So I finished up Soderbergh's Mosaic, a show highly touted by HBO due to its gimmick on viewer interaction, with a mystery whodunit civilian detective investigative story (and character interplay, with great emphasis on facial expression and cautionary use of words in order to either hide or carefully reveal details pertinent to the discovery of who murdered children's book artist, Olivia Lake) driving the narrative. While the previous episode sealed Joel's fate and ultimately leads to his confession (and passed polygraph, according to former sheriff Alan), Fact and Fiction instead follows Petra (who is basically a cameo in The Reckoning) as she tries to fill in the gaps and find potentially the real killer. Beryllium is of significant interest, so much so geology tests are in pursuit of its location which included Olivia's land. Not wanting to give it up (particularly if she knows how much it is actually worth) would be reason enough to get rid of her. So Michael O'Conner and Tom Davis, quite rich and privileged locals in the area where the mines are located, are visited by Petra, not realizing that Joel had confessed to the murder. The tension of that visit, to me, is the highlight of the episode, while the surprise is Alan's willingness to cut her some slack for "overreaching" in questioning his whereabouts when Olivia was killed, eventually helping her locate information on the man who hired Eric in the first place (in support of Michael and Tom so that they could secure Olivia's land through a con). But the real revelation and shock, I'm sure, will be when Petra agrees to keep her silence if Davis gives her the "Red Room" (essentially an art gallery with priceless framed pieces she absorbs with awe when granted access to see it), a rather startling development considering Eric would remain in prison as a result! This could very well stem from learning of Eric's responsibility in turning on his father, admitting to law enforcement their pops was orchestrating a Ponzi scheme. I have to say I was not anticipating Petra just willing to leave her brother in prison in favor of landing art from Davis!
I was quite happy Alan ended up in the clear and that he was willing to even assist Petra in her investigation to free Eric and uncover evidence that would prove there was a "Cliff Jones" that hired him to scam Olivia out of her land for O'Conner and Davis. Alan obviously wasn't totally in denial that his employer was associated with Olivia's murder, quite impressed with Petra's daring to confront O'Conner and Davis over what she has discovered. And the ending as Petra returns to her job as an art restorer, is interviewed briefly by teenage fan, having sold a novel about Olivia, and visits a Mosaic shop inspired by Olivia's work, she finally has time to take in all the various pieces created by young artists encouraged to create something of their own. Yes, Olivia certainly had her offputting ways, left behind an unsuccessful string of bad relationships (including even a brief fling with Alan, who felt more for her than she did for him), couldn't put aside her "narcissism" and pride to sell her land (even as she's highly in debt and needed to), and wound up dead thanks to a punch to the face and hammer shots to the skull; however, Olivia did leave behind a legacy that moved others to find their artistic voice and give it form. Even Petra ultimately realizes that.
I wanted to conclude with mentioning that Soderbergh's digital color schemes are on full effect as he shoots in rooms with enriched dark reds, yellows, and browns. It is very much intentional mood-lighting and this style has become synonymous with him. I do groove to his technical decisions, like closing in tight to faces, sometimes shooting one face then another and other times capturing both participants in a dialogue piece within the same frame. I guess those critical of his style might consider the acting and shot decisions as cold and distancing, but I'm in favor of his experimental techniques, mixing it up without necessarily adopting any one approach to how scenes are carried out. But I guess words like "pretentious" and "showy" might result from those not particularly impressed with the attempt to capture it all in ways that are distinctive to the eye.
Despite attorney, law enforcement, and local resistance, Petra takes a great deal of abuse, not counting her family's ties to corruption. And all of it would have been worth it to her if she could have possessed the Red Room.
I was quite happy Alan ended up in the clear and that he was willing to even assist Petra in her investigation to free Eric and uncover evidence that would prove there was a "Cliff Jones" that hired him to scam Olivia out of her land for O'Conner and Davis. Alan obviously wasn't totally in denial that his employer was associated with Olivia's murder, quite impressed with Petra's daring to confront O'Conner and Davis over what she has discovered. And the ending as Petra returns to her job as an art restorer, is interviewed briefly by teenage fan, having sold a novel about Olivia, and visits a Mosaic shop inspired by Olivia's work, she finally has time to take in all the various pieces created by young artists encouraged to create something of their own. Yes, Olivia certainly had her offputting ways, left behind an unsuccessful string of bad relationships (including even a brief fling with Alan, who felt more for her than she did for him), couldn't put aside her "narcissism" and pride to sell her land (even as she's highly in debt and needed to), and wound up dead thanks to a punch to the face and hammer shots to the skull; however, Olivia did leave behind a legacy that moved others to find their artistic voice and give it form. Even Petra ultimately realizes that.
I wanted to conclude with mentioning that Soderbergh's digital color schemes are on full effect as he shoots in rooms with enriched dark reds, yellows, and browns. It is very much intentional mood-lighting and this style has become synonymous with him. I do groove to his technical decisions, like closing in tight to faces, sometimes shooting one face then another and other times capturing both participants in a dialogue piece within the same frame. I guess those critical of his style might consider the acting and shot decisions as cold and distancing, but I'm in favor of his experimental techniques, mixing it up without necessarily adopting any one approach to how scenes are carried out. But I guess words like "pretentious" and "showy" might result from those not particularly impressed with the attempt to capture it all in ways that are distinctive to the eye.
Despite attorney, law enforcement, and local resistance, Petra takes a great deal of abuse, not counting her family's ties to corruption. And all of it would have been worth it to her if she could have possessed the Red Room.
