Elisabeth Moss and Gwendoline Christie in the buddy cop show no one saw coming. Photo / NZIFF
Elisabeth Moss and Gwendoline Christie in the buddy cop show no one saw coming. Photo / NZIFF
Siena Yates binged all six episodes of Top of the Lake: China Girl in one sitting during the NZ International Film Festival. Here's how it went.
I'll be honest, I wasn't totally jazzed about watching one of the most famously bleak shows on television in a sold-out theatre in uncomfortable theatre seats for about six hours on a Sunday.
But the allure of Jane Campion, Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie cannot be ignored, so I stocked up on snacks, made my way to the ASB Waterfront and resisted the urge to follow suit when I saw people I knew making a break for it once they realised (far too late) it was a six-hour screening.
Even Jane Campion, when introducing the screening, said she'd watched audiences "go through it" before - like it was some kind of harrowing life event you'd need therapy after.
But then it started. And I was sucked into Campion's world faster than I would've thought possible. The cinematography, the colouring, even the scenes of the mysterious suitcase floating through the ocean which should be a little morbid and gruesome, are so hauntingly beautiful it's all just so ...Top of the Lake.
We check in with Elisabeth Moss' Robin Griffin as she settles back into life in Sydney following the events of season one. We meet her pain-in-the-ass hyper-millennial daughter, her misogynistic won't-take-no-for-an-answer workmates and get a feel for how she's adjusting (spoiler alert: not well).
But by far the greatest part of this season is Gwendoline Christie. Not because I'm in love with her or because she's tall like I am or because she is in Game of Thrones - well, actually yeah, for all of those reasons but also because she brings some light to this otherwise grim world.
Her character Miranda establishes a light-hearted "buddy cop" kind of vibe with Robin and her humorous, bubbly nature clashes right up against Robin's steely, defensive walls in the best way - there's one part where Miranda tries to help Robin down from a kind of ledge which is equal parts adorable, cringe-worthy and hilarious.
Sidenote: As a taller-than-average woman, I notice how we are portrayed in media and let me tell you; it's often not great. We are made masculine, unfeeling, cold and bitter. But Miranda is warm, open and loving. She is in a relationship, is incredibly maternal, funny, empathetic, spiritual and open. Her height is never an issue and she's never the brawn or intimidation, she's just a woman, and god bless Jane Campion for making her so.
Look, I won't spoil anything plot or character-development related because I'm not a monster. But what I will say about China Girl is that I absolutely loved that constant exploration of good and bad and the grey area in between.
The show's bad guy Puss is the TV drama version of Grima Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings, but is he necessarily evil?
As in real life, with all of these characters there are underlying causes, motivations and fears behind the way these people act and nothing's ever cut and dry.
There's also a beautiful exploration of female friendship between Miranda and Robin, and how they learn not to judge, compete or dismiss each other, and accept each other instead.
As always, Nicole Kidman and Elisabeth Moss remain utterly flawless in their performances, and when the story unravels, you're left questioning not only the themes and events of the show but your own perceptions.
Nicole Kidman is flawless in Top Of The Lake. Photo / NZIFF
Did I want to sit in a theatre for what ended up being about seven and a half hours? No. I did not. But I am so glad I did. There's nothing quite like having an entire audience gasp when the hero is in danger, or collectively jump when a gun is fired, or laugh when someone says something horribly sexist (spoiler alert: we laughed more than I would've thought).
I never thought I'd say it, but Top of the Lake is best consumed in one sitting; delve into the world, into the characters, into the story and you can thank me (or rather, Jane Campion) later.
