What Is the Story About?
James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend), an MP of the Conservative Party, lands in a scandal when an office affair blows out in public. The matter takes an ugly turn when he is accused of rape by his co-worker Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott), with whom he had had an affair.
How did Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller), James’ wife, react to the whole situation? What happens when the scandal is put on trial is the basic story.
Performances?
The casting and the performances are consistently good in the series. Rupert Friend, Sienna Miller, and Michelle Dockery play the primary roles of the husband, wife and prosecution lawyer.
Rupert Friend has a privileged male role in addition to being a powerful politician who has to maintain a particular image. He carries the part well and brings difference to the perception with small and subtle expressions. It does get repetitive after a point, but it all works out as the series is short.
The two main female leads, Sienna Miller and Michelle Dockery, are superb. They get more emotional and compelling parts compared to Rupert Friend, and they go about their way convincingly. If the former has the aftermath of the scandal to deal with, the latter is an integral part of the whole issue. Many emotional moments are placed in their journey of dealing with the incident, and they do a good job of showing their dramatic skills.
Analysis
SJ Clarkson directs Anatomy Of A Scandal based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughn. It is a mix of multiple genres but predominantly rests on a courtroom drama and its after-effects.
It takes time to settle into Anatomy Of A Scandal as the different characters and the world is established. But, once the core story gains moments, there is no looking back. The problem is that once we are there, realisation sets in that there is nothing new here.
Workplace harassment, rape, arrogant attitude of privileged boys and men are themes that have been seen many times previously. The background might appear fresh, but it’s not new. What makes the difference here is the writing and the performances.
The writing is to the point many times lacking subtlety, but it works in giving Anatomy Of A Scandal the raw edge and making the heads turn. The performances add to it.
Apart from the three central leads, the supporting actors do their jobs well. They all jointly elevate the predictable stuff story-wise.
The flashback and its connection with the present make the narrative bloated (and disjointed) even though it is necessary for one key phrase. It also helps make things simpler, giving a black and white picture of the characters so that one could easily like and hate them.
After all the build-up, which is already tilted one way due to the right and wrong dynamic, there is hardly any surprise left by the end. It takes a predictable course, and the final moments take it to the next level.
Overall, Anatomy Of A Scandal is a decent courtroom drama elevated mainly by the actors and the writing. Give it a try if you like the theme, as it offers a passable viewing experience.
Other Artists?
Apart from the main leads, Naomi Scott as the victim, Josette Simon as the defending lawyer, and Joshua McGuire as the communication chief stand out. Naomi and Josette are superb in the court proceedings. Joshua adds some chaos and madness in between to the lives of the people around him. He is also partly the reason for a disjointed feeling of the narrative, but on his own, he does well. The rest of the actors, too, are alright irrespective of the length.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score by Johan Soderqvist is good. It is rousing in a royal opulence way and goes well with the mood the setting of the series. Balazs Bolygo’s cinematography is decent considering the space it’s set. Liana Del Giudice and Mary Finlay are the editors for the series. They have done an alright work of bringing different elements together. The narrative does look like missing a cohesiveness, though.
Highlights?
Casting
Writing
Drama
Drawbacks?
Bloated Narrative
Predictable Story
No Real Surprises
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservations
Anatomy Of A Scandal Series Review by Binged Bureau
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