True detective season 1 theme
True Detective, in this respect, served me well: Ani Bezzerides is sexually aggressive, tomboyish, independent. It’s certainly great to see Hollywood turning its back on cliches and giving female leads combative and heroic roles, but I still thirst for characters with flaws stuck in desolate circumstances. I’ll be honest: I may be suffering from a bout of female heroes fatigue. Rachel McAdams as Ani Bezzerides in True Detective. But this scene in particular – and the way the camera later pauses on her fingers, and on his eyes – is extraordinary in its intimacy. Yes, the story of two lost souls connecting is a cinematic cliche. For this reason there’s something truly, deeply sweet about the way Velcoro refuses her advances in the penultimate episode. He fights back with drugs and booze, she deals with it by sleeping her way out of her misery.
Soon enough, her and Velcoro hit rock bottom together. McAdams’ Ani Bezzerides has similar strengths: the memories she uncovers send her into a fast tailspin. The torment he puts himself through, as well as the bargain he makes with his ex-wife after a night of substance abuse, isn’t something portrayed on screen often enough. Ray Velcoro’s inability to connect with his boy is both unavoidable and heartbreaking.
It’s rare enough to witness the ongoing, breathing grief of a father about to lose the custody of his child – and even rarer to truly feel empathy for both parents. But many moments in both Rachel McAdams’ and Colin Farrell’s performances are absolutely crushing.
Vince Vaughn’s character, it’s true, lacks in the subtlety department. Colin Farrell as Ray Velcoro: ‘His inability to connect with his boy is both unavoidable and heartbreaking.’ Photograph: HBO