the doctors seemed to have well-balanced personas but it was clear one of them was going to snap. I just chose the wrong doctor.

One thing I didn't like was how Henry came upon the hammer. That was a little hokey for me.

I agree...the hammer didn't make sense. At the point in which the hammer showed up, I immediately said out loud, "okay, so now we know he was set up". It had to be a set up because no way on earth a murderer would keep the weapon, let alone hide it at the place he was staying after the murder. The kid automatically decided that his father was guilty at that point, but it still didn't make sense. It only made sense if the "real killer" planted it in order to make the "good Doc" look guilty. Hell, if the good Doc had an IQ over 70, he would have known to throw the damn hammer off the first bridge he crossed. That part was a bit hokey for sure.

[T200]

I agree...the hammer didn't make sense. At the point in which the hammer showed up, I immediately said out loud, "okay, so now we know he was set up". It had to be a set up because no way on earth a murderer would keep the weapon, let alone hide it at the place he was staying after the murder. The kid automatically decided that his father was guilty at that point, but it still didn't make sense. It only made sense if the "real killer" planted it in order to make the "good Doc" look guilty. Hell, if the good Doc had an IQ over 70, he would have known to throw the damn hammer off the first bridge he crossed. That part was a bit hokey for sure.

Exactly! LOL

They did a good job of dropping a few crumbs here and there to place enough doubt in the viewers' minds to say maybe he didn't do it.

Too bad it was only 6 episodes. I think they could have developed it a little more.

Good find, Jolly 

[DaveBrown74]

Exactly! LOL

They did a good job of dropping a few crumbs here and there to place enough doubt in the viewers' minds to say maybe he didn't do it.

Too bad it was only 6 episodes. I think they could have developed it a little more.

Good find, Jolly 

Agreed - six episodes was tight, and it felt like too much was jammed in at the end. They easily could have stretched episodes five and six into four episodes. They could have developed the courtroom scenes more, and as I stated in an earlier post, there needed to be more development in the murder scene or a clearer explanation of how Jonathan was so prone to violence in this scene even though that never visibly manifested itself in his life before that.

Still though, excellent show, definitely better than most.

[ozzie]

For legal thrillers similar to "Undoing", I don't think it's possible for a movie to be better than "Primal Fear", award winning performances by Richard Gere and especially Edward Norton. If you've never seen it, it's a 5-star must see movie!

I have never seen this but just recorded it and plan to watch it this week. Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. I've heard good reviews of this but for whatever reason never had the chance to see it.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I have never seen this but just recorded it and plan to watch it this week. Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. I've heard good reviews of this but for whatever reason never had the chance to see it.

In my opinion, this is the very best performance ever of Edward Norton. I can't wait to hear what you thought of the movie.