Sympathy For Mister Vengeance
Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) is a famous investigative journalist. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to investigating and denouncing the transgressions of others, to the point of being rewarded by her peers for helping us. “turn our gaze away from hidden truths”. Except that one day, Catherine receives a novel from an anonymous author in which she plays the main role and which reveals one of her darkest secrets. What is this secret? How could he shake up his life? Who is the author? Does he want revenge? If yes, of what, how and why?
Here is the starting point of Disclaimeradapted from the book of the same name by Renee Knight. For regular readers of Renee Knight’s work who are wondering if the series is worth it, the answer is yes. Ten times yes. Not only is Alfonso Cuarón’s series an ultra-faithful adaptation of the novel (with a few liberties), but even more, it transcends the power of his reflection.
Because on paper, Disclaimer looks like a simple psychological thriller with its share of tragic twists and turns, betrayals, lies and therefore secrets (obviously). And in a way, it is. Over the course of its seven episodes, the Apple TV+ series superimposes plots, characters and their destinies to better develop them, connect them and, ultimately, confront them in a majestic grand finale. There is tension, there is emotion… and in some ways there is almost something of a melodrama in Disclaimer.
A melodrama with a story of revenge, family drama, mourning, heartbreak, love, redemption… The story of Disclaimer is therefore nothing very original and yet, Alfonso Cuarón manages to make it more relevant thanks to his talent as a storyteller and director. This is how we recognize great authors: the way in which they take hold of a hackneyed genre or a classic story to better infuse them with unexpected depth.
The Affair
“Beware of narrative and form. Their power can bring us closer to the truth, but they can also be a weapon with great manipulative power. Be aware. » From its first minutes, Disclaimer does not hide his intentions. Here, it won’t really be a question of who wants revenge or why, after all the answers will be given almost instantly. Indeed, the roles are clearly explained and we quickly understand that Disclaimer will juggle between three points of view.
Two take place in the present with that of Catherine and that of Stephen Brigstocke, the author of the anonymous novel played by the vicious Kevin Kline. The third, that of the book, takes place twenty years earlier. We follow Jonathan (excellent Louis Partridge), a young adult on vacation in Italy, who will cross paths with an attractive young Catherine (hypnotic Leila George) and her son Nicolas. And so, the story of revenge is set up, the narration taking us on a long wandering between the three perspectives.
Over the course of the episodes, the observation seems clear: the portrait of the Catherine of the past is much less rosy than that of the Catherine of the present. Except that Alfonso Cuarón has more than one trick up his sleeve and according to his characters, his narration, his demonstrations… Disclaimer walks us until we completely overturn the table. Therein lies all the power of the series, this ability that the Mexican has to confront us with our own prejudices.
“Fiction is the best way to clear your head,” says Stephen Brigstocke’s character in Renee Knight’s book. What if ultimately, fiction was on the contrary a way of telling one’s own truth? To bring to life what never existed? More than confronting our deepest convictions, Disclaimer is a fundamental questioning of the way in which our preconceptions corrupt us, even make us complicit in the ills of the world and in particular those suffered by women (Disclaimer clearly wondering if, within society, a story has as much weight depending on whether it is told by a man or a woman).
duty of care
Of course, some elements are quite expected and it cannot be denied that Disclaimer sometimes emphasizes his point a little too much. However, the series gives its story enough space to take us by surprise at the appropriate moment. It must be said that with a story relying so much on the question of the gaze, the directorial talent of Alfonso Cuarón is a godsend. With the help of his two cinematographers, the precious Bruno Delbonnel and the incredible Emmanuel Lubezki (finally back at the top), Cuarón’s camera misses nothing.
Whether she captures a simple evening with friends, a long torrid summer night, an ordinary rainy daily life or a sad sunny nightmare, in a fixed shot or sequence shot, she never forgets to capture each particularity. A gesture, a smile, a breath, a whisper, a cry, a look. Thanks to its outstanding staging and its clearly stated prerogatives, Disclaimer deceives us and warns us at the same moment, both in the present and the past, in the feminine and masculine. Everything is before our eyes, but do we really look at what we are shown or rather what we want to see?
After Gravity et Roma, there is no doubt that Alfonso Cuarón delivers a new work of devastating power. Some will probably find the approach too mechanical and it is true that Disclaimer sometimes lacks emotion because of its ambitious philosophical, political and cinematographic designs. However, it’s difficult not to succumb to the many narrative and visual vertigos caused by the series, particularly during the last episode and a long monologue from Cate Blanchett (incredible from start to finish).
At a time when original creations from streaming platforms (including those from major studios) are increasingly described as simple “content”, Disclaimer is a disturbing, thrilling, provocative, unpredictable work of saving density. A rarity that we would love to watch, explore and analyze much more often.
Disclaimer is broadcast from October 11, 2024 on Apple TV+ in France
