A Pale Imitation of a Vibrant Original

muffin-munro

Gracepoint is an American remake of Broadchurch - a 2013 British miniseries (8 parts to date with a second season promised in 2015). Imagine a chilling atmospheric thriller set in a small town in coastal England where, after an 11-year-old boy is murdered, the dark secrets of the picturesque town are unearthed in the harrowing search for a child's killer. Now, strip that story of all tension, ambiance, and nuance; dumb down the script, introduce an utterly incongruent musical score, and strangle whatever was left of this gritty crime drama with bad CGI and overwrought acting straight out of high school drama camp. This, my friends, is Gracepoint.

Why anyone would try to transplant such a deliberately understated and geographically specific narrative as Broadchurch to a low-budget, hackneyed, American production is incomprehensible. Firstly, Gracepoint's unimpressive (and clearly computer-generated) hillsides overlooking a placid lake pale in comparison to the brooding landscape of Broadchurch's treacherous cliffs, foreboding waves, and relentless "never-ending sky." Secondly, Broadchurch may have some weaknesses (particularly to the classical English murder-mystery enthusiasts) but whatever it might lack in overall narrative structure it works to make up for with superb performances, particularly from Olivia Colman and (perhaps surprisingly, considering his participation in Gracepoint) David Tennant. Unlike the nerve-frayed Scot he plays in Broadchurch, however, in Gracepoint, Tennant's cardboard American falls in line with the stiff, overblown performances of every one of his co-stars - including the prototypical blonde, perky, flushed-and-breathy female detective played by Anna Gunn.

I want to emphasize here that Gracepoint is not an adaptation or a re-telling of Broadchurch: it is an offensive regurgitation. The majority of the script is reproduced (so badly) from its British antecedent. Thus, if you are considering watching Gracepoint, stop what you are doing immediately. Go to Broadchurch. Go directly to Broadchurch. Do not waste your time on this washed-out remake; do not be wearied by this hobbled script and hammy acting. For the sake of all that is good and innovative in British television today, watch Broadchurch instead.

score 1/10

muffin-munro 3 October 2014

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3097557/