I didn't read the book but the first episode was impressive. Eve Hewson and Eva Green are very talented actresses. I hope this time line stuffs for next episodes don't confuse me.
5 Reviews
A Nice Introduction
emreozak4 June 2020
A real puzzle if you haven't already read the book.
EdinaJambo22 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I have read this book, however it was so intricately interwoven and the characters so intermixed in a such a heavily byzantine manner it took me a whole summer of careful reading to get through this enormous work. So, already familiar with the characters, the plots and outcomes, I understood how this first episode, with its intertwined segments of 'nine months earlier' (Staines and Weatherill meeting on a ship to New Zealand) and 'current events' (the discovery of the dead body of Crosby Wells - husband of Lydia Wells, and Anna now a drug addled prostitute and in gaol for her sins) has left some puzzled without the benefit of having read the book, although I had to watch this episode twice to get my bearings. I will stick with it to see how the next episode pans out.
The Stars Fail to Align
owen-watts26 May 2020
The Lumineers is a joint british/NZ joint production and quite lushly done - with a strong filmic cast and some lovely photography.
The narrative structure of it though is the tipping issue for me - and its wild leaps and bounds backwards and forwards in time are bewilderingly un-signposted. The densely symbolic low fantasy astrological allegories of the plot feel more suited to the form of the (acclaimed) novel than they do to television.
The narrative structure of it though is the tipping issue for me - and its wild leaps and bounds backwards and forwards in time are bewilderingly un-signposted. The densely symbolic low fantasy astrological allegories of the plot feel more suited to the form of the (acclaimed) novel than they do to television.
A hidden gem
IQ17228 June 2022
Fingerprint
Prismark1025 June 2020
Eleanor Catton has adapted her own Booker Prize winning novel for the small screen. However it seems she has departed quiet a lot from her own book.
The Luminaries is set on New Zealand's South Island during the height of the 1860s gold rush. It is part mystery part adventure as well as a love story.
The main action takes nine months prior to the opening scenes. Anna Wetherell voyages to New Zealand. She befriends Emery Staines during the last day of their sea journey. He is planning to prospect for gold.
They agree to meet later but neither manage to find each other. After some mishaps Anna finds lodging with an American fortune teller named Lydia Wells (Eva Green) who rather seems to behave like a madam of a brothel.
The first episode was very atmospheric. In short some people found it too dark as it was lit by candles.
The story was dense and that was my biggest problem. It was hard to follow. We know it starts with someone getting shot and Anna being accused of something. Then there is the significance of the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Maybe the second episode will make things more clear but somehow I doubt it.
The Luminaries is set on New Zealand's South Island during the height of the 1860s gold rush. It is part mystery part adventure as well as a love story.
The main action takes nine months prior to the opening scenes. Anna Wetherell voyages to New Zealand. She befriends Emery Staines during the last day of their sea journey. He is planning to prospect for gold.
They agree to meet later but neither manage to find each other. After some mishaps Anna finds lodging with an American fortune teller named Lydia Wells (Eva Green) who rather seems to behave like a madam of a brothel.
The first episode was very atmospheric. In short some people found it too dark as it was lit by candles.
The story was dense and that was my biggest problem. It was hard to follow. We know it starts with someone getting shot and Anna being accused of something. Then there is the significance of the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Maybe the second episode will make things more clear but somehow I doubt it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
