The People vs. O.J. Simpson; American Crime Story – TV Review

One of the mostly highly publicised cases in US history is that of OJ Simpson over the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend Ron Goldman. This dramatisation of the events around the crime and the trial tell the story – or some parts of the story. It has a strong cast full of very familiar faces – from  Cuba Gooding Jnr playing OJ, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian- to just so many other familiar faces.

While I was old enough to follow the case, I wasn’t overly interested at the time. I saw the news updates, but there wasn’t the type of access to media there is now. I read articles and I sort of know what happened, but I wanted to see how it was going to be depicted in this series. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it felt like a pretty cheesy, true-crime re-enactment, which I supposed is exactly what it was. I don’t think I’d exactly recommend it, but I wouldn’t tell you to keep away.

The People vs. O.J. Simpson; American Crime Story – TV Review

One of the mostly highly publicised cases in US history is that of OJ Simpson over the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend Ron Goldman. This dramatisation of the events around the crime and the trial tell the story – or some parts of the story. It has a strong cast full of very familiar faces – from  Cuba Gooding Jnr playing OJ, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian- to just so many other familiar faces.

While I was old enough to follow the case, I wasn’t overly interested at the time. I saw the news updates, but there wasn’t the type of access to media there is now. I read articles and I sort of know what happened, but I wanted to see how it was going to be depicted in this series. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it felt like a pretty cheesy, true-crime re-enactment, which I supposed is exactly what it was. I don’t think I’d exactly recommend it, but I wouldn’t tell you to keep away.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) Film Review

Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) has returned to her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) after an absence of two years. Martha told them she’d been living with a boyfriend who lied to her when, in fact, she’d been living and being abused in a cult led by Patrick (John Hawkes).

What is annoying about this film is that you feel that Lucy and her husband would be do much better able to help Martha if she told them, but she is so traumatised that she is unable to tell them. It’s a very beautiful film, but very difficult to watch – many of the really stunning scenes are accompanied by penetrating whining sounds that do not allow the audience to relax for a moment.