Alias Grace

Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel will get a full review when it airs on CBC and everyone can see it. A “CBC original,” and with involvement from Netflix – which will stream it in other markets – it arrives at a fortuitous time. However, the Hulu adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale is, for many people, the cultural event of 2017 and the impact of Alias Grace will likely pale in comparison. It’s a period piece, very 19th-century Canada and packed with familiar Canadian actors. What might make it truly impactful – and this is without reviewing its substance – is an audaciously seething performance by Sarah Gadon as the title character, Grace Marks. Grace is accused of murder and it’s Gadon’s job to convey the inner workings of her mind, which she does with power. You can’t take your eyes off her. Whatever else might be happening in the multihour miniseries, Gadon enters your head and stays there.

Source: The Globe and Mail