“Mr. Mercedes” is one of the most successful and intriguing teleadaptations of the work of S. King, telling about a retired detective forced to return to the investigation into the mass murder case.
The second in the summer of 2017
After the not-so-successful premiere of the series “The Darkness” (IMDb: 5.40), based on King's literary work, the public was expecting another screen version of his creation, created in television format. The fears of a large army of fans of the king of horrors were in vain. “Mercedes” (front-end actors: Brendan Gleason and Harry Treadaway) was named one of the best adaptations of the work of Stephen King over the past decades. The writer himself described the series as a "vigorous detective." The creator of the project, positioned by critics as "status", was David E. Kelly, a famous screenwriter and producer. The winner of 10 Emmy awards recently confirmed his worth by releasing Big Big Lies and Goliath. Actors of the series "Mr. Mercedes" were invited to the casting under his direct supervision.
All ten episodes of the first season were directed by Jack Bender, who had previously collaborated with Kelly on "Ellie McBeal" and later directed Lost and most of the Game of Thrones episodes.
Ups and downs of production
“Mr. Mercedes” is a film whose actors were approved for their roles as a result of a lengthy casting, accompanied by certain problems. The only exception was the unrivaled Brendan Gleeson. The actor appears in the project in the image of an experienced detective who, even in retirement, has been haunted by an unsolved crime committed by a serial killer. Initially, the role of the killer was intended for Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Terminator: May the Savior Come). But an American actor of Russian origin in 2016 was the victim of an accident that occurred shortly before the filming process began. The creators and actors of the series Mr. Mercedes (2017) mourned the loss, but preparations for the filming continued. As a result of the tragically dead artist, Harry Tredaway, the star of the television series Scary Tales, replaced him.
Also, the image of Ida Silver was to be revealed in the movie Ann-Margret, but the actress was forced to abandon the role in connection with the illness of one of the family members. In the acting ensemble, she was replaced by Holland Taylor. After the replacements in casting, the filming process started in early 2017 in Charleston (South Carolina).
With philosophical overtones
The television project "Mr. Mercedes", the actors and the roles of which are perfectly matched to the types, as recognized by filmmakers, is the best example among the film adaptations of the eminent writer on TV. If "It" holds the lead among feature films, then among the series is the work of David E. Kelly. By the way, the killer in telenovela is also a clown. Well, in a sense.
The plot of the series is not just a detective story from the “catch me if you can” series, but a serious work with philosophical overtones about responsibility for misconduct and actions, for dishonest performance of one’s duties, for ignoring one’s intentions, for words and deeds. Here we should pay tribute to the creators of the television version - they made the most of all the possibilities and artistic techniques to expand the scope of a fairly standard detective story. They not only managed to adequately transfer the beautiful literary work to the screen, but also endow the project with independent merits.
By the way, Stephen King, who is directly involved in the production process, acted not only as a producer of the series. He played a cameo (a tiny role without text) in a scene that the viewer could never forget. This is another reason to recommend watching the series "Mr. Mercedes."
Actors and roles: Bill Hodges
One of the advantages of the film adaptation of critics called participation in the filming process of Brendan Gleason. The presence in the credits of the name of this artist is already enough to recommend the project for viewing, the actor alone gives confidence to everything that happens on the set and everyone present on it. Gleason harmoniously blended into the role of retired police officer Bill Hodges, who, after retirement, lives on as a memory. Each episode with Hodges reveals the inner world of the hero, conveys his inanimity and disorder. It is such a characteristic character that can captivate the viewer, cause his sympathy and sympathy. By the way, Brenan Gleeson is not the first to play the grouchy cop in stock - this is the role, like many others, the actor succeeds brilliantly.
In general, “Mr. Mercedes” is a series whose actors represent a real star inflorescence, both performers of the main roles and the supporting plan.
Chief Antagonist Brady Hartsfield
Judging by the pilot episode of the project, the viewer could have suggested that Brady Hartsfield - the main antagonist of the series - is significantly inferior to his "opponent". But this was precisely the idea of the creators, because subsequently the watchers expect a lot of unforeseen plot twists, and the initiative in the confrontation between the heroes will often move from one to another. The role of the villain went to Harry Tredaway, who was supposedly born to incarnate characters on the screen with a crazy look, a lot of mental disorders, weighed down by the Oedipus complex.
In the series “Mr. Mercedes”, the actors who played supporting roles are no less good than the performers of the roles of key characters. The disclosure of the main idea is facilitated by their witty dialogues. And Tredaway and Gleason were not chosen by the producers by chance - both performers are famous for their ability to look vulnerable in the frame and evoke audience sympathy.
Impressive cast
The role of student Jerome Robinson, helping to understand the elderly police wisdom of the computer, was played by Jarrel Jerome, who appeared in the Oscar-winning “Moonlight”. Mary Louise Parker reincarnated as Janel Patterson. The winner of the Tony, Emmy and two Golden Globes awards is known to the audience for the films Client, Grand Canyon, Side Guys, Bullets over Broadway and RED. The aforementioned Holland Taylor beautifully embodied the image of her heroine Ida Silver on the screen, and Kelly Lynch after an extended creative break was irresistible in the role of Deborah Hartsfield.
Criticism
According to experts of the film industry, all the actors in the series “Mr. Mercedes” made every effort to ensure that the story underlying the project appealed to a wide audience. The narrative thanks to their skill turned out to be tough and dramatic. There is intrigue, worthy rivals, a relentless atmosphere of anxiety (Stephen King's proprietary "hopelessness") and a sense of unpredictability of the final outcome. For a happy ending, it is better to turn to the opuses of other writers, everything is utterly in King's film adaptation. Perhaps that is why teleadaptation received a weighty rating for the teleproject - IMDb: 7.4.