Let’s not mince words: “All’s Fair,” Ryan Murphy’s new legal drama about an all-female law firm focusing on complicated divorces, is growing in popularity. horrible reviews. Murphy is no stranger to controversy — just look at the backlash his anthology series “Monsters” garnered — but he kind of is. rough reception. So what does Anthony Hemingway, who directed episodes of “All’s Fair” and is also working alongside Murphy on his upcoming series “American Love Story,” think about all this?
Speaking exclusively to The Hollywood Reporter, Hemingway was blunt. “You’re not going to please everyone,” he said. “You can have some critics, while there are a million others who love it.” (Not based on reviews and reactions, but All right.) Hemingway went on to say that he thinks the show “holds up a mirror to every person who watches it” and hopes that people can connect and identify with it; while it’s certainly a noble goal on his part, I watched the first three episodes of “All’s Fair” and I wouldn’t call anyone on that, “relative”.
Hemingway then brought up a past experience that has a… somewhat dubious connection to the subject in question. “I also think that sometimes things can take a long time. I did ‘The Wire’. Nobody liked the show when it came out. They hated it,” Hemingway said. He continued:
“They didn’t watch it. Two people watched it every week. But it got to a point where it found a moment. I’m not comparing the show to ‘The Wire’ – let’s be clear – but it’s an example of how people can react to something at one point and it becomes something totally different at another point. The show takes a minute to get going, but I feel like it’s absolutely striking, something refreshing and fulfilling about the creative plan.
Comparing All’s Fair to The Wire is legitimately insane, but at least Anthony Hemingway seems to know that.
Hemingway also said that because the series is described as a “legal drama” – which, to be clear, that’s what it’s supposed to be – setting unfair expectations for the series. “There’s a lot of wish-fulfillment in this series that was intentional, and it comes at a time when people want to escape and fantasize,” Hemingway said, by way of explanation. “There are elements of this show that do do that, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. It wouldn’t be a comedy if it tried to be.”
Of course, but also, “All’s Fair” is not… all that funny? The script certainly makes attempts at recognizable jokes, but because the dialogue feels like it was written by aliens trying to replicate human speech, none of them land – even with incredibly talented actresses like Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Teyana Taylor and Niecy Nash-Betts delivering them. (I’ll get back to you in a second, Kim Kardashian.) Something else Hemingway said in the interview, however, was really telling, which was that the show will change as it continues. (Does he mean it could… is it better?!)
“Also, [I would say to audiences]: Don’t approach it with such a critical or literal mindset,” Hemingway said. “It has a different tone, and it will evolve over time; it will become more human. » (“Becoming more human”, for me, is hilarious. Shouldn’t that be human from the jump?!) Yet he tried, once again, to explain the philosophy here. “Something that was important to Ryan [Murphy] “I was acting out fantasies,” Hemingway said. “[He wanted to] give some wish fulfillment and light to this world. “Okay. Mission…accomplished, I suppose?
Elsewhere in the interview, Anthony Hemingway had nothing but praise for All’s Fair star Kim Kardashian.
Let’s talk about Kim Kardashian’s role on ‘All’s Fair,’ shall we? As I have already mentioned here on /Film, Kardashian, shapewear guru and reality TV pioneer, is not an actress, and I’m tired of being turned on that way. Kardashian is breathtaking bad in “All’s Fair”. Her character – high-powered divorce lawyer Allura Grant, who ends up going through an unexpected divorce herself – is the obvious protagonist of the show, but you don’t feel Nothing about her emotional journey, because in the less than competent hands of Kardashian, she is not experiencing an emotional journey. I could go on, but let’s check: what did Anthony Hemingway have to say about his lackluster protagonist?
“I love Kim Kardashian, I’m just going to say that,” Hemingway exclaimed before qualifying: “She didn’t have as much experience as an actress as everyone else. She came in knowing that, but she came in very open and willing to do a great job, and that’s [the person] I met daily.”
Hemingway had other nice things to say about Kardashian, including that she’s a great mother to her four children, that she runs businesses, and that she still managed to learn her lines, show up, and give it her all, but none of them really boiled down to “she has innate talent as an actress,” because that would be a lie. I think it’s good that she’s not a terror on set! Regardless, “All’s Fair” is now streaming on Hulu.
