David E. Kelley knows how to create compelling courtroom dramas, and in Netflix’s “Anatomy of a Scandal,” which premiered Friday, he and fellow creator Melissa James Gibson created a dark and twisted limited series involving political figures, accusations criminals and the unique traditions of the justice system across the pond.
Starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend and Naomi Scott, the series follows the lives of Sophie (Miller) and James (Friend) after he, a British politician and member of the upper class, is accused by a former classmate. of work with whom he had an extramarital affair, Olivia (Scott), of sexual assault. Dockery plays Kate Woodcroft, a QC (Queen’s Counsel) solicitor who prosecutes James.
Like “Big Little Lies,” Kelley’s latest series (which is based on the novel by Sarah Vaughan) is complex and full of plot twists. And all the actors had a complete set of scripts before they filmed the series, so they knew in advance exactly where things were headed.
“We were all given all six scripts to start with, so we were able to see the whole story and we read, some of us, well most of us by the looks of it, we all read the book to kind of have a source of where it came from. the story,” Dockery told TheWrap. “I’m a huge fan of David E. Kelley and I was really excited when I got this script and… these stories that he does, he executes very well.
“These stories of these seemingly perfect lives exploding into chaos are really entertaining,” he continued. “I think people really love to see that. There seems to be kind of a trend about it. And of course the show tackles some very, very difficult problems. And I think it’s entertaining, but it’s also very informative and potentially conversation-building. And so to be a part of something like that, all the ingredients were really there for me, it was a no-brainer to jump on board.”
For Friend, who plays politician James, he “just inhaled” the scripts when he received them because they were “addictive in the way” the cast expects the show to be for audiences. However, he wasn’t sure he wanted to play James, someone from a world of privilege, for six months of the year. But Friend realized that the way the character sees the world would create an acting challenge.
“And of course, in the end, something hard to do is probably a good thing because challenges are so good to accept,” he said.
A good deal of the drama within the six-episode series takes place in a British courtroom, featuring Dockery in those curly white wigs and long black prom-style robes, Friend and Scott having to stand up to give testimony from a witness pulpit. , and Miller in an overhead viewing gallery as her character supports her husband. It’s a change for those accustomed to American-style “Law & Order” dramas, but steeped in traditions from centuries past.
“Our legal system was founded hundreds of years ago, so it has an archaic look to it that I find really interesting,” Miller said. “It’s a fascinating thing, the pomp and ceremony really hasn’t changed since its inception.”
“There’s a theater about it,” said Friend, who was paired with Miller for their “Anatomy of a Scandal” interviews. “If you think of sort of classic images of London for tourists, you have Beefeaters and the changing of the guard, which don’t really stand guard, you know. They don’t really fight anything. That’s more of the dress and the hat and the horse and all that and I feel like the elements of the legal system here have that. There’s the symbolism of the wig and there’s, you know, these ceremonies, the pomp and circumstance, like Sienna said, that give it… yeah, a kind of theatrical air.”
And interwoven with the tense court scenes are the storytelling techniques pioneered by executive producer/director SJ Clarkson, Scott explained.
“Something that was interesting was SJ’s use of transitional flashbacks and going from a moment and saying a line in the past that you’re saying in the present in the courtroom,” he said.
“I think it’s a really good tool, and a really interesting cinematic choice that I think is really worth it,” he added.
“Anatomy of a Scandal” is now available to stream on Netflix.
Reference-www.thewrap.com