So we are to imagine this place is something like Belarus. It would seem the new government has become totalitarian in recent years as the previous prime minister was ousted and jailed. Winslet pulls out all of the stops as the super-neurotic dictator obsessed with image and the affection of her people, She reminds you what Eva Peron might be like if she were leading a country today: All image, everything to boost one's power and image, rarely actually acting in the interests of the people. Matthias Schoenaerts also puts in a very solid performance as the military man who becomes the dictator's confidant and then lover.
My issue is that there are very few surprises in the series. If I were to draft a black comedy about a central European dictatorship, this is about how I'd do it. You didn't know if she'd get shot by a firing squad or remain in power. But beyond that, I was surprised by very little.
Still, worth a look for Winslet's intriguing performance and how many dictators have really very few principles at - everything is a slogan, a PR move. Vernham is ultimately fine with making her country a puppet state - either to China or the US, and the men in her life and her "child" become expendable as she tries to achieve her goals.
My issue is that there are very few surprises in the series. If I were to draft a black comedy about a central European dictatorship, this is about how I'd do it. You didn't know if she'd get shot by a firing squad or remain in power. But beyond that, I was surprised by very little.
Still, worth a look for Winslet's intriguing performance and how many dictators have really very few principles at - everything is a slogan, a PR move. Vernham is ultimately fine with making her country a puppet state - either to China or the US, and the men in her life and her "child" become expendable as she tries to achieve her goals.