Sandra Oh, one of the most underrated actors in the business, finally gets a vehicle where her immense talent is utilized to its fullest. I was riveted by her from the first scene-and that was before the appearance of Jodie Comer. There's no screen portrayal of a psychopath, male or female, that I've seen who is more convincing than that of Villanelle.
The only comparable ones, that come to mind, is Michael Caine's portayal, in the absolutely brilliant, original Get Carter, and of course, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs. There haven't been any such comparable portrayals by a female-until now. Villanelle kills it (pardon the pun).
I noted that Jodie Comer, an exceptionally and uniquely beautiful woman, has eyes that are spaced relatively far apart. I'm wondering if that was a deliberate consideration when she was cast, because my first thought was that I was reminded of a lizard, or bird of prey. Villanelle has as little mercy, or compassion, as either.
The scene captured in the trailer-where she is in the ice cream shop, exchanging gazes with the little girl, was breathtaking in ways beyond what she does to the child when she walks out. In the lead up, when she is sitting across the room from the girl, it's clearly communicated that this is not a normal woman. The first instinct for most of us, upon meeting the eyes of a child in that circumstance, would be to smile. She does not-until she's reminded to do so by her observation of the man behind the counter. Of course; a sociopath is incapable of sentiment or affection. They can only fake it. She could not, until reminded by the man. In the end, walking out, she cannot help but follow her true nature.
She's clearly capable of anything.
She's a monster, but a beautiful, charismatic and extremely compelling one. All the more so, when we find out that she's an assassin, and an extremely skilled and resourceful one. So much so that she's apparently the "go to" killer of her employer, whoever it is. One gets the clear impression that she's not only indifferent to taking human life, she does it with almost gleeful and cruel nonchalance. There's no actor, male or female. that I've seen who pulls that off like Comer.
It becomes clear that Sandra Oh's Eve hides the scores of demons and trauma that she's clearly carrying with that flawless dry humor and wit of hers. One wonders if those demons are in part what makes her so relentless and driven. That she pulls off her character so effortlessly (so it seems) is a tribute to her underappreciated skill as an actor. It's for those reasons that virtually any other actor would have been well overshadowed by Comer's performance. Not a chance here.
I'll be stunned and disappointed if she-along with Comer-do not become bona fide stars now.
At the end of the first episode, with Vellanelle's already impressive body count-and ruthlessness-showcased to full effect, and with she and Eve (her prospective nemesis and muse) having inadvertently crossed paths, I can't even imagine what is to come between these two very damaged, and very powerful women.
As a member of the male gender, I'm already hooked.
The only comparable ones, that come to mind, is Michael Caine's portayal, in the absolutely brilliant, original Get Carter, and of course, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs. There haven't been any such comparable portrayals by a female-until now. Villanelle kills it (pardon the pun).
I noted that Jodie Comer, an exceptionally and uniquely beautiful woman, has eyes that are spaced relatively far apart. I'm wondering if that was a deliberate consideration when she was cast, because my first thought was that I was reminded of a lizard, or bird of prey. Villanelle has as little mercy, or compassion, as either.
The scene captured in the trailer-where she is in the ice cream shop, exchanging gazes with the little girl, was breathtaking in ways beyond what she does to the child when she walks out. In the lead up, when she is sitting across the room from the girl, it's clearly communicated that this is not a normal woman. The first instinct for most of us, upon meeting the eyes of a child in that circumstance, would be to smile. She does not-until she's reminded to do so by her observation of the man behind the counter. Of course; a sociopath is incapable of sentiment or affection. They can only fake it. She could not, until reminded by the man. In the end, walking out, she cannot help but follow her true nature.
She's clearly capable of anything.
She's a monster, but a beautiful, charismatic and extremely compelling one. All the more so, when we find out that she's an assassin, and an extremely skilled and resourceful one. So much so that she's apparently the "go to" killer of her employer, whoever it is. One gets the clear impression that she's not only indifferent to taking human life, she does it with almost gleeful and cruel nonchalance. There's no actor, male or female. that I've seen who pulls that off like Comer.
It becomes clear that Sandra Oh's Eve hides the scores of demons and trauma that she's clearly carrying with that flawless dry humor and wit of hers. One wonders if those demons are in part what makes her so relentless and driven. That she pulls off her character so effortlessly (so it seems) is a tribute to her underappreciated skill as an actor. It's for those reasons that virtually any other actor would have been well overshadowed by Comer's performance. Not a chance here.
I'll be stunned and disappointed if she-along with Comer-do not become bona fide stars now.
At the end of the first episode, with Vellanelle's already impressive body count-and ruthlessness-showcased to full effect, and with she and Eve (her prospective nemesis and muse) having inadvertently crossed paths, I can't even imagine what is to come between these two very damaged, and very powerful women.
As a member of the male gender, I'm already hooked.