The Honourable Woman - New Sundance Mini-Series is a Hit

Maggie Gyllenhaal Gives a Stellar Performance

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Nessa Stein

Did anyone catch The Honourable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal on Sundance last night?  In keeping with the other great series that are on Sundance (Top of the Lake, Rectify, The Red Road and my personal favorite, The Returned), The Honourable Woman is a drama-thriller that is shaping up to be a hit with both viewers and critics.

 

Described by Sundance Channel as a "fast-paced, labyrinthine thriller," this mini-series deals with very current

Lubna Abazal as Atika Halibi

topics.  Set in the Middle East, expect to see espionage, kidnapping and even murder as this realistic story plays out.  Read below Sundance Channel's synopsis of The Honourable Woman:

As children, Nessa Stein (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her brother Ephra (Andrew Buchan) witnessed the assassination of their father, a well-known Israeli arms manufacturer. Now in her thirties, Nessa has taken control of the company and refocused its purpose on connecting Palestine and Israel to promote peace. Her efforts have resulted in an appointment from the House of Lords. Everything comes to a head when a secret from her past threatens to be exposed and those closest to her are potentially her most dangerous enemies. 

Gyllenhaal is an Academy Award nominated actress; she was nominated in 2009 for her role in Crazy Heart.  Gyllenhaal was also nominated for the Golden Globe in 2002 for Sherrybaby, and 2006 for Secretary, as well as the Saturn Award in 2006 for Stranger than Fiction and 2008 for The Dark Knight.  She has many other award nominations and  wins.  For more on Maggie Gyllenhaal's movie amazing movie career, take a look at her full filmography here: 
Maggie Gyllenhaal on IMDB

Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Nessa Stein is strong; I can already see a Best Actress in a Mini-Series nomination for her role as

Gyllenhaal is smooth & powerful as Nessa

Nessa if the series continues in this fashion.  Nessa has had to be an over-comer, and a leader.  Gyllenhaal is nailing it - not with overpowering acting, but with a smooth and powerful grace that will keep viewers watching.

Gyllenhaal (Nessa Stein) & Andrew Buchan (Ephra Stein)

Andrew Buchan plays the role of Gyllenhaal's brother in the mini-series.  You may recognize him from Nowhere Boy (2009), The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) and Still Life (2013).  He gives a  quiet, yet compelling performance in the first episode that is very captivating, and I cannot wait to see more from him.

Overall, after watching episode one of this exciting drama-thriller, The Empty Chair, I give it ★★★★☆ and call this one a definite "To Watch."  I cannot wait to see the next episode!  The Honourable Woman airs on Sundance on Thursdays at 10:00pm EST.

NR/AO, TV-MA (V,L)   

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to comment.  Follow me here on G+, on Twitter at @FilmFashionista, and on Facebook .  Watch for a new giveaway soon on my FB page, so be sure to Like the Page to be eligible to win!


'Chele
The Film Fashionista


pictures courtesy of www.sundance.tv/series
series and actor information courtesy of IMDB.com