a fortunate adaption of a series of unfortunate events
do we all remember the a series of unfortunate events movie? it was dreadful, wasn’t it? thankfully, the netflix tv show adaption is absolutely perfect and they did everything right.
let’s start with casting accuracy. first, age ranges. its a common trend for movies and shows nowadays to cast actors that are far older than their characters. like.. 27 year olds playing high schoolers? what’s up with that? asoue made me very happy by casting age appropriate actors. 13 year old melina weissman as 14 year old violet baudelaire! louis hynes is 15, but he certainly looks young enough to pass for the 12 year old klaus, and his acting is great. it’s not very easy to mess up sunny because she’s… she’s just a baby? the three siblings all fit their book description as well.
casting choices! neil patrick harris was an interesting choice for count olaf, but he pulls the role off surprisingly well, with a good mix of absurdity and comical wickedness. patrick warburton is stunning as lemony snicket. his quirky lines and deadpan delivery makes for a memorable character. the amount of poc casted was a surprising welcome, too. k todd freeman as mr. poe was so good, and aasif mandvi’s uncle monty was just perfect. afre woodard played aunt josephine with just the right amount of crazy-cat-lady. the cast was just so talented!!
CINEMATOGRAPHY. AMAZING. i loved the story book-esque, dollhouse, wes anderson-inspired quality the series had. the sets were so beautiful crafted and meticulously detailed… they were honestly breathtaking and they made the show TBH. it was like a dark dollhouse and it was just soooo beautiful. some personal favorites were the first shot in justice strauss’s library, the entire scene where the baudelaires pull into monty’s house, and the labyrinth sequence. last, but definitely not least, the accuracy of the plot. everything was really true to the books, especially with warburton’s narrations. the entire show was so well casted and produced and shot and it just made me sososo happy. one of netflix’s best.
