I wasn't sure what to expect when I put in PATRICK MELROSE. I'm a fan of star Benedict Cumberbatch since the Sherlock Holmes series. I'd never heard of the novels it is based on by Edward St. Aubyn but they must be popular since the series is promoted for that heavily. What I ended up watching was confusing at first and satisfying by the last episode of this mini-series.
The series is about the main character and jumps back and forth through time not only with the focus of each episode but in each episode as well. Don't let that scare you off though. And don't let the first episode scare you off either. I was dreading moving on to the second after watching it but now I'm glad I did.
Episode one takes place when Patrick (Cumberbatch) is at his worst. A heroin addict he wakes to the news that his father has passed away. He now must head to New York City to collect his father's remains and return them to England. As he heads out he tells his best friend Johnny (Prasanna Puwanarajah) that he's determined to stop doing drugs cold turkey. By the time he reaches NYC he's looking for a dealer to supply him. The episode is jarring in both subject matter and style with quick cuts and frantic pacing that pulls the viewer into the world of a heroin junkie. Not a pleasant experience both for the junkie and the viewer. But along the way we're provided small glimpses of the past that will eventually help us to learn why Patrick is the way he is.
Episode two takes on a whole different aspect. We see Patrick as a child and his parents, Eleanor (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and David (Hugo Weaving). The pair seem like complete opposites. Eleanor is an alcoholic and reclusive as she avoids contact with her own husband. David is a bully and mean spirited sort who not only belittles his wife and child but anyone else he comes into contact with. The entire thing paints a bad portrait of the upper crust of Britain going so far as to even take shots at Princess Margaret. Once more we have glimpses as to something troubling, destructive and truly evil that had an effect on Patrick but we're still not quite certain. Eventually all will be revealed.
I hate to go on about the rest of the series since its only 5 episodes long. Suffice to say that the acting on hand here is amazing to behold with complex characters that are delivered to us in bits and pieces with backgrounds that are peeled to reveal themselves like an onion, both in the fact that there are layers and that by the end you may find yourself crying. One could single out Cumberbatch as the best among them but at the same time Weaving creates a character that you loathe so much it will make it hard to not think of this role in future outings. And Leigh also is stunning here, so much so that at first I didn't recognize her. She's grown into a wonderful actress all those years since we can recall her in FAST TIME AT RIDGEMONT HIGH.
The mini-series opens as a complete downer with a topic most will feel uncomfortable with. By the end there will remain a feeling of discomfort but also a glimpse of hope as well. Patrick is one of the most well-rounded characters to be found and Cumberbatch gives him life. I don't know that this series should carry on but this one can be enjoyed and should be.
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