What had been billed as Nicole Kidman’s next great project, following on from the success of The Undoing.
Nine Perfect Strangers is a unique take on the book by the same name by Liane Moriarty.
Masha (Nicole Kidman) runs an exclusive health retreat that is attended by the rich and famous and occasionally individuals who have been hand selected to attend at the wish of Masha. Masha is a Russian expat, who has fled her home country to set up this retreat in the remote hills of California.
First thing you do notice from this miniseries when Nicole Kidman enters the first scene is her accent is less than convincing, knowing that a lot of time and effort has been put into this production it does seem strange that more time wouldn’t be spent perfecting the accent, as at times it seems to slip.
Nine Perfect Strangers has received a fair amount of criticism, as it is billed as a drama but there are moments where you just can’t help but laugh.
Noticeable moments include a fight between Lars Lee (Luke Evans) and Carmel Schneider (Regina Hall) at the breakfast table at the resort, it is almost comical and you can’t help but laugh at some of the quips by the characters.
Also the scene where the goat, yes goat, is on a spit roast, as the carcass is spinning, the animal appears to have googly eyes and a comical smile with teeth grinning. Not what you would expect from an animal that has been killed, roast and about to be eaten.
Also the scene in the swimming pool where Frances Welty (Melissa McCarthy) and Tony Hogburn (Bobby Carnnavale) have a moment, not an intimate moment, but where Tony starts throwing grapes at a sleeping Frances as she is in the pool. One grape lands in Frances’s mouth and she starts to choke. Tony leaps to her aid, doing the Heimlich maneuver that sends the grape flying and Frances can breathe, again.
Created by David E. Kelley, Nine Perfect Strangers, is a production where a lot of thought and care has been taken to keep it as close to the original text by Liane Moriarty and maybe that is why there appears to be a disconnect that makes the dramatic miniseries almost comical.
Directed by Jonathan Levine, the series explores the perception of what people will do to achieve health and wellbeing, but you can’t help but wonder if this is poking fun at the entire industry.
Nicole Kidman does deserve a lot of credit as she has done some amazing work previously and continues to develop and produce roles that are for strong, determined woman, which we do need to see more on the screen.
But in Nine Perfect Strangers it does seems that the director might have been slightly intimidated by the actor/producer and didn’t help advising toning down the performance, as at times it does seem like she is playing it for the stage with over-the-top mannerisms and facial expressions. Which any good director should take lead and help the actor adjust for the role.
Nine Perfect Strangers isn’t all that bad, it is engaging and you will find it easy to watch each episode. It is a series that you can binge watch as there is an amazing supporting cast and each actor plays their role very well. But this series is a little over the top as is the idea of a health retreat that only caters to the rich and famous who then have to forage for their own food.
Nine Perfect Strangers is currently available on Hulu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvqujH6boEI