2024-03-24 13:30:00
At this point, we can already identify a certain formula in the recent television releases of the Apple TV+: take an intriguing premise, hire a creator/showrunner with good credits on your IMDb resume — not the most expensive or famous ones, but those who are waiting for their moment to shine on their own — assemble a cast full of Letterboxd darlings — again, not the biggest stars or stars, but respected professionals in their craft and with some fan base — and pour money from your infinite piggy bank into creating an impressive and visually impeccable production.
Sometimes the bet pays off (“The New Look” e “Constellation” are two recent examples), while in others (cof cof “Masters of the Air” cof cof) there is a lack of a league to tie all these elements together — and the league is almost always a sharper script.
“Palm Royale”, Maçã’s new comedy miniseries, is neither at the most successful end of that scale, nor at the most unfortunate. But the good news is that the production, which premiered last Wednesday (20/3) with three of its ten episodes already available, weighs more on the positive side of the scale — all thanks to a witty social critique from its showrunner, Abe Sylvia, and its writers’ room, as well as a row of top-notch comedic performances in its main cast. It’s just a shame, then, that the episodes (at least the first three, which are the ones we’re reviewing here) are so long, to the point of tiring the viewer.
The story here, set in the high society of Palm Beach (Florida, USA) in 1969, revolves around Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig), a social climber who, through an unlikely connection with aging socialite Norma Dellacorte (Carol Burnett), tries at all costs to gain his place in the highest circles of the local dondocas. To do so, however, Maxine will have to deal with a series of complicated figures, such as the “deputy queen bee” Evelyn Rogers (Allison Janney), who is just waiting for Norma’s death to take over leadership of the rich women, and housewife Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb), who, like Maxine, is also on an upward trajectory in that job and sees the protagonist as his arch-rival.
It is obvious that, with a premise like this (based on the book “Mr. & Mrs. American Pie”of Juliet McDaniel), Sylvia would not waste the opportunity to make a series of observational criticisms of the highest circles of American society, its hypocrisies and its intrinsic corruption. And it is precisely in this tone that “Palm Royale” finds its greatest success, managing to create situations and twists that, while placing humor as a priority, do not fail to expose those people and that scenario to their intrinsically ridiculous nature.
In this sense, it is interesting to note that, even though the miniseries’ setting exists in a kind of vacuum — after all, within those high walls designed to separate the high society of the rabble, no one is very concerned with the Vietnam War, the fight for civil rights or other socially relevant issues of the period —, several themes resonate with issues widely discussed today, such as reproductive rights and the disguised good-naturedness that represents a large part of the philanthropy carried out by the upper classes. Sylvia’s dialogues (whose CV includes the series “Dead to Me” and the film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”among other productions) and its team of writers are very successful in bringing these serious themes to the surface without ever weighing down the environment too much or diverting the series from its mostly comedic proposal.
I say “mostly” because, for those who were expecting something in the vein of “Acapulco” (another Apple series set in a paradisiacal beach setting with several wealthy characters), “Palm Royale” has some very interesting forays into the realm of dramatic comedy. And it’s good to see an actress of Kristen Wiig’s caliber, so known for her eccentric and histrionic humor, adopting a more subtle, more humanized approach — even with all her flaws, Maxine has a kind of gentle intensity which is confusing at first, but soon starts to make perfect sense for (what I assume is) the character’s narrative arc.
In the supporting cast, amazingly: who steals the show in a parade of Oscar-winning actresses (Alisson Janney, Laura Dern) It is Ricky Martin: as the bartender Robert, the former Menudo shows his usual comedic flair, but also a dramatic skill that he rarely displayed in his previous forays in front of the camera — his duos with Wiig make up some of the best moments of the miniseries, and his character is an anchor important to support the narrative of “Palm Royale” in reality and not let yourself be completely carried away by the frivolities of your universe.
On the other hand, here’s my first criticism: if you’re going to hire a comedy legend like Carol Burnett for a regular role in a miniseries (and, consequently, leave all her fans, like this one who writes to you, excited to see the diva 90-year-old again in a prominent role), be sure Carol Burnett will be on screen for more time than we saw in the first three episodes here. It’s likely that your Norma will appear more on screen in the following chapters, but, in any case, it remains the threat the reminder. 😛
And, since we are talking about the negative parts, it is impossible to hide that, at certain moments, “Palm Royale” tired. If before there was a clear rule in American series — dramas have 40-60 minute episodes, and comedies have 20-30 episodes —, the streaming era has blurred the differences between these two categories once and for all, and nowadays… well, basically there are no more rules. Sometimes that’s great (a wonderfully stressful show like “The Bear”, for example, would be almost impossible to watch with longer episodes), but, in general, common sense dictates that comedies work better in smaller doses. And the episodes of “Palm Royale”almost an hour long, often end up going much further than they should and giving situations a certain air of tiredness, as if the writers were trying to create conflicts to extend screen time.
Still, even when boredom threatens to set in, at least the production benefits from an absolutely stunning recreation of its time and place: the universe created by director Tate Taylor (“Cross Stories”) and by the other filmmakers who direct the chapters of “Palm Royale” is a pleasure to admire, with warm photography that makes a delicious ironic contrast with the artificial coldness of the relationships presented (or most of them, at least).
For these and other reasons, “Palm Royale” It’s another success for Apple TV+ — and fans are hoping that the formula continues to bear fruit like this.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in more than 100 countries and regions, whether on iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Macs, smart TVs or online — in addition to being on devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The service costs R$21.90 per month, with a seven-day free trial period. For a limited time, anyone who purchases and activates a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch gets three months of Apple TV+. It is also part of the company’s subscription package, Apple One.
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