NO ORDINARY PLACE. NO ORDINARY CRIME.
In a small New Zealand town, 11-year-old Tui (Jacqueline Joe) tries to drown herself but is saved; when the school nurse discovers that she’s pregnant, a Sydney Detective (Elisabeth Moss) is hired to investigate. This heavily lauded miniseries was compared to Twin Peaks, but it’s more like The Killing meets one of Peter Mullan’s British kitchen-sink dramas. A very bleak portrayal of oppressive, destructive male behavior, elevated by its location work and the performances of Mullan and Moss as two very different but complex human beings. Emphasizing relationships and feminist ethos over tension, the story is frequently intriguing but ultimately less than engrossing.
2013-Australia-New Zealand-Britain-U.S. Made for TV. 350 min. Color. Directed by Jane Campion, Garth Davis. Teleplay: Jane Campion, Gerard Lee. Cast: Elisabeth Moss (Robin Griffin), David Wenham (Al Parker), Peter Mullan (Matt Mitcham), Holly Hunter, Jacqueline Joe, Robyn Nevin.
Trivia: Originally shown in either six (Britain) or seven (U.S.) episodes; also shown at the Sundance festival in one sitting. Anna Paquin was allegedly considered for the lead role. Followed by another miniseries, Top of the Lake: China Girl (2017).
Golden Globe: Best Actress (Moss).
AVERAGE