REVIEW: Brosnahan delivers in this marvelous must-watch
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is Amazon Prime‘s best-rated show to date, holding a 4.9/5 stars on its website. It stars Rachel Brosnahan (Netflix’s “House of Cards”) as Midge Maisel – an Upper East Side Jewish housewife in the late 1950s who, amid family upheaval, decides to hone her natural talent for stand-up comedy.
This is a perfect blend of my personal three favorite genres of television or episodic narrative – comedy, drama and a genuine period piece.
On the surface — the set, the costumes, the lighting, the movement – everything is so vibrant and beautiful it feels like watching a highly produced theater performance. Speaking of, every line and camera shot has a purpose and contributes to the tone of the story flawlessly. The show was tight in deliverance and the cinematography – excluding the freeze-framed last scene – was sweeping and gorgeous.
It is basically indisputable that the casting choice of Rachel Brosnahan was spot on. Her performance combined with the talent of the make-up, hair and wardrobe department made her seem as though she was of that decade much like the talent over at rival Netflix in their production of “Stranger Things.” The only flaws that I could find in both viewings of the season (yes it has been out less than 2 weeks as of writing this) were of each character. By that, I don’t mean character development or writing, but rather the flaws in each person. Their strengths and weakness felt authentic making the family and friend dynamics works so well.
One of the best elements of this story is the theme of coming into your own and not living your life to please others is forefront in some ways and subtle in others. Every decision she makes was about the image or reputation of her family.
Midge Maisel was striving to be the perfect accessory for her husband Joel when really she is the star.It takes a while for Maisel to fully grasp the power she has to command a room and charm the audience both on and off screen. However, when she does, she beams and gains confidence in parts of her life she had not before or regains what she lost after her husband left her. This is portrayed in a cyclical nature. First, she encounters an experience in adulthood like navigating a work environment as a person newly entering the workforce. Second, it will work its way into her stand up as a reflection and/or critique. Just as she did with Joel, she reads the room and methodically takes notes of what works on stage by judging how long laughs were, what percentage of the room laughed or smiled, how to rephrase things, when to pause, etc. Then, she adjusts her act accordingly even if that means taking out a whole section altogether.
This story about family and the detrimental effects of faking your way through life serve as the content of Maisel’s stand-up. Maisel’s best performances on stages and in party rooms were when she was being honest about who she was, living the life in a conservative Jewish-Orthodox community, a woman in a man’s world and being a mother in a former nuclear family.
I watched the season again with someone close to me that loves stand-up comedy. He found enjoyment telling me about Lenny Bruce and Bob Newhart, both of whom are portrayed in this fictional story. Our first two introductions to Lenny Bruce, played by Luke Kirby, are of him performing and of him in the back of a police car. I later found out this was the way to introduce an infamous comedic that pushed the bounds of publicly discussing counterculture and black comedy as well as freedom of speech.
Though Rachel Brosnahan rightfully steals the show, you will find yourself sympathizing with most characters/perspectives, even those who you might yell “eat dirt” to by the end of the pilot episode. If this show is given the time to grow and it the attention it deserves, Amy Sherman-Palladino will not be known for creating “Gilmore Girls,” but instead “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
