Devoted motherhood is a slippery slope — particularly when you're a divorced single woman trying to launch a restaurant during the Depression while having an affair with your ex-husband's creepy former business partner and falling in love with a charming loafer. Oh, and your child's probably a sociopath.
Welcome to the life of Mildred Pierce. Helmed by acclaimed director Todd Haynes, the five-part HBO miniseries is 1930s melodrama in all its beautiful, twisted, historically accurate glory. And as the title character — who appears in every single scene — Kate Winslet has never been more vulnerable, formidable and all-around captivating.
"Mildred Pierce" begins in a modest Glendale, California, home, when Mildred ousts her cheating husband (Brian F. O'Byrne) to the chagrin of her precocious preteen daughter Veda (Morgan Turner). As the decade progresses, so does Mildred: a lowly waitress turned powerful businesswoman who maintains a friendship with her ex-husband while supporting a teenaged Veda (Evan Rachel Wood), now an ambitious aspiring musician. But Mildred's never quite fulfilled by her accomplishments: She loses her younger daughter to influenza and falls under the spell of Monty Burgan (Guy Pearce), who may be after more than her heart. And winning Veda's love and respect is an unattainable goal, as the girl berates and betrays the mother who just wanted to make them a good life.
Despite occasional meandering in the plot, "Mildred Pierce" goes down a treat. Haynes' trademark intensity gives the source material the dark scrutiny it deserves, particularly in Part I's haunting final shot which foreshadows the emotional torture to come. Production designer Mark Friedberg does a bang-up job recreating the Los Angeles of old, with the muted tones of the lower classes to the opulent grandeur of the upper gorgeously represented.
The cast is almost extreme in its strength: O'Byrne's admiration and eventual longing for his former wife is always present just under the surface. As Mildred's steadfast neighbor and sensible colleague, respectively, Melissa Leo and Mare Winningham provide plainspoken humor. James Le Gros is fish-eyed and shrewd as Mildred's lover turned business partner, and Pearce's Monty is delightfully dastardly. Rounding out the excellence is Wood, whose Veda purrs and cajoles in one breath and castigates with verbal daggers in the next.
But Winslet is the shining star, the obvious Oscar winner had "Mildred Pierce" been a feature film. Winslet's expressive face alone is a stunning advertisement for the eradication of Botox, and she makes every word count. Thanks to outstanding delivery and deeply felt struggles, her Mildred is a tragic figure who will never realize the extent of her personal and professional achievements. Her one weakness, for her tyrant of a daughter, will forever override Mildred's hope for a happy existence.
Thanks to a near-flawless effort by cast and crew alike, the miniseries incarnation of "Mildred Pierce" is a new classic. From its sweeping opening credits to the final torch song over the credits, this is over-the-top, beautifully executed melodrama. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
DVD special features include audio commentaries from Haynes, co-writer Jon Raymond and production designer Mark Friedburg. A collector's edition offering DVD and Blu-ray includes all bonus materials found on the DVD version, along with "Inside the Episode" pieces and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Miniseries: 4.5 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps